Help wiring electrical built-in sockets

[perihelion]

Hey,

I recently pulled out a vintage pink 1950's electric oven out of the wall of my kitchen. I plan on converting the space where the oven was into a built-in grow chamber disguised as a cabinet. There is wiring running into the space and I would like to install an outlet onto the end of the wiring so that I can plug my fans and lights into it.
Can this be done?
My experience with electrical is marginal to none, even though I am a handy-man that is capable of basic home remodeling projects, such as building a deck or building a partition wall.

If possible I'd like some help trying to figure out the proper wiring procedures and the hard stuff like voltage. If I am going to do this then I want safety to be the primary importance, so any tips with safety (besides advice to "hire a professional"). I'm going to take a picture of the project space and upload it below in a few minutes...

Thanks in advance
:icon_cool

 

[Mtn Dew]

Make sure the wiring is up to code. If its from the 50's its more than likely going to be aluminum. That's a big no go. I will wait on pic. Was the old stove 220 volt?

 

[perihelion]

Hi Mtn Dew,
Thanks for responding (and for welcoming me in the "Introduce Yourself" thread ). I was told that this part of the house was remodeled in the 1970's, and there are some indicators that it was so. The bare wires are copper colored, so I'm assuming they are copper. The final pic shows the breaker that switches this circuit on or off. Not sure about the 220 volt part. Is there any way to know by looking at the wire?

 

[Mtn Dew]

Looks to be 60 amp 220 volt. There is one problem, I don't see a ground wire. Your black wire should be 110v, your red should be 110v and your white is you neutral. Is there a ground hiding in the sheathing that has been cut off?
Good to hear they are copper. Older systems that had no ground in the outlet was supposed to be pigtailed in a junction box and ran back to ground bar in Breaker Box. I am guessing but was the stove hard wired?

 

[perihelion]

Yep, the oven was hard wired when I pulled it out... with all three wires connected. The everyday receptacles in the house are not grounded. There is a recently updated breaker box outside and I was told it is "ground ready" by the previous owner of the house. Hmmm Any possible solutions for this problem?

 

[Mtn Dew]

This is my solution, should be a cheap and easy fix. First lets start at the panel box. You need to remove the 60 amp breaker and replace it with a 20 amp Square D like the one right above the old stove breaker. You will also need to get a plastic cover for the slot that will be exposed because of the 2 slots the 60 amp breaker is occupying. The white wire should be in its proper place already, on the neutral bar. The red wire is going to be our new designated ground. So you will have to connect it to the ground bar in your panel box. Now the black wire will connect to the new 20 amp breaker and installed into the slot right below your last 20amp breaker. Your plastic cover plate will fit on the empty slot below your new 20 amp breaker. This will take care of panel. Remember safety first. Turn off main breaker to box and if you are familiar with a volt meter, check all wires prior to playing with to make sure they are not hot.

Next step to the hidden grow. You will need a junction box with cover. 12/2 wire with ground about 5 ft., 110v receptacle and a metal box for the outlet. Make sure both boxes are metal and have the connectors on the inside to secure your wire to the box. Place you original stove wire inside the junction box. Do the same with your 12/2 with ground wire for your new outlet. Connect your 2 blacks together with a wire nut, connect your whites together with wire nut. Connect your red wire, designated ground to your ground wire from new outlet with wire nut. Secure lid on junction box and slide back up into your hole inside box.

Now you should have your new 12/2 wire with ground ready to go into your new outlet. You can cut a hole into the top of you new grow so you can secure your new outlet box, run the wire into the back of box and install new outlet. White to silver screw, ground to ground screw and black to bronze colored screw. Secure outlet to box and put your face plate over outlet. Turn on power at panel box and you should be good to go. Seal up the round hole and you should be safe. Good luck.

 

[Robert Celt]

Very good advice Mtn Dew. Give him a nice dedicated 20amp circuit for his grow that is also grounded.

Reps mate

 

[perihelion]

TheCelt: Very good advice indeed!

Mtn Dew: I like your solution. Thanks you very much. I've been visualizing the process you've described and doing some additional research and I think I can manage to get it done relatively safely. A home depot quasi-shopping cart of all the parts totaled $36 which is just awesome! Hopefully I can build my dream grow box with this one.