Electric Cooker

I have just taken delivery of a free standing electric cooker which specifies a 50A dp contol switch and yet searching for such an item all I can find is 45A control switches. Currently I have a 45A and socket switch onto a 30A MCB. Do I need to upgrade both MCB and control switch to 50A. Where do I find the latter??

Never seen that one before, stick it into you 45A switch and if it needs the bigger load your MCB will trip out.....then at least you know, but this will work fine and its safe....I take its a domestic cooker?

Thanks for the reply. I had considered this but was concerned that it might damage the appliance. I trust that this is so.
Yes it is domestic. A Teba TFC3341 from Argos.

Some modern domestic cookers require a 50a double pole isolator. Most isolators available are 45a (crabtree do a 50a double pole switch).

This presents a problem as if the cooker load is greater that 45a the double pole switch could become overloaded. The mcb at the consumer unit must not be increased as this could compromise the protection to the existing cable/ circuit.
It is not advisable to merely allow the mcb to just trip out when the cooker is working at full/high as eventual failure of the device is more likely. The mcb rating should be equal to or greater than the connected load (bs7671).

Say cooker is 47 amps @ 230 v
Mcb would have to be 50a rated (existing consumer unit and equipment would have to be capable of carrying the extra load of the new cooker.
Cable would have to meet the current requirements after derating (6 mm sq Could be to small if say a) a long run or b) bunched with other cables or c) other requirements from bs 7671 dictate a larger cable. It is likely that in a domestic environment that a 10mm sq of even a 16mm sq cable would be required (depending on installation arrangements).
Double pole local isolator must be 50a rated.


Recommend you use an approved contractor to carry out a safe upgrade in accordance with BSEN 7671.

Hope this is of some help, I am concerned that some one could just by a new cooker rated at say 49 amps and connect it to a existing 6 mm sq cable supply, up-rate the mcb and then use it quite happily. If cable is installed in a grouped manor/ or is insulated by roof insulation or ambient temperature is higher than normal room temp its ability it dicipate heat would be harder and so it gets hotter … mmm u see where im coming from now! Play safe on this one and contact a professional.

Also note that some new cooker rings do not now use simmer stats and when on full they stay on full.

John

John - the original question was posted in Nov 2003 - I doubt very much that he's still waiting for answers on how to connect his cooker...

And anyway taking your example 47A full-load figure, the diversity calculations come up with 21A or 26A, so the existing 30A circuit would have be perfectly allowable.