15amp microwave

[moocow]

i just bought a microwave second hand without realising it is 15 amp and seems to need to be wired in. (thought it would just have a plug)

it is to go just above the conventional oven of same brand. Can I have the microwave wired into the same cable as the oven is at the back of the cupboard or does it need a new cable from the fuse box?

i don't supose i can get a 15amp plug for it and use this ?

thanks

 

[Deluks]

Boot sale mad moment?

 

[moocow]

no ebay. its a neff and i like them. got all my other kitchen appliances that way and they are great.

 

[breezer]

15 amp microwave, yes you can get a plug but not a "normal one"

are you sure it requires 15 A ,? (you have it and i dont)

 

[moocow]

yes it says 15amp on the microwave. but then do i change the socket in the wall to match it? is this going to work?

 

[RF Lighting]

No you must not replace a normal 13A socket with a 15A socket.

 

[nozspark]

I've had this in a commercial kitchen with 2 x 15A microwaves with plug tops on. In the end I had to run 2 x 16A radial circuits to commando sockets and change the plugs on the microwaves for commando plugs.

 

[RF Lighting]

Although in a domestic kitchen a more eloquent solution would be a 16A radial, with the microwave wired into a 20A DP switch.

 

[Adam_151]

Although in a domestic kitchen a more eloquent solution would be a 16A radial, with the microwave wired into a 20A DP switch.

Says he who has a uni-strut fetish

 

[Taylortwocities]

MMMM uni-strut, I love it when you talk dirty

 

[RF Lighting]

Utter filth

 

[ricicle]

Have you got a picture of a 'Zebedi nut' - that would really get me going....

 

[Steve]

Nice of you to share that photo of your garage Rob.

 

[moocow]

could any one answer my original question please in laymans terms.

 

[JohnD]

could any one answer my original question please in laymans terms.

yes

Try it with a 13A plug. I won't be at all surprised if it works OK with that.

If not, it is such a low load that I would hesitate to put it on a cooker circuit.

If you were to have a new circuit run like RF says, it could be fused (MCBd) at 16A which would be fine. In that case it could be run in 2.5mm cable and you could have a special 15A or 16A (unfused) plug but it would be easier to hard-wire it.

As this is in a kitchen, you need any new circuit to be installed by an electrician who is a member of a self certification scheme. It will be easier if you have a modern consumer unit with spare caapcity/circuit ways in it. It would not need to be on an RCD unless you have a plug socket on it.

So...
try it with a 13A plug first! it's soooooo easy!

p.s. Outside the UK people do not have our wonderful 13A plug so they have probably rated t for their nearest equivalent. But your oven may run safely on 13A. the worst that will hapen is the plug fuse will blow, probably when you are doing combination grilling with hot air element also running. Ovens mostly use less than their maximum power since the thermsotat controls the loads on the elements.