Where to mount junction box in double oven cabinet


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Old 07-19-18, 05:40 PM
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Where to mount junction box in double oven cabinet

I built a double oven cabinet for our kitchen remodel, and I'm getting ready to build the lower drawer that will go underneath the double oven. I'm figuring out the details of finishing the wiring for the double oven and have a question. My plan was to mount the junction box on the back wall of the cabinet in the bottom drawer location, and that's still an option, but it takes me a fraction of an inch too far forward to use 21 inch drawer runners, and the next size down is 18 inches. I'd rather not give up those extra 2-3 inches if I can avoid it, so I'm considering cutting a square hole in the back of the drawer space and putting the 4x4 junction box in that hole and securing it directly to the wall behind the cabinet. Just wondering if there's any reason (particularly any code-related reason) why that would be inadvisable.

Also, what do I use to secure the 6-3 cable coming through the wall into the junction box? Whether it's mounted to the cabinet back wall, or the wall behind the cabinet, the cable will still be coming directly in through the bottom (when it's oriented horizontally with the opening on top, which it won't be here) of the junction box, so there's no way to get a connector on the outside of the box there. Is there some type of connector that will only attach on the inside of the box? I hope this makes sense. Let me know if not.
 
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Old 07-19-18, 05:59 PM
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A picture would help.

The instructions will show where the box can be mounted.
 
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Old 07-19-18, 06:37 PM
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Many times wall ovens come with a metal clad whip that connects to a junction box. Rarely does the NM cable actually go into the oven. I don't always mount the junction box.

Can you post the model number for the oven ?
 
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Old 07-19-18, 06:58 PM
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Most often I have seen the junction box mounted inside the cabinet right behind the oven (as mentioned, instructions will say where) so that the whip can be wired then the oven slid in.
 
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Old 07-20-18, 06:18 AM
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I don't have the model number right now, but I do have the installation instructions and there's a picture below of the sketch from the instructions. It shows the junction box located underneath the double oven floor.



The wiring from the oven is in flexible metallic conduit, with no connector at the end. I'm planning on putting it in a connector like the one pictured below, but this one is too large; after tightening it down, the conduit was still loose within the connector.


Here's a simple mockup of my plan for the junction box - the plywood in the picture represents the back wall of the cabinet underneath the oven floor. The oven conduit will come down through a hole in the cabinet's oven floor and enter the junction box from the top, as the box is oriented in this picture.


I think the simplest way to get the 6-3 source cable into the junction box is to bring it in through the back of the box as it will be oriented, which is actually the bottom of the junction box when it's oriented flat on a floor. Subsequently there is no clearance for a connector on the exterior of the junction box for this cable. Is there such a thing as a connector that only takes up space on the inside of the junction box? If not, then I will presumably need to bring the 6-3 cable in through the wall of the cabinet, and then route it in through one of the sides of the junction box. That means a short stretch of cable will essentially be in the open then, and I didn't think that was acceptable.

Also, in my original post here I was asking about cutting a hole in the cabinet back to gain more clearance inside the cabinet for the drawer. If I go that route, the j/b won't be attached to the cabinet back, but rather the wall behind the cabinet. And I just realized why that won't work - the cabinet back would then be surrounding the j/b side knockouts, so none of them would be available for use. So I'll have to stick with the j/b mounted to the cabinet back after all, and eat the loss of a few inches of depth for my drawer.
 

Last edited by jessman1128; 07-20-18 at 06:39 AM. Reason: Fixing pictures and restating question about embedding j/b in the cabinet wall
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Old 07-20-18, 05:33 PM
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I have found the cabinet people NEVER make a wall oven cabinet deep enough. I have been putting the junction box in the cabinet next to the oven cabinet, or below, which seems to be easier.
 
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Old 07-20-18, 05:58 PM
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Originally Posted by Tolyn Ironhand
I have found the cabinet people NEVER make a wall oven cabinet deep enough. I have been putting the junction box in the cabinet next to the oven cabinet, or below, which seems to be easier.
Thank you, Tolyn. I'm definitely going to put the junction box below the cabinet. Do you have any thoughts on my question about a connector that only attaches on the inside of the junction box with no part of it protruding to the exterior of the junction box?
 
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Old 07-20-18, 07:29 PM
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Do you have any thoughts on my question about a connector that only attaches on the inside of the junction box with no part of it protruding to the exterior of the junction box?
There is no such connector, however there is a threaded FMC connector that goes into the conduit. Like this: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Halex-3-...8442/202077096 It does not need the insulated throat, that is just the only picture I could find.

You will also likely need a bigger 4"x4". I would recommend a 2 1/8" deep box.
 
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Old 07-20-18, 08:35 PM
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Originally Posted by Tolyn Ironhand
There is no such connector, however there is a threaded FMC connector that goes into the conduit. Like this: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Halex-3-...8442/202077096 It does not need the insulated throat, that is just the only picture I could find.

You will also likely need a bigger 4"x4". I would recommend a 2 1/8" deep box.
Ok, thank you! That type of connector will definitely work for the oven conduit, but I'm still stumped with the 6-3 source cable. Apparently I'll have to have it enter the back wall of the cabinet below the oven, and then route it into the side of the junction box. There will likely be 6-12 inches of the cable in the cavity beneath the oven then - the distance between where the cable enters the back wall of the cabinet and where it connects to the junction box. Does this short run of cable need to be encased in FMC? Below is a sketch that I created that might be helpful. The section of cable inside the yellow oval is what I'm wondering if it needs to be inside FMC.

 
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Old 07-20-18, 10:08 PM
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You should be fine without fmc.over the cable. Why can't you just enter the back of the box?
​​​
 
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Old 07-21-18, 08:52 AM
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I mounted the junction box at the back of the cabinet and just under the top shelf, I can access the box with the top shelf removed to connect/disconnect without the need to juggle the ovens while connecting to power. Most of the ovens are only 19" or 20" deep which works fine in a 24" deep wall cabinet.
 
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Old 07-21-18, 10:35 AM
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Originally Posted by pcboss
You should be fine without fmc.over the cable. Why can't you just enter the back of the box?
​​​
Because I won't have any way to secure the cable to the box in that case. Since the back of the box will be flush with the back wall of the cabinet, I can't use a connector on the back of the box.
 
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Old 07-21-18, 10:43 AM
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Originally Posted by Alfonz
I mounted the junction box at the back of the cabinet and just under the top shelf, I can access the box with the top shelf removed to connect/disconnect without the need to juggle the ovens while connecting to power. Most of the ovens are only 19" or 20" deep which works fine in a 24" deep wall cabinet.
Thanks for the tip! Unfortunately, this oven is 23.75" deep.
 
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Old 07-21-18, 05:47 PM
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Unfortunately, this oven is 23.75" deep.
That is what I was referring to in my earlier post. Seams the be more and more the norm for wall ovens to take the entire cabinet.
 
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Old 07-21-18, 06:03 PM
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Can you not cut a hole in the wall behind the box?
 
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Old 07-23-18, 12:18 PM
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Originally Posted by pcboss
Can you not cut a hole in the wall behind the box?
Ohhhhh...I see where you're going with that query...cut a large enough hole in both the back wall of the cabinet and the wall itself such that there's room for not only the 6-3 cable, but also a connector for the cable. I like it!! Not sure why that thought never occurred to me, but it didn't - so thank you!!!

Although, tightening the connector might pose a challenge since I can't climb inside the wall to gain access to the external portion of the connector. The cabinet isn't secured just yet though, so I can probably pull it a few inches out from the wall, run the cable into the cabinet and reach down to secure the connector, then push the cabinet back up against the wall and secure it in place.
 
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Old 07-23-18, 04:08 PM
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Wow, my memory is really rusty. It's been awhile since I last worked with junction boxes. I just remembered that the screw-on "nut" goes on the inside of the box, so no need to access the back of the connector for tightening purposes.
 
 

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