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Range install in "old" house

3K views 8 replies 7 participants last post by  analogmusicman 
#1 ·
I am nearing the end of a kitchen remodel and have removed the old drop in range. It was hard wired into a 3 wire cable. The cable consists of 2 black multi-strand aluminum wires, surrounded by bare alluminum strands (ground). They are encased in a gray plastic .

Do I have to have new 220 cable run from the main box or can I wire this into a 3 or 4 wire outlet? How do you determine which wire is nuetral?

Thank,
dhb1959
 
#2 · (Edited)
I am nearing the end of a kitchen remodel and have removed the old drop in range. It was hard wired into a 3 wire cable. The cable consists of 2 black multi-strand aluminum wires, surrounded by bare alluminum strands (ground). They are encased in a gray plastic .

Do I have to have new 220 cable run from the main box or can I wire this into a 3 or 4 wire outlet? How do you determine which wire is nuetral?

Thank,
dhb1959
There is no neutral only ground. I would run new copper 4 wire for this.
 
#3 ·
There is no neutral only ground.
Jeff, it is the exact opposite. This is SE cable and the bare wire in question is a NEUTRAL.

This comes up quite frequently. Here is what I wrote in a recent post:

"Older "3-wire" 120/240v circuits were acceptable, IF they had a NEUTRAL!
The ONLY acceptable cables were ones with THREE INSULATED wires, OR Type SE cable. That's IT.
A solid bare wire IS NOT and WAS NEVER allowed to carry current or act as a neutral."



What the OP has IS type SE cable and is acceptable. Although I do agree, running a new 4-wire circuit IS the best bet.
 
#4 ·
What you have is SE type cable, the two insulated wires are the hots and the outer unsulated wire is the neutral. There is no ground, but the older code allowed the frame of the range to be grounded to the neutral at the appliance. While upgrading to a 4-wire setup (8/3 or 6/3) would be ideal, if this cable originates from the main service (not a subpanel) and you are not relocating the cable, you can use it for your new appliance. You will need to use a three wire receptacle and plug.
 
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