Installing A Gas Range Where An Electric Range Once Stood Can Be Challenging!
This is the final installment of how we installed our free standing gas range. 
First, I had to tap into my existing gas supply line in the basement because our former range was electric and there was not a gas valve behind the oven. Second, I had to cut away part of the counter to make room for the free standing range because previously we had a drop-in electric model that was suspended on the counter on the sides and back.
Now for the final piece of the puzzle, converting the 220V hard-wired connection into a standard 110V plug and the actual delivery of the Kenmore range we picked out. Unfortunately, I had a couple of setbacks.
Converting the 220V connection into a 110V plug
I am not an electrician, nor am I entirely comfortable in dealing with electricity. I am, however, capable of some basic electrical work around the house but I was not about to convert the 220V hardwired connection into a standard 110V plug for the new range so I hired Mr. Electric to come out and take care of that for me. It is a pricey affair but it had to be done and done right.
Mr. Electric has flat rate pricing so Allen (the electrician) shows me their price guide and that it will run $268, or $228 with member pricing, or what they call their customer protection plan. I decided to also have him install a whole house surge arrester to protect all of our electronics in the house while he was here, so I paid $89 for the membership (good for discounted pricing for a year) and paid an additional $206 for the surge arrester and that pretty much paid for the membership price. I've got a few things I want to do (electrically) around the house so I'll be sure to get that done within the year, hopefully, to get the discounted rate.
But for some reason we had a 50 amp fuse but the wiring was only designed for a 40 amp fuse, which is overkill for the new plug so that's a good thing, but not such a good thing with our previous electric range. Luckily, we never had a problem. 
He then heads upstairs and dismantles the hard-wired connection to the old electric range and converts it into a standard 110V plug that the new range will plug into. He asks me exactly where I want to have the new plug secured behind the range, he tests the circuit for proper ground and polarity and he's done. This all takes about 30-45 minutes.
Taking delivery of our new Kenmore gas range
Sears pulls up on delivery day and three guys bring the new range in. This is no easy feat due to the stairs to our front door. The guy that is going to actually connect the gas to the range informs me that the valve (that I installed) is the wrong type.
He tells me that what I have installed is a dryer valve and not a range valve. Setback #1
Great!!!...Not!
The only thing they can do now is level the range for me and leave. They are not allowed to hook it up if the valve is not the right type. I'm a little steamed because the valve I picked up at the Home Depot was approved by the associate that worked in the gas pipe aisle and, I thought, was giving me flawless advice.
What's the difference between a gas range valve and a dryer valve?
The dryer valve reduces the inside diameter of the pipe about an 1/8", thus reducing the proper amount of gas needed for the range, should you ever want to EFFECTIVELY cook with all four burners going and use the oven simultaneously.
I head back to the Depot and discover that they don't have the valve I need so I head a 1/2 mile down the road to Lowe's and get a perfect match...a gas range valve. I go back home and turn off the gas to the house and promptly replace the dryer valve with the correct one. Don't forget to use pipe joint compound (type T2) at each and every connection on the male threads only! I then came to an abrupt halt because apparently the Sears guy only left behind one of two connectors that came with the range. Setback #2
(UPDATE!!!: Please see Bob's April 24, 2007 comment regarding pipe dope/teflon tape on the flare threads of the flexible line connectors)
I go back to Lowe's (8 miles one way) and get the part that should have come with the range to begin with. I head back home and finally...finally...I'm able to get the darn thing hooked up. YEA!!! We slide the new range back in position and I turn the gas back on. We have flame!
Our kitchen is small but it's set up efficiently (stove, sink and refrigerator form a triangle). We've always said that our house is 2 feet too small in every direction. In this case, it is about 2" too small because I quickly discovered that we were not able to fully open the dishwasher door due to the oven door handle on the new range sticking out further than our old range. Setback #3
So now I am forced to cut away the part of the counter behind the range that extends 4 inches up the back splash and push the range back just far enough to make it all work. It might look a little ugly when I'm done but we have plans for a new counter in the near future and we will just deal with it for awhile. Besides, no one will see what's behind the range anyway.
Preventing Problems with Combustion Equipment
Use a properly sized range hood fan if you use a gas range.
"All kitchens should have exhaust ventilation to remove odors and excess moisture associated with cooking. While there are various ventilation strategies for kitchens, a range hood is the most common. When using a gas range, a range hood directly vented to the outside should be used to capture the combustion products. These range hoods should be sized correctly. For a typical kitchen range the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the Home Ventilation Institute (HVI) recommend 100 cfm. Larger fans may need to have makeup air provided to avoid excessively depressurizing the house, causing backdrafting or other problems.After installation of combustion and/or ventilation equipment, combustion equipment should be tested to be sure that it functions properly.
It is important that your installer conducts a worst-case depressurization test. This combustion safety test determines if any non-sealed combustion appliances will backdraft or spill combustion products into the living space. Tell your installer this test should use an established procedure such as Appendix D of the International Fuel and Gas Code or ASTM E1998 "Guide for Assessing Backdrafting and Spillage from Vented Combustion Appliances"
The above was quoted from the EPA on Indoor Air Quality in Homes/Residences.
Disclaimer: I am NOT a licensed plumber and this is not a How-To website. I am simply sharing my experience with installing a gas range. Ask advice from professionals before considering this type of project and add my practical experience for good measure. If you have ANY reservations about attempting this type of project, call a professional to handle it for you. This is NOT a project to be taken lightly. Check with your homeowners' insurance carrier for details on this project before attempting.
If you choose to follow the techniques, approaches and methods shown on this site, then you follow them at your own risk. In no way will the publishers of this website be held liable for any injuries or damages, direct or consequential, incurred by any person who attempts to follow the examples shown herein.
The information in this article assumes that you have natural gas previously available in your home.
Related:
I have been reading about replacing breakers and wires and so on. Why don't you just go to Home Depot or Lowes and buy the Woods Gas Range Adapter, which is an adapter that plugs right into the 220V electric range outlet and converts it to a normal 110V 15A outlet. It's about $20 -$30 and will save you all of the work and expense and it is CSA approved. I am the inventor of this adapter and just love to see articles like yours. It makes me feel like I have really done some good. The only problem is that it's not available in the US, only in Canada. Here is the link and I can send you one for cost + shipment. http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CatalogSearchResultView?D=905477&Ntt=905477&catalogId=10051&langId=-15&storeId=10051&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntx=mode+matchall&recN=112214&N=0&Ntk=P_PartNumber
That converter plug is an excellent item if this is a DIY job and you are uncomfortable working with electric. As far as using the existing heavy gauge wire, you can always OVER-gauge, but NEVER under-gauge - it may just make some of the connections a little difficult to work with. In this example it appears the wire was 8/2 (two black & one ground) so what the electrician did was take one black and made it the hot and used the other black as the neutral (white), and the ground wire for the ground. The 8 gauge wire should fit into the 20A breaker with no problem, and the pigtail on the outlet end is simply to make a secure connection to the outlet. I definitely agree with the caveat - "Check your local codes and regulations before performing any work!!!" I know my local borough you have to pull a permit to do ANYTHING inside of the breaker panel, so protect yourself and ask the questions FIRST.
Save yourself the time and money converting the 220V to 110V....
$30 - http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CatalogSearchResultView?D=905477&Ntt=905477&catalogId=10051&langId=-15&storeId=10051&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntx=mode+matchall&recN=112214&N=0&Ntk=P_PartNumber
Bruce...
Thanks for commenting. I can't exactly remember how the electrician did it, step-by-step, but you're correct about the breaker being exchanged for a 20 amp.
You don't have to run new wires to convert 220v to 110v. The 220 for your electric range is connected to both power busses in the breaker box via a large, double-throw breaker, usually 50 amps. What you need to do is replace the double-throw breaker with a single-throw of 20 amps.
I would attach the black wire to this breaker and attach the red wire to the neutral bus, like all the other 110v circuits in your house. On the outlet side, the black wire is "hot" and is attached to the brass terminal on the outlet. The neutral wire is attached to the other side, typically silver in color. Hopefully you also have a third conductor that can be used as a ground and can be hooked up according to your local code.
One of the difficult things is that the wire gauge for an electric stove is going to be large (typically 6 AWG -- the wire in the photos here is undersized as 8 AWG). This gauge is hard to bend and is also too big to connect to the breaker or the outlet. In the photos, the electrician attached a 12-gauge jumper wire to the original wire using a large wire nut. The 12-guage wire is then connected the outlet. On the breaker end, I suspect he just snipped off enough of the extra wire strands to allow connection with the new single-throw breaker. Having extra conducting capacity is permissible, having too little is not.
This was a superficial discussion of the process. I've done a lot of wiring on my house over the years. If you don't know what you're doing, don't do it.
Sir
I am finishing off my basement and want to put in a small kitchen. with a gas stove oven combo unit. My question is do you need to direct vent to the outside. or will a regular range hood work.
Home depot sells an adapter that plugs into the 220v outlet that give you one 110 volt plug for your new gas stove.
No electrician required!
Mark...Ron...or whatever your name is...
Here's all could find online by searching Google:
http://groups.msn.com/Appliantology/ranges.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=147
Hope that helps.
I had a project to write about how polarity work on gas Range but I can find any imformation on the topic.Will you briefly expain about polarity.
Ron
Thanks Randy. I appreciate the response.
I do think we'll hire this out. Other reading I've done on this
suggests
that there are variables that might impact how it's wired, etc. I've
done
some rudimentary electrical work, but nothing like this.
We'll also have him wire up a new range hood and add a switch.
Thanks again!
Carl
Carl,
Great question. I am certain that the electrician did not pull new wire because I followed him throughout the entire project. The electrician was certified and worked for a very reputable company. He was not "green" so I feel secure in knowing that he did the right thing. He explained everything he was doing as he went along and why he was doing it.
The only change he made in the circuit was to change out the 50 amp circuit breaker for a 20 amp circuit breaker. We had a junction box behind the old stove so he attached it to the wall stud and prepared the wiring to accept a dual socket receptacle. It looks to like the electrician capped off half of the wiring and used the other half for the receptacle. Look at the picture of him holding the receptacle for a close-up view of the wiring.
It was as simple as that but I had no clue prior to the job and I would still recommend calling an electrician if you have no experience with this project.
Hope that sufficiently answers your question.
Electrical connection to your new gas range
Hi Randy. I saw your article on the gas range installation and was
curious about the 220V to 110V conversion that the electrician did. My
main question is this: Did he pull new wire from the outlet to the
electrical panel, or was that not necessary? I've read one article
elsewhere that suggested 220 wiring couldn't be used with a 110 outlet
and smaller circuit breaker. Thanks for your help! - Carl
Daniel,
I hope all went well with your project.
I know what you mean about being mislead on the yellow valve packaging from my first post (http://homebuilding.thefuntimesguide.com/2006/10/installgasrange.php). It has "range valve" printed right on the front in big, bold letters. That must mean it can be used for a range (but shouldn't).
Randy,
Sorry I was a bit confused the first time I saw it. After closer inspection, I see that those two pictures are "before and after" pictures. I also used the same red valve for my hook up. Thanks for the help!
Also, the packaging for the yellow valve (gas dryer valve) is misleading because it states that it can be used for hooking up a dryer or a range (from Lowes).
Daniel...
Have a look at the two photos of valves in the middle of the article I wrote. The valve with the yellow handle is the gas dryer valve (left) and the correct valve for the gas range is on the right (red). The gas dryer valve is a reduction valve and the range valve is not. That's the main diffence.
Click on the pictures for a closer view of the two of them. I have one more photo in my files that I can send to you if you still need a clearer picture.
Hey Randy thanks for the great write up. Any chance you can post/send pictures of the actual correct gas shut-off valve you used for the range? In your write up, you mentioned that you "replace the dryer valve with the correct one". Did you mean range valve? I just bought a Frigidaire gas range from Lowes and am planning to hook it up myself. The manual shut-off valve I bought from Lowes looks similar, if not identical, to the one you have pictured for the dryer valve. But this other hardware store also sold me the one that you said is the incorrect valve. I wasn't sure which was correct so it would help if you have a picture of the correct one. Thanks.
can someone tell me how much it costs to convert to anykind of gas.
Rick...
Sounds like a "code" question that can only be answered by your city/county building authority.
Although, an 1/8 of an inch clearance sounds like a great fit. The material surrounding the range will probably play a key factor in your local code.
Good luck!
Great information. We're replacing our gas drop-in with a gas free standing range. The opening is 30" and the new range is 29-7/8". Do you know, is there a requirement for additional space between the free standing range and the cabinets?
Thanks for the response, but don't go to that trouble. I have a few
ideas that I might work out otherwise. Your blog was very helpful
though.
Thanks!
Brad
Brad
Great question. It's been awhile since this all went down so I'm not sure what the answer to your question is but I might have an alternative solution. I can send you a slew of photos that weren't published that show more detail and at different stages. Would that be helpful? Let me know. After you let me know which photos were helpful (I'm making an assumption that they will), I can post them here for all to see.
Randy, great documentation of your project. One question...when Mr. Electric converted your 220 to 110, I noticed two wires coming in from the wall (which is the same situation that I currently have). I am assuming that only one wire is needed to run the new 110 outlet, but what did he do with the other wire? Did he just cap it off? It looks like it runs to the bottom of the junction box in your picture. Thanks for any help you can provide!
Yes I have read your other posts. Thanks for the information here. Guessing that the microhood was already in place before the stove conversion. Part of our dilemma is that we need a new circuit to add the microhood in addition to the gas line extension for a gas stove. Then have to be certain that the micorhood unit has enough oomph to vent a gas stove. All of this work besides the research is not a diy project for us, besides the crawl space issue! Just trying to decide if the expense of new circuits and gas lines is worth it...Thanks again for all the info./advice.
Debbie
Debbie,
The venting concerns you're having can be answered by following these links:
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/homes/hip-combustion.html#Use%20a%20properly%20sized%20range%20hood%20fan
http://forum.doityourself.com/showpost.php?p=906326&postcount=8
I'm fairly certain that you've checked out the other related posts on my gas line project. If not, be sure to check them out and be sure to read the comments from each post. The links to the other posts can be found towards the end of each post.
We haven't come across any kind of difficulty with the way that ours is set up. I wish we had one of the huge vent hoods that vents to the exterior of the home but the truth is that venting a gas range is preferred but not absolutely necessary.
It sounds like you will have a little bit more of a difficult task ahead of you with only a crawl space to work with. Having complete (standing) access is definitely a plus.
Good luck with your project!
Randy, great job! We are thinking of doing the same thing but have run into a few setbacks just in the planning..one being we have been told that the microhood combo. isn't recommended for venting over a gas stove. Noticed in the photo of your lovely wife that that is what you have. any problems or advice? Also having trouble with the est. from the electrician to run a new circuit and split the 220 line. We don't have a basement so access is from the crawl space...
Bob...thanks for the tip and your expertise. It is duly noted. I'll need to go back and clean up the flare threads to get the bare metal to bare metal as you suggest.
The photo of the flexible gas line at gas range is incorrect.there should be no pipe dope or teflon tape under the flex connector nut. That fitting is designed to be bare metal to bare metal, so the bevel of the adapter mates perfectly to the flare of the connector. Pipe dope and tape cause uneven surface between the two. I work for a gas utility and 98% of all leaks at newly installed gas appliances are attributed to this incorrect installation. Remember: Only "dress" pipe thread. Flare thread is bare metal to bare metal.
sounds like your luck is like mine also. I am doing almost the exact same thing, converting from a drop in electric range, to a gas stove. thanks for the usefull info...
read your article to get some helpful hints on installing a natural gas range to replace an electric range. I was going to install black pipe but noticed that a gas log stove i had installed recently the pipe was made of flexible pipe covered in plastic. getting access to area to install black pipe is very restrictive. have you or anyone had or heard of this type of installation this done?
Mitch...Good luck with your range installation. Thanks for the kudos.
Thanks for the do's and don'ts on installing your gas range. I'll need to do that in the near future and feel better about it now. Thansk again. Very informative site!