Single electric oven connection to small to fit existing 6mm

[Clairexe]

Hi all,

Been searching the forum for over an hour but can't seem to find a solution to a small problem!

I have bought a new single electric oven to replace the old worn out unit.

The existing wiring system consists of 6mm wire from consumer unit to a wall mounted switch, then to a connection box behind the oven and finally to the oven.

The problem is I can NOT fit the 6mm wire directly into the connection on the back of the new oven! The new oven is only rated at 2.4kw. I'm not sure what the old oven rating was. For clarification I have a gas hob.

I will have to fit a smaller wire into the back of the oven. If I do this will I have to add some kind of fused connector box that will take the original 6mm and the new smaller diameter wire?

Many thanks for any suggestions in advance.

 

[Veglen]

Probably the easiest way would be to swap the Cooker outlet after the cooker switch to a 13A Fused Connection Unit with a flex outlet.

There are other ways but IMO this would be the most simple!

V

 

[mobileman]

Is the wall mounted switch 1 gang or 2 gang? If only 1 gang then just replace the faceplate with a Switched FCU, fused at 13a. You can then change the last bit of cable, from the connection box to the oven for 2.5mm cable.

If that's not possible then change the connection box behind the oven for an unswitched FCU, again fused at 13a, and run 2.5mm from the load side of the FCU to the oven.

Was the oven not supplied with a moulded 3 pin plug? If so, you could change the connection box behind the oven for an unswitched socket and simplyplug the oven in.

Where does the power for the hob ignition come from?

 

[mobileman]

Jeez! Did it really tak me 10 minutes to type that!

Beaten to it!

 

[JohnD]

alternatively you could change it for an unswitched 13A socket, and plug the cooker in.

You will have to buy a good-quality brand of socket or FCU such as Crabtree, MEM or MK, because the 6mm cable cores are very big and cheap accesories may have small or flimsy terminals. Hopefully your existing outet is mounted to a deep box with enough space to form the cable cores to shape.

edit: bah, it took me even longer

 

[Clairexe]

Many thanks for your time and reply's.

To confirm the oven didn't come with a flex or plug.

The ignition for the hob was previously connected to the same supply for the oven (the connection box after the wall switch). Realise this was not good because it was not fused.

I think i will change the connection box for an unswitched 13A double socket, and plug the cooker and the hob in with appropriate fuses. Is this okay??? I will of course have to fit a 2.5mm flex to the oven.

 

[mobileman]

Many thanks for your time and reply's.

To confirm the oven didn't come with a flex or plug.

The ignition for the hob was previously connected to the same supply for the oven (the connection box after the wall switch). Realise this was not good because it was not fused.

I think i will change the connection box for an unswitched 13A double socket, and plug the cooker and the hob in with appropriate fuses. Is this okay??? I will of course have to fit a 2.5mm flex to the oven.

Yes, 13a fuse in oven plug and 3a fuse in hob ignition plug. Other option would be to connect both the oven flex and the hob flex to the FCU but then the hob would be fused at 13a and should probably only be 3a.

A 2.4kw oven and it didn't come pre fitted with flex and a moulded plug! Just check the manufacturers recommendation to see if they recommend flex or cable for the connection to the outlet then. Can't see any reason why you wouldn't be able to use flex but you need to follow their guidelines in order for the warranty to be valid.

 

[pbar]

My single oven did not come with a plug or cable either. It recommended that heat resistant flex was used. So that's what I used, from oven to 13amp plug.
You might want to check what cable is recommended for yours, as it gets pretty hot down there!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

If the answer you find is "Use <alphabet-soup> cable", then this might be useful...