[gpsmith]

We're wanting to move a stove about 6 feet over. There's an existing service line directly connected to the stove, but I think it was a quick/poor upgrade because it can't be to code (the line just sticks out of the wall).

To move the stove over, the line is going to need to be a bit longer, and I'm just looking for the best way to go about it. The existing line is marked "32071 (U/L) TYPE SE CABLE STYLE U TYPE XHHW CDRS 3 CDRS AWG 4 AL 300V. TO GROUND"

Do service lines include ground in their conductor count? CDRS 3 is three conductors, but is this a 3- or 4- connector line in plug phrasing?

Aluminum wires I understand is/can be fine in service lines, but is there anything I need to worry about for extending the line? Special/thicker junction boxes? anticorrosion gels? Would I instead need to trace the line all the way back to the breaker box and replace it with a new, longer line? If so, is there an updated cable I should search for (preferably one available from a Lowe's or Home Depot).


Thanks!

 

[Jim Port]

Since you need to extend the cable you will need to upgrade to a 4 wire circuit. 6-3 with ground NM would work.

 

[seharper]

That line is to a single appliance, so it's a branch circuit line. Just because they're using SE cable does not make it a service line. Note that it does not have its own meter.

Generally SEU cable is only 2 wires plus a webbed NEUTRAL that goes around the hot conductors. It was legal for range hookups up until I want to say 1994? SEU is a weird one, because the neutral is bare. It was (as of back when) the only legal way you can run a 3-wire connection to a range with a bare neutral.

Needless to say, this does NOT have a ground wire. You will need to re-run the entire cable from the panel with grounded cable.

Somebody went out of their way to use wire rated for 55 amps. Some range/ovens indeed require 50A. However many range/ovens require only 40A.

If you need 50A, you can run #4Al or #6Cu.

If you only need 40A, you can run #6Al or #8Cu.

If you can lay conduit from range to panel, you can run THWN #8 Cu or #6 Al wire in there and that will be good for 50A because THWN gets to run at a higher temperature. I would think the SEU cable would also, since its internal wiring is THWN. #4Al running at 75C (the higher temp) is allowed 65A actual, with a 70A breaker.