We have an old dual fuel range – electric oven / propane cooktop – that we'd like to transform into a propane cooktop only. The range is old and outdated and we want something new for the kitchen, but I'd like to keep the old thing as a propane cooktop only and use it in the garage/outdoor for canning garden goodies in the fall.
Now the range obviously uses a 240V outlet cause of the electric oven, but I'm wondering if it's possible to convert/rewire to be able to plug it into 120V (in the garage outdoor) as we'd only need electricity to light the cooktop. Who has a 240V outlet in the garage?!? 🙂
It's not really a big deal cause we still can use a lighter to light them up, but if we could plug it in 120V it would be nice to be able to use the clock/timer on the cooktop. We still have the electric wiring plan, but we're not sure where and how to wire it into 110 V for the lighter and clock/timer front plate.
Would that be doable?
Edit: Added electrical wiring schema
Best Answer
Many people have one or more 240V outlet in the garage (shop tools, welder, etc.,) and many more will as electric vehicles (and associated chargers) permeate the marketplace more.
Anyway, if you don't, certainly the simplest option is to light with a lighter.
If the igniter circuit works from 120V (which you appear to assume, but I don't), and both the clock (where that assumption is more valid, IME) and igniter circuit are on the same leg of the 240V line, it should be possible (with care) to determine which leg of the 240V feed that is, and to wire a 120V plug to the line, Neutral, and Ground for that purpose - whether that's going to be a technical code violation or not, I don't know. If the current range cord is a 3-wire, you'll need to separate the neutral and ground, for sure.
You will need to take care that the other side of the stove's line connection is well-isolated, as that will be energized when someone unfamiliar with your modification tries to use the oven, unless you make more internal modifications to disable that.