Electric cable

The electric stove has long been one of the most important elements in the kitchen for any housewife. This is not surprising due to the fact that it is thanks to this type of technology that it is possible to cook tasty and healthy food for yourself and your family. But despite the use of such a device, many do not even think about which elements provide high-quality work of this thing.

It is already possible to understand that not every cable is suitable for connecting such equipment. This is logical, since at large overloads it will simply burn out and can cause equipment breakdown or fire. Therefore, when choosing a cable for an electric stove, you should rely on such important characteristics:

• Rated voltage;
• material that serves as the basis for wire conductors;
• cable section;
• ease of connection to the device.

If we take the rated voltage for devices of well-known brands, then its indicator should be exactly not less than that provided for by the usual electrical network, where the device is to be connected. Now let's say a little more about the indicators described.

Probably one of the most important aspects that will play a role is the material for making the cable cores. It is best if they are copper. By itself, this metal can be soldered if necessary. And the copper power wire is more flexible than the aluminum analogue. But the cost of the copper solution will be higher. If the choice fell on an aluminum analogue, then you need to understand that its installation should not be carried out in materials that burn. You can find out what the electrical wire is made of thanks to the special marking on the product itself.

Speaking directly about the numbers, then, as a rule, most solutions from well-known brands (Samsung or Electrolux) are designed for electricity consumption of a little less than 4 kW. For this reason, the margin of safety of the wire should be selected in terms of power somewhere with an orientation to such an indicator.

In order for the device to work as safely as possible, you should also pay attention to the following points.

• If you need to lay the cord directly from the panel to the electric stove, a cord with a standard cross-section of 1.5 sq. mm.
• If other electrical appliances are to be connected between the device and the dashboard, then you should have a cable with a cross section of at least 2.5 sq. mm. This option will provide the necessary margin in case of connecting some other household appliances.

An important parameter is also the phasing of the connection. It will depend on the number of cores in the cable. The wire can be 3 or 5 wires. The number of cores will depend on the indoor power supply. And it can be either 1-phase or 3-phase. If the first option, then you will need to purchase a wire with three cores, and if the second - with five.

And you should also find out if the purchased equipment supports the type of connection that was selected.For example, stoves with a power of up to 5 kW are usually connected to a 1-phase network, and more powerful ones have a 2 or 3-phase connection. The type of cable that can be used will also be important, but more on that below.

In the case of a wire brand, the best solution would be the PVA or KG option. The first type stands for vinyl connecting wire. This product has copper conductors, each of which is protected by insulation and all of them are in a white sheath. Such a power wire can withstand voltages up to 450 V, and the insulating material does not burn, which allows the wire in question to be heat-resistant.

It also features high strength and excellent bending resistance. It can be used even in unheated and damp buildings, where it will last 6-10 years, depending on the operating conditions. Perfect for connecting electric stoves.

If we talk about a wire of the KG type, then its name stands for flexible cable. Its shell is made of a special type of rubber. In addition, the same sheath protects the tinned copper conductors. There is a special protective film between the wires. It should prevent the conductors from sticking together due to heat generated by use.

Usually the KG wire contains from 1 to 5 cores. As you can imagine, the conductor cross-section determines the power that the cable can withstand. This cable is operated in the temperature range from -40 to +50 degrees. The KG cable can withstand voltage up to 660 V. Usually this wire has the following designation: KG 3x5 + 1x4. This means that there are 3-phase conductors with a cross section of 5 sq. mm, and one grounding conductor with a cross section of 4 sq. mm.

Regardless of which wire will be selected to connect the electric stove, it should be bought with a margin of length so that you can move the product. In addition, the wiring going inside the premises and at the entrance to the apartment must be of high quality, which should also be checked before starting the connection.

If we talk about choosing a cable for connecting an electric stove, then you should focus on the material from which it is made, power and cross-section. Some of this information can be found only after the characteristics of the plate that will be purchased have been analyzed. More precisely, it will be necessary to know its power. And for the choice to be correct, about another 20 percent should be added to this indicator. It is best to always have a small contingency margin. But it should be said that the power should not be higher than that of the lead-in cable, otherwise the main load will fall on it.

As a rule, many models of electric stoves that are produced now are designed for a power supply of 380 V and have an average power rating of 6 kW. But you can find more powerful models. For such models, you need a cable made of copper for a voltage of 380 V and having a cross section of at least 1.5 square meters. mm. This type of wire can handle up to 16 amps. If the parameters of the device are larger, then it is better to take a cable with a cross section of 2.5 sq. mm.

For electric stoves that are powered from a single-phase cable network, the following calculations should be carried out:

• if the power is up to 3.5 kilowatts, a copper cable is required with a core diameter of 1.5 sq. mm;
• if up to 5 kilowatts - 2.5 sq. mm;
• if up to 7 kilowatts - 4.0 sq. mm.

Direct connection of the considered type of electrical devices is carried out according to the principle algorithm, which allows connection to a 220 or 380 volt network. The required power supply indicator can be provided by using special jumpers.

The connection diagram will be based on the color of the cores. The cable, which has black or brown insulation, goes to the phase contact, the blue one to zero, the green-yellow one to the ground contact.Near the terminals there will be Latin letters L, N and an inverted letter T, denoting phase, zero and ground, respectively. After a reliable connection of the cable to the stove has been made, it remains only to correctly connect to the electrical panel.

After completing the connections, you need to check the correct connection using a multimeter. The work is considered completed if the manufacturer has equipped it with a socket for connecting the electric stove. If it is not there, then you need to buy a model with a plug having 3 pins for 25-32 A, a PVS 3 cable for 2.5 sq. mm two-meter size, as well as the required connection device.

The correct connection should be checked with a multimeter. to find out that there is no short circuit between the cable wires and the plug in the absence of contact between the phase and earth. In this case, all switches on the device must be inoperative. The same check is carried out with different operating modes of the switches. If the mode is set to 100 ohms, then the normal resistance is in the range of 4-10 ohms.

In any case, the box for connecting the power wire or cable has 6 clamping contacts, and in the operating documents (sometimes on the stove itself) there is a schematic diagram with which you can connect the electric stove with a tester. To protect the wires or cable, a difavtomat or a circuit breaker with a characteristic C and an RCD is mounted in the dashboard of a house or apartment. Another important point is that the electric stove must be grounded. Works on this issue can be divided into 2 points:

• the presence of a common ground loop;
• his absence.

In the first case, you will need a flexible copper wire of at least 2.5 sq. mm, which must be carried out from the electrical panel and connected to the plate body. If there is no circuit, then the installation of an RCD and the implementation of grounding or the use of two methods together are necessary.

Another point that should be said a little is the issue of transferring the electric stove. It often happens that the kitchen is being renovated or rearranged and the electric stove needs to be moved. Considering that there is usually only one outlet in the kitchen, this can be problematic. Then it becomes necessary to lengthen the existing cable. This can be done in several ways.

One of the easiest is to purchase an extension cord. But the problem is that it is rare to find a three-phase extension cord. Therefore, it is necessary to lengthen the cable. To do this, you should purchase the same wire that was used previously, and simply lengthen it.

For information on how to properly connect the electric stove, see the next video.