50A receptacle on 40A circuit okay?

[Taylor]

Ok to put 50A receptacle on a 40A circuit, #8 wire? My understanding is that NEC allows derating of 50A range on the belief that normally one will not have all rings and ovens going at once. And #6 wire is a PITA hooking up to a receptacle in a junction box.....

[Cookie]

The Amps that the fixture will draw are found on the rating plate on the fixture. Use the corresponding outlet wire and breaker required for the fixture.

[Ian Gills]

I've never seen a 40 amp range receptacle. But like Cookie says, what is critical is what the load requires.

Nearly all residential ranges require only a 40 amp circuit.

40 and 50 amp breaker/circuit are basically interchangable. You can use either for a 50 amp receptacle.

[Cookie]

Range plugs have a specific configuration based on their amps.

[Scuba_Dave]

My stove...if everything were on...could pull 58a
Based on the nameplate rating

[Taylor]

Thanks all. Rex Cauldwell's Wiring for Pros says that NEC allows derating a 50A range to 40A on the basis that homeowners will never have everything on on the range. So you would run #8 wire from a 40A circuit to a 50A receptacle and plug in a 50A range.

Cauldwell disagrees with NEC on this, but having tried to wire up a receptacle on #6 wire in a junction box, I can understand why this might be useful.

In my case, I am looking at a 40A dual fuel range. I was interested in up-sizing for future needs, until I tried it. Just wanted to make sure I did not have to replace the receptacle.

[Speedy Petey]

Any household cooking appliance rated 12kW or less can be used on a 40A circuit.
Also, to answer the original question, yes, a 50A receptacle can be used on a 40A circuit wires with #8. 40A receptacles do not exist.

[hj]

THe amp rating of the receptacle is immaterial. The circuit breaker size is determined by the wire, and as long as those two are proper, you can put any recepacle you want on the end of it. IF you overload the circuit, it will trip the circuit breaker, and that is its function.

[Speedy Petey]

THe amp rating of the receptacle is immaterial. The circuit breaker size is determined by the wire, and as long as those two are proper, you can put any recepacle you want on the end of it.

This is not really true. There are strict paramaters as to what receptacles can be used on certain circuits.
See NEC 210.21(B)(1), 210.21(B)(3) and T210.24

[jadnashua]

While it may not happen too often, but imagine that big party when you've really got all the burners on, and the breaker trips when you don't realize it...could make for a nasty end result. While maybe you can, doesn't always mean you should.

[Speedy Petey]

I've wired a lot of ranges on 40A circuits and I have NEVER heard of this happening. Have you?

[jadnashua]

No, I've not seen it happen. But, his dataplate indicates 58A at full draw. It is unlikely that all burners would be on high, but possible. That's a bit over what a 40A circuit should safely support. Most of my personal experience is with gas stoves...some of the newer ones have more burners, and higher wattage than a typical generic stove.

[hj]

quote; That's a bit over what a 40A circuit should safely support.

Actually ANYTHING over 40 A, is more than the circuit can safely support, which is WHY the circuit breaker should be sized for the wire, NOT the anticipated load.

That paragraph says that the receptacle cannot be rated LESS than the circuit breaker's capacity, and here is a quote from another area

A 30A receptacle may be placed on a 25A individual branch circuit. As could a 50A receptacle.

Which restates what I said previously.

[Ian Gills]

You did not say that. You said you could put any receptacle you want on a circuit as long as the breaker and the wire are sized correctly.

You could not put a single 15 amp receptacle on a 20 amp circuit, for example. At least I wouldn't.

Common sense.

[hj]

My mistake. My implication was that he could put HIS oversized receptacle on the end of it, since that was his question.