Cooker

[jakeblu]

Looking for some advice so hopefully an electrician compliant with the current regs.

I'm currently revamping the kitchen and have bought a 3000kw single fan oven, it's supplied with a flexible lead. The installation instruction say it must be wired directly to the mains to a dual pole 16amp fused switch. 16 amp, that's a new one on me?? Could I wire this into a current single socket, replaced with a 13amp fused switch, so basically the ring main?

Ive also bought a new hob which is rated at 6kw and requires a 32amp connection, I'm probably going to connect this to the original cooker socket which is rated at 32amp, this also comes with a flexible lead. Will that be ok.

Its worth noting here that I am a qualified electrician C&G pt1 & pt2 but trained to the 15th ed so a little out of date and to be honest I haven't worked in the industry for 20 years. I really don't want to have to run a new radial from the CU, I'm too old for lifting floorboards and chopping out walls besides there's nothing spare on the CU.

Anyone any suggestions other than getting a sparky in .

 

[woof woof]

I haven't been an electrician for a long time either but if I were you I'd stick to the exact requirement as if you don't and anything happens the insurance company will take a long hard look at anything that isn't exactly right.

 

[jakeblu]

I haven't been an electrician for a long time either but if I were you I'd stick to the exact requirement as if you don't and anything happens the insurance company will take a long hard look at anything that isn't exactly right.

Thanks Alan, my problem is I don't quite understand what the exact requirements are. As far as I can tell, 16amp fused spurs are not used in the UK. Also the actually wording Double Pole Switched Fused Spur Outlet seems to indicate it's not actually on its own radial circuit otherwise it wouldn't be a spur!

 

[woof woof]

Thanks Alan, my problem is I don't quite understand what the exact requirements are. As far as I can tell, 16amp fused spurs are not used in the UK. Also the actually wording Double Pole Switched Fused Spur Outlet seems to indicate it's not actually on its own radial circuit otherwise it wouldn't be a spur!

We had ours done a few years ago but I can't tell you exactly what the outlet is... It's about the size of a standard double outlet or maybe a smidgen larger but with a big red switch and fuse.

It may be that the info you've got is just what came with the device and is applicable to another market, I don't know but that is possible. So, in your place I think what I'd do is google and research and head off to your local trade counter armed with whatever info you do have and see what they say. I did this recently with a plumbing issue as I didn't understand pipe sizes and the like and they were helpful so I'm sure you can cope at an electrical trade counter.

 

[Mr Perceptive]

I went through this a couple of years ago. I had two ovens with that requirement, I put these on the 32A Cooker Spur (direct from CU), but wired each through a Double Pole Switched 16A Circuit Breaker, which I placed in a small additional Unit, mounted under the ovens, behind a removable (magnetic) panel. There is still a 32A switch (to enable isolation) on the wall between the CU and this additional unit.

This left me with the high power induction hob, I found that there was a setting within the hob to reduce the max amount of power draw (it only needs the 6.6kW if you have all rings on full chat, it limits the max overall power requirement.), and used that with another 16A breaker (just to be safe), and again this has a wall isolator switch. This is wired into the dedicated kitchen appliance ring. I have a seperate kitchen ring for sockets, so the kettle/toaster are not on the same ring as the hob. The only reason I limited the hob was that the ring is 2.5mm wire, so I just wanted to be safe and sure (the other devices in this appliance ring, are the extractor, dishwasher and larder fridge)


No issues so far!!!

 

[jakeblu]

It may be that the info you've got is just what came with the device and is applicable to another market, I don't know but that is possible.

Thanks Alan, I'm thinking that 16amp is more widespread in the EU

I went through this a couple of years ago. I had two ovens with that requirement, I put these on the 32A Cooker Spur (direct from CU), but wired each through a Double Pole Switched 16A Circuit Breaker, which I placed in a small additional Unit, mounted under the ovens, behind a removable (magnetic) panel. There is still a 32A switch (to enable isolation) on the wall between the CU and this additional unit.

This left me with the high power induction hob, I found that there was a setting within the hob to reduce the max amount of power draw (it only needs the 6.6kW if you have all rings on full chat, it limits the max overall power requirement.), and used that with another 16A breaker (just to be safe), and again this has a wall isolator switch. This is wired into the dedicated kitchen appliance ring. I have a seperate kitchen ring for sockets, so the kettle/toaster are not on the same ring as the hob. The only reason I limited the hob was that the ring is 2.5mm wire, so I just wanted to be safe and sure (the other devices in this appliance ring, are the extractor, dishwasher and larder fridge)


No issues so far!!!

Thanks for that David. I thought about changing the single outlet at the cooker point for a dual one and wiring both the Hob and oven into that, but its a 32amp breaker at the CU and the recommendation for the hob alone is 32amp, so that's not likely going to work for me.

 

[Mr Perceptive]

Thanks Alan, I'm thinking that 16amp is more widespread in the EU


Thanks for that David. I thought about changing the single outlet at the cooker point for a dual one and wiring both the Hob and oven into that, but its a 32amp breaker at the CU and the recommendation for the hob alone is 32amp, so that's not likely going to work for me.

Check to see if you can run the hob in reduced power mode. Mine was 7kW for a 5 zone hob, but I put it in reduced power mode, it will still run fast boil on one zone, and run multiple zones at decent power (but not all of them), but how many times do you need to do that? Most of the time when stuff is up to temperature the hob settings can be turned down, leaving capacity for one zone to be on high power/boil.

I thoughly checked this setting to make sure that it came back up in this mode after a power cut/etc

 

[Nod]

IF the cable from the CU to the cooker point is up to the total load, maybe upping the breaker in the CU to a 40A one would do the job?

 

[jakeblu]

Check to see if you can run the hob in reduced power mode. Mine was 7kW for a 5 zone hob, but I put it in reduced power mode, it will still run fast boil on one zone, and run multiple zones at decent power (but not all of them), but how many times do you need to do that? Most of the time when stuff is up to temperature the hob settings can be turned down, leaving capacity for one zone to be on high power/boil.

I thoughly checked this setting to make sure that it came back up in this mode after a power cut/etc

I'll have look at the instructions and check, thanks

IF the cable from the CU to the cooker point is up to the total load, maybe upping the breaker in the CU to a 40A one would do the job?

Yeah, I'll take the cooker DP switch cover off and check the cable, if it is 6mm t&e then that might be my best option. I'm guessing it's probably 4mm though with a 32amp rated breaker. One thing which crossed my mind is my current cooker has a combined oven induction hob obviously wired to the same connection.

 

[Mr Perceptive]

I'll have look at the instructions and check, thanks

Yeah, I'll take the cooker DP switch cover off and check the cable, if it is 6mm t&e then that might be my best option. I'm guessing it's probably 4mm though with a 32amp rated breaker. One thing which crossed my mind is my current cooker has a combined oven induction hob obviously wired to the same connection.

But that might have internal power sharing so that the overall load never exceeded 32A - effectively reducing power if required, ie you use all the induction zones and the oven actually heats slower as it has less power going to it.