What do i do about the cooker socket

murdoch · 3 Jul 2006

I have bought a new oven and it comes with a plug, the thing is my old oven is wired to a cooker socket if i disconnect the old oven from the cooker socket and install the new oven which i can plug into another socket in the area then what do i do with the big cooker socket, can i turn it into a double socket, also why are all the wires thicker insulated that are in the cooker socket than the my other double sockets, there is also a a thicker insulated wire going into the cooker socket from a a single wall socket.
Anyway my question is what would be the best thing to do about this cooker socket that wont be getting used by a cooker.

Or should i just change the plugged oven for an oven i can wire to the old cooker socket and wire.

any help is much appreciated as im stuck in limbo at the moment. thanks

Softus · 3 Jul 2006

Based on the fact that you're asking questions about the very cornerstone of an electrical installation, such as conductor and insulation thicknesses, you're best off getting an electrician to do the work.

Sorry if this appears unhelpful, but it would be risky to your own health to give you enough information with which you can go off and main or kill yourself (or others).

murdoch · 3 Jul 2006

Thanks for the reply and your concern.

Do not worry no one will be maimed or killed as i am not stupid, i understand the fundamentals of the circuitry and understand about the thicknesses of insulation, i was writing the post in a rush and never explained myself properly.

All i want to know is the question of it being perfectly safe to unwire the cooker socket and exchange it for a standard double socket, theres nothing wrong with doing that as far as i can see ....is there

fattony · 3 Jul 2006

Yes I believe you can replace your old cooker point with a double socket, only problem I see is when someone is working on your kitchen sockets they may think they have isolated all of them, except this 1 x double socket which has its own 32Amp breaker. If your old cooker point is the same size as a double socket they generally have 1 x socket and 1 x cooker switch, could you not use this?

plugwash · 3 Jul 2006

well you have a couple of options,

if you wan't a switchable under counter socket just leave the current switch/socket where it is and put a single socket in place of the outlet plate.

if you don't you could either leave the current unit in place anyway or use a blanking plate or a double socket in place of the socket.

using a double socket is perfectly allowable by regs but make sure it doesn't get forgotten about and spouses older kids who do some diy, buyers of the house etc are informed about it. (really there should be a proper plan of an electrical installation but there rarely is domestically)

securespark · 3 Jul 2006

I would also consider it good practice to downrate the circuit protection to 20A.

tommo2 · 4 Jul 2006

Why dont you just stick a single (or double) socket where the outlet is. Then in the fuseboard move the live wire from the cooker MCB (probably 32amp) and move it into the MCB feeding the kitchen sockets.
This will eliminate the danger of having a live socket in the kitchen if someone turned off the MCB labelled "kitchen sockets" (as pointed out by fattony).
It would also leave the new socket fed by a 32amp breaker as securespark suggested.

Note: You will have to move the neutral connection also if it is a mopdern MCB board with RCD protection. You will notice two neutral bars in the fuseboard. Whichever one the existing cooker neutral is connected to remove it, and put it in the other.

Please try not to kill yourself when working in the fuseboard. Remember: Even with the main fuse removed there will still be live wires into the main fuse in your board.

ebee · 4 Jul 2006

Whichever one the existing cooker neutral is connected to remove it, and put it in the other

This may be incorrect as it probably should already be on the RCD side anyway.
Just make sure it ends up on the RCD side and is labelled at the CU to make it clear that this socket is on its own circuit

Softus · 4 Jul 2006

murdoch said:
Thanks for the reply and your concern.

Do not worry no one will be maimed or killed as i am not stupid, i understand the fundamentals of the circuitry and understand about the thicknesses of insulation, i was writing the post in a rush and never explained myself properly.

I never said that you were stupid - I said that you seemed to have a lack of relevant knowledge. If you think they're the same then you could well be stupid.

All i want to know is the question of it being perfectly safe to unwire the cooker socket and exchange it for a standard double socket, theres nothing wrong with doing that as far as i can see ....is there

You can roll your eyes at me all you want, but it doesn't make you competent.

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What do i do about the cooker socket

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