How do I hook up this commercial oven?

June 28, 2010 10:21 AM

How do I hook up this commercial oven without frying it or myself?

I just picked up a used commercial oven for my bakery. Now I'm having some trouble figuring out how to hook the thing up. I consider myself pretty handy in general, but I know next to nothing about electricity.

Here are the specs of the oven, to the best of my knowledge. (These are the specs of the most recent model, but the age of the one I have is unknown.) All the previous owner was able to tell me about is was that it required 3-phase power. The oven currently has a cord, but no plug on the end.

Handily, there is already a 3-phase receptacle installed where the oven will go. Here is a photo of the receptacle--the relevant numbers stamped on it are 20A.250V.3Φ

Question 1: Can I just purchase a matching Hubbell plug and plug this thing in, or do I need some kind of converter?

Question 2: In matching plugs, there are 3 options available with different "HP ratings." (See page 37 of this pdf.) How would I figure out which one of these I need?

posted by tomatofruit to Technology (5 answers total)

This is why people go to school and learn stuff about electricity and appliances. If you can't afford to pay an electrician in cash at the moment, perhaps you could find one who'd take it in trade over a long period of time. Practically everyone needs and/or loves baked goods, after all.
posted by Etrigan at 10:26 AM on June 28, 2010 [1 favorite]

The answer here is "you don't." For starters, that receptacle is rated for ~ 1/3 of the amperage you need and will need to be either replaced or re-wired.

The oven you linked to draws almost 20 kW of electricity. Even a small mistake here will cause a fire. Etrigan is completely right, this is the exact reason why the electrical trade exists.
posted by range at 10:30 AM on June 28, 2010

That 3phase receptacle is not going to work. The receptacle is 20amps.

If you click the specifications page on your link to the oven, you will see that the oven requires 58amps in 3 phase.

You need a 3phase 2pole 60amp breaker, #6 wire from the breaker to the recptacle, and a 60amp receptacle.

If you are not sure about what you are doing, call an electrician.
posted by Flood at 10:31 AM on June 28, 2010

Your machine is not designed to plug in so that's a non starter.

Call an electrician. In Canada, assuming you are installing this oven in a business and not your home, doing this kind of work without a licence is illegal.

Flood writes "You need a 3phase 2pole 60amp breaker, #6 wire from the breaker to the recptacle, and a 60amp receptacle."

Three phase requires a three pole breaker.
posted by Mitheral at 11:21 AM on June 28, 2010

yes, of course, my mistake - you need a 3pole 60A breaker
posted by Flood at 11:51 AM on June 28, 2010