WHOA, don't listen to this guy, that is crap!

50 amps usually call for 6 gauge wire, in a short run like is used for a
stove, you could probably get by with 8 gauge, but I would stick with 6
gauge...just go to Home Depot or Lowes and buy one.

The ground wire can usually be 1 gauge below the other wires. It is really
only there for safety, if you get a short it can follow the ground path
instead of a person.

The neutral is the return path, it has to be the same guage. If you have
two hots that are the same phase, then the neutral would have to be up a
gauge...but that won't happen. They are always opposite phase by
approximately 180 degrees and therefore partially cancel each other out.

If you look in your main breaker, the neutral and ground buses are tied to
eachother.

Think of the voltage/current like water. It flows in through your hot wire,
then into your appliances, then back through the neutral line and into the
ground.

"Doug Miller" wrote in message
. net...
In article . com, "CJ"
wrote:
On Feb 9, 1:50 pm, (Dave Martindale) wrote:
"CJ" writes:
I bought a four wire electric oven pigtail (two hots, a neutral and a
ground)
and was wondering what the gauge rating for each of the four wires
should be?

The two hots and neutral should be whatever is appropriate for a 40 A
circuit, probably 8 gauge copper. I don't know if the ground can be
smaller.

It can. So can the neutral, for that matter, since the heating elements
are
240V and don't use the neutral at all. The neutral wire is used for the
control circuits, ignitors, lights, fan (if there is one), etc. which are
all
120V, but the total load of all that won't be more than 5 amps or so.

The oven is on a 50 AMP circuit, so is 8 gauge enough. the next one
up would be 6 gauge?

Yes, the next size up is 6 gauge, but it's doubtful that you need that.
Check
the rating plate on the oven, and match the pigtail to that (not the the
breaker rating).

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.