Electricians' preferred elec. box placement for cooktops & ovens
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: usa
Posts: 15
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes
on
0 Posts
Electricians' preferred elec. box placement for cooktops & ovens
I've gutted my kitchen including removing all drywall and underlayment hence the studs and subfloor are exposed. I need to add boxes for the new oven and new cooktop. Given the drywall, underlayment and the cabinets will all be new, I can wire the place to suit the preferences of the appliances and electricians. From the electrical instructions it looks like the boxes are mounted inside the cabinets as opposed to being mounted on the wall behind the cabs with cutouts in the cabinet backs.
1. Is this the preferred method, up through the floor?
2. If the boxes are mounted inside the cabinet what is the preferred method to bring the cable into the cabinets? For example should I pull enough wire up through the floor so the cabinet installer can pull it up through the bottom of the cabinet?
In case you want to ask, the load center is around the corner, 2.5 lateral feet away.
Thanks.
1. Is this the preferred method, up through the floor?
2. If the boxes are mounted inside the cabinet what is the preferred method to bring the cable into the cabinets? For example should I pull enough wire up through the floor so the cabinet installer can pull it up through the bottom of the cabinet?
In case you want to ask, the load center is around the corner, 2.5 lateral feet away.
Thanks.
#2
1. Is this the preferred method, up through the floor?
Wall ovens and cook-tops typically come with a "whip" that is connected to a junction box. Leave enough extra cable to get where you need to be in the cabinet. I always like to protect the cable using FMC.
If possible, I find it easier to install the wall oven junction box in a cabinet that is not occupied by the oven itself. Many cases it seems that the oven will take up the entire space of the opening.
The cook top junction box can just be in the cabinet below the cook top.
#4
The cook top is usually no problem. There is plenty of room under the cook top to install a box either inside the wall or surface mount inside the cabinet.
Wall ovens are usually very specific where the junction box needs to be and it can vary greatly. For example one type may want the box in the top right or left of the opening. Others may want the whip running through the bottom support shelf.
Running through the bottom needs to be exact because they give you very little room at the back of the oven for other options. Usually the whip will not fit behind the oven, it needs to run along a side channel/chase designed to fit the whip.
I would choose a specific oven before running the cable.
Wall ovens are usually very specific where the junction box needs to be and it can vary greatly. For example one type may want the box in the top right or left of the opening. Others may want the whip running through the bottom support shelf.
Running through the bottom needs to be exact because they give you very little room at the back of the oven for other options. Usually the whip will not fit behind the oven, it needs to run along a side channel/chase designed to fit the whip.
I would choose a specific oven before running the cable.
#5
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: usa
Posts: 15
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes
on
0 Posts
I appreciate all your input. I see I could have been more specific.Both items will be installed in the lower cabinet with the cooktop hovering above the oven. Indeed the instructions of both the cooktop and oven do specify at which side to place the junction boxes. Each box must be accessible from within the cabinet area, that of the oven is to the lower left and that of the cooktop is to the right. No problem here; the cabinets will be built to spec. The oven is a Kenmore 49215. The cooktop will be a GE Profile Induction cook top, both 30". Each does come with a whip, that of the GE is 4', the length of Kenmore's is unknown. If any of you knows, please share!
Given both specify the boxes must be accessible from within the cabinet I posed my original question. Do electricians prefer to mount the boxes inside the cab wall after the cab is installed or onto the drywall before cabinet installation requiring a hole be cut in the back of the cabinet? The crawl space under the kitchen and load center is ample to pull the cable up into the wall or up through the floor. If inside the cabinet, usually the back of cabs are 1/4" material. So what reinforcement behind the cabinet would electricians appreciate?
Given both specify the boxes must be accessible from within the cabinet I posed my original question. Do electricians prefer to mount the boxes inside the cab wall after the cab is installed or onto the drywall before cabinet installation requiring a hole be cut in the back of the cabinet? The crawl space under the kitchen and load center is ample to pull the cable up into the wall or up through the floor. If inside the cabinet, usually the back of cabs are 1/4" material. So what reinforcement behind the cabinet would electricians appreciate?
#6
Most inspectors I have met want the J box installed in the wall and the back of the cabinet cut out enough to gain access to the cover plate.
Mounting a J box to the thin back of the cabinet might be acceptable but I would play it safe.
As far as the oven J box being at the lower left (At the bottom of left adjacent cabinet), you will probably have room for both boxes just below the cook top inside the oven cabinet. This is because you have an electric top rather than gas. A gas top is deeper.
You can see below the oven allows room at the top back for the whips and boxes, but check your measurements:
Mounting a J box to the thin back of the cabinet might be acceptable but I would play it safe.
As far as the oven J box being at the lower left (At the bottom of left adjacent cabinet), you will probably have room for both boxes just below the cook top inside the oven cabinet. This is because you have an electric top rather than gas. A gas top is deeper.
You can see below the oven allows room at the top back for the whips and boxes, but check your measurements:
#7
Speaking from personal experience as an electrician.... I have never set a junction box in the wall for an over or a stove top. It would be extremely hard to get to the splices with the whip in a cover plate. Many times with an oven... the box isn't even fastened. It can rest under or behind the oven.
When I mount the junction box it is to the side of the cabinet where there is more material to fasten to.
When I mount the junction box it is to the side of the cabinet where there is more material to fasten to.
#8
I've been installing wall ovens and cook tops for about 20 years. This type of under counter wall oven is one of the easiest to install.
There is plenty of room to make your connections and slide the oven in. Most of the time, there is enough room to make your connections after the oven is slid in. In other words, the whip is easy to deal with.
The cook top is even easier, usually you can set it to the side of the opening, make your connections, and then drop the cook top into the opening.
I can understand saying extremely hard if you are dealing with a double wall oven installed in a tall cabinet. That can be difficult and most installers have special lifts to set the oven at the proper height and make the connections before sliding the oven in.
There is plenty of room to make your connections and slide the oven in. Most of the time, there is enough room to make your connections after the oven is slid in. In other words, the whip is easy to deal with.
The cook top is even easier, usually you can set it to the side of the opening, make your connections, and then drop the cook top into the opening.
I can understand saying extremely hard if you are dealing with a double wall oven installed in a tall cabinet. That can be difficult and most installers have special lifts to set the oven at the proper height and make the connections before sliding the oven in.