So you bought a gas range…
Our intrepid homeowner switched from an electric range to a gas range. To accommodate the new range, any electrician could easily have changed the old 240-volt circuit to a 120-volt circuit, but our hero came up with a better way: Mangle the old range cord to make an “adapter.” Why is that a problem? Let us count the ways:
- What are the chances that this cord-mangler went into the electrical panel and properly altered the wiring from a 40-amp, 240-volt circuit to a 15- or 20-amp, 120 volt circuit? We’re guessing the chance of that hovers near zero. Without a properly sized breaker, the circuit could overheat.
- A simple wire nut covers the cord’s unused conductor. While we applaud this nod to safety (at least it’s better than tape or chewing gum) we can’t endorse it. Wire nuts are supposed to be used *inside* electrical boxes, not outside them. If the wire nut is knocked loose, someone could be zapped.
- And why is that conductor unused, anyway? The new range requires one hot conductor, one neutral conductor, and one grounding conductor. It looks like our homeowner used the grounding wire as a neutral and simply omitted the grounding wire. Faults might not be clear and the range could zap someone.
- Range cords just aren’t supposed to be altered because – well, because of what’s in this picture.
