I have purchased a GE built-in oven to replace the 60 year old oven that was installed when the house was built. The original oven uses a 30 amp breaker. The salesperson told me I must change the breaker to a 20 amp to accommodate the new oven, but he's unsure whether the wiring must be changed as well. Is replacing the 30 amp breaker with a 20 amp breaker a do-it-yourself project... and if so, how is it done? Does the wiring have to be replaced. Thanks!

Head back to the store and whack that sales' person over the head with a soft elbow macaroni. Yes in your case the connection of the oven is a DIY do-able, you do not want to remove the 30 amp existing line in favor of a 20 amp circuit. Tell the sales rep, that you are going to invite the IRS to look into his activities if he keeps that nonsense up. :)

Your kitchen should have a 30 amp range top and a 30 amp wall installed oven, correct?

Check the service plate on the new oven if you have it in your possession as well as the instructions and you should see that the new oven more than likely needs a Maximum input amperage of 30 amps.

Without quoting the NEC Code, that's the input line amperage you want. What you need to determine is whether you have a three wire receptacle or a four wire. I strongly suspect that you have three wire.

If you do not know how to do the electrical work, please get a qualified electrician to do the work.

Changing out to 120 volts/20 Amp, requires a 20 amp breaker, receptacle, bigger wire on a smaller breaker is OK.
Most, or equally important is if it was 240 volt 30 amp, and now 120 volt, 1 wire will go to new single pole breaker, other wire goes to neutral buss bar, and should be identified at both ends of wire with white tape.
Does your new unit have a plug on the end?

Troha,

Please post the electrical requirements for this wall oven or post the Model Number of the GE Oven.

Unless you are going to take a 20 amp tap off a 50 amp line, I do not believe you were given correct information by the store sales person.

I checked the GE Site and I could not find any 20 amp wall mounted ovens.

I could be wrong, but I believe most wall mounted ovens are going to have a minimum of 30 amps. Not 20 amps.

To all,

This information was received by PM this morninig.

GE 24" oven... 30 amp to 20 amp breaker?

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POWER / RATINGS
Amp Rating at 208V 20
Amp Rating at 240V 20
Bake Wattage 2000
Broiler Wattage 3400
KW Rating at 208V 2.6
KW Rating at 240V 3.4

Leave the #10, change out to 20 amp 2 pole breaker.

You know, and correct me if I'm wrong, but why change the breaker at all? If the home is properly wired for 30A protection, then just leave it, right? We DO NOT protect the equipment in the home with breakers... we protect the circuits. For example, if we have an appliance that requires 2 amps, we don't require it be put it on a 3A breaker. We have it on a 15A or 20A circuit. If the appliance has issues, it's not the responsibility of the breaker to protect it. The breaker protects the circuit. I would leave the 30A breaker and call it good.

Troha,

Even though I would not do any changing on the electrical wiring and breaker side. Something I either read or heard has piquéd my interest in this item.

Would you please reply with the oven's model number and complete serial number for me, double please!

What a great post. Just goes to show you how much you can trust the advice of a sales clerk. I am amazed at how often folks ask a sales person for installation advice. Some of them may have had some training but do you think they ever installed a stove themselves?

Troha and to all,

Troha sent me the model number of the oven (JRS06SKSS ). Turns out the oven is part of a major recall across the U.S. because of a serious potential for fire.

It seems that there is a plastic part inside the door that will melt then flame. There have been about 35 fires all caused minor damage to the homes and some minor injuries to people.

Troha, please visit GE at: GE : imagination at work Once there, type wall oven model number I(JRS06SKSS) click, on the search box and read for yourself.

Guy's lets rally at Sam's after dark and have a talk with this fine sales representative of GE's. I can be there by 21:00, that is if I knew where "There" is actually at. :) Oh wait, you guys have to plunge in without me, I have a cold in the nose and wife said I have to take a nap. Soo sorry, but wife know best for me!

Personally 20 amp may trip if a problem is present, 30 Amp would allow more damage before it trips. I would put in 20 AMP.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Stratmando

Changing out to 120 volts/20 Amp, requires a 20 amp breaker, receptacle, bigger wire on a smaller breaker is ok.
Most, or equally important is if it was 240 volt 30 amp, and now 120 volt, 1 wire will go to new single pole breaker, other wire goes to neutral buss bar, and should be identified at both ends of wire with white tape.
Does your new unit have a plug on the end?

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I know it has been a while but I was hoping for some clarification:) I have a 30 amp breaker that I want to use with a 20 amp receptacle. I am hoping to clarify that there being only 2 black wires connected on the 30 amp circuit breaker, one of these 2 wires would be connected as a neutral to the neutral bus? Other posts suggest using both of the black wires on 2 different 20 amp breakers but do not say anything about a neutral. If the 2 black wires go to a hot circuit, how would this return. For me it would be ideal to add 2 20 amp breakers but I do not know what to do about the neutral. Thanks!

Okay this post would have made for a new thread rather than an add on.

I believe you are looking at a 240 V 30 Amp double pole breaker and not a single pole 30 amp breaker. Can you please send us a picture?

Neutral can only be white or gray, never black, red or blue. Neutral connects to the Neutral bus bar, not the breaker.

Also #10 AWG conductors are listed for 30 Amp. #12 AWG is listed for 20 amp. A # 19 AWG conductor will not connect directly to a 20 amp receptacle, you would have to splice A #12 AWG conductor to the end of the #110 AWG conductor and then make the connection at the receptacle.

If in fact you do not have a Neutral for the existing circuit you will have to rewire the circuit from the panelboard to the receptacle outlet with 12/2 w ground.

La4242...
With only 2 blacks, and converting to 120 volts, one goes to neutral(white tape), other goes to 20 amp breaker.
If it is in conduit, 1 extra wire could be the neutral, and the 2 existing hots, would go to a 2 pole 240 volt breaker. It is still 2 120 volt circuits, but the 2 pole shuts both 120 volts circuits down so you would not get shocked working on a circuit that you Think is off.
Plus, if you open the neutral on a Multicircuit like this(2 Hots on opposite phases sharing a Neutral), you could do damage by excessively High or Low voltage.

Thank you donf and Stratmando for your responses! I looked again and there is a white-neutral connected! I don't know how to add pictures to this site but here are the links where you can see them. I have this circuit going to an old unused heater in a bathroom but wanted to use the space in the subpanel to add a dedicated circuit for a 2nd bathroom. So I was going to change the breaker and connect/add a circuit from the first bathroom to the second bathroom (through attice or crawling space).
Can I leave the #10 wire for the 1st portion of the connection: subpanel to 1st bathroom. If this wire (#10 size) does not fit in the 20 amp receptacle that I would install in the fist bathroom where the old lamp is (connecting point) is, then I have to just leave this as a connection point with no receptacle (junction box)? And connect the wire (#12) from here to the 20 amp receptacle (s) I am adding?

Subpanel | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
2 blacks, 1 white | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
30 amp conduit | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

You need to place the 2 hots on a 2 pole 20 Amp breaker. The white will be common for both circuits. Just attach a short piece of #12 to the #10 so it can be connected to a Receptacle.