Can a Wall Oven Run on a Standard Outlet?

Standard Outlets

• Standard outlets are also called small appliance outlets. These 120-volt outlets are tied to either a 15-amp circuit or a 20-amp circuit. The low voltage of a standard outlet makes it suitable for countertop kitchen appliances, such as toasters and coffee makers, but you cannot plug a major appliance that will draw a lot of electricity into one of these outlets. Standard outlets are identified by the three slots of the grounded outlets required for use in a kitchen.

Electric Oven Requirements

• Electric ovens draw more voltage than a standard outlet provides. To operate an electric wall oven, you must plug it into a 240-volt outlet on a dedicated circuit. The 240-volt appliance outlet has four slots on the surface. You cannot plug the cord into a lower voltage outlet.

Gas Oven Requirements

• Gas ovens with an electronic ignition use a minimal amount of electricity to power the oven. A small spark lights the pilot to heat the oven. The electricity needed by a gas oven is so low that you can plug a gas wall oven into a standard 120-volt outlet. The power from the outlet will operate the clock and the electronic ignition on the oven.

Standing Pilot Requirements

• Some gas ovens may have a standing pilot light. Usually found on older models, they do not use an electronic ignition, so you need no electric outlet of any type to operate such ovens. The only reason you might need to plug in a gas oven with a standing pilot light would be the presence on the oven of a clock, which requires only a standard outlet.