Lesley wrote:
Hi,

I'm getting ready to buy a range (finally!) for my "new" house.
The previous owner used a gas stove, but I want electric. However,
there's no 220V outlet where I need there to be one. I'm just
wondering if this is a major thing, to have one installed.
I'll have to call an electrician, and I want to know, is this
normally
something that takes an hour or four hours? Do they have to make
holes
in walls and pull wires all over the place, or is it simpler than
that?

I do have one 220V outlet in the house where the dryer is, and since
the laundry room is on the other side of the kitchen, it's not that
far
from where I need the new 220V outlet. If that makes a difference. .
..
Thanks for your help!

Best,

Lesley

The dryer circuit really doesn't enter into it; each big appliance
needs its own 220V feed, and ranges are typically higher-amperage than
dryers so need a heavier cable. However, it might be instructive to
follow the dryer cable back to the panel. If you're lucky, it might
lead you to a path that you can pull the new cable through alongside
it. It will also show you how a 220V (black, red, white, ground) cable
goes into a two-pole breaker.

A range circuit will probably be the biggest electrical cable in your
house, and the toughest to fish through tight spaces. You may also need
to make some hard choices about whether to drill big holes through
joists, notch them (shudder), or find some longer route. The cable's
expensive so you'll want to buy only what you'll need; that means
you'll need to plan your route before you have the cable in hand, which
is difficult if you've never worked with thick stiff cable before.

Actually, I should ask if you've looked behind your existing gas stove.
If the house is reasonably new you might find it's got a range outlet
installed; in many jurisdictions code requires a range outlet even if a
gas stove is being put in.

Chip C
Toronto