Kitchen Wiring Diagram

[TomBridges]

Hello everybody

We are planning on a new kitchen.. having drawn up an outline of what cupboards we are going to have, I have knocked together an outline of the electrics needed.

Untitled

• TomBridges
• 28 Sep 2010
• 2

Basically I have a couple of questions:

1) Can all the appliances be put on the Ring Main? (As you can see from the diagram the Dishwasher, Washing Machine & Cooker Hood/Extractor Fan are protected by Fused Spurs.) I was wondering if I should have them on their own circuit? It seems like a lot of appliances/sockets for a 2.5mm 30amp circuit.

2) Does the cabling need to be shielded? or is it fine just under plaster?

Many Thanks in advance,
Tom

 

[sparkwright]

Generally it is ok to have a modern kitchen on one dedicated ring circuit, though some on this forum will bang on about having two or three radial circuits for the sockets.

It is good practice to use pvc capping or oval conduit to protect the cables during plastering. You don't have to have this protection, but it would be very sensible to do so. It's more professional. And makes future alterations easier. It won't cost much at all.

No need for those junction boxes supplying the fused spurs. Just run the two supply cables to the fused spur.

 

[TomBridges]

Hi sparkwright,

Thanks for your quick response.. I'm not sure what I was thinking with the jucting boxes actually.. though would be fun plastering them into the wall!

Tom

 

[sparkwright]

Deleted.

 

[londonboy]

You cant bury junction boxes

 

[TomBridges]

You cant bury junction boxes

really?! god i'm learning new things everyday!

you clearly missed my sarcasm in my last post.

 

[londonboy]

Clearly, why put them in your picture then.

 

[TomBridges]

I did say in my post, and i quote "I'm not sure what I was thinking"..

 

[Spark123]

The work you describe will be notifiable under Part P of the building regs so you may be better employing an installer who is a member of a competent person scheme to install it.
http://www.competentperson.co.uk/search.asp

 

[OwainDIYer]

Washing machine only takes full current when heating the water, which isn't usually for very long. (Domestic) extractor fan is usually less than 100W.

Tumble dryers are a long heavy load.

You might want to put a separate circuit for the fridge/freezer on its own MCBO, so a fault anywhere else doesn't result in spoiled food.

Unless protected by steel conduit or specific cable types, all wiring now has to have RCD protection.

You might want under-cupboard lighting.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

some on this forum will bang on about having two or three radial circuits for the sockets.

"bang on", or point out the generic drawbacks with ring finals and the specific ones in a kitchen of balancing the loads when used for appliances, both of which should make the designer think about whether, when he's starting with a blank sheet of paper, a ring is the best design?

It is good practice to use pvc capping or oval conduit to protect the cables during plastering.

Proper plasterers will point out that the last thing they want to do is to damage the edges of their tools by hacking at cables with them.

And makes future alterations easier.

The way to prepare for that is conduit rather than hoping you'll be able to pull new or extra cables through capping.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Tom - you really do need to use an electrician. Apart from the legalities there are the genuine safety aspects of testing which you won't be able to do yourself.

a 2.5mm 30amp circuit.

You should consider having your old rewirable fuse box replaced at the same time, as the electrician is going to have to add RCD protection somehow anyway.

 

[TomBridges]

Hi all,

Thanks for your advice.

I am actually getting an electrician to do this work, though I am running the cables for 1st Fix electrics to save a bit of money.

So general consensus is a Ring Main is silly and I'd be better off with a 2.5mm Radial Circuit protected by a 30amp MCB?

Cheers,
Tom

 

[OwainDIYer]

I am actually getting an electrician to do this work, though I am running the cables for 1st Fix electrics to save a bit of money.

So general consensus is a Ring Main is silly and I'd be better off with a 2.5mm Radial Circuit protected by a 30amp MCB?

You need your electrician to specify the cable routes and cable types as he will be signing the work off.

You cannot have a 2.5mm radial circuit protected at 32A.

2.5mm is max 20A, and that doesn't give a lot of capacity for high current appliances. In fact in a kitchen I would suggest not having more than 1 double socket on a 2.5mm 20A radial, as you do not know how appliances will be distributed around the kitchen.

A properly specified and installed 32A ring final circuit should be sufficient for a domestic kitchen with the fixed cooking load on separate circuits. For a larger kitchen putting the fixed laundry appliances on separate radial(s) might be appropriate.

 

[ccam108]

In fact in a kitchen I would suggest not having more than 1 double socket on a 2.5mm 20A radial, as you do not know how appliances will be distributed around the kitchen

That's a bit of a waste, using a 20A radial for a max load of 13A.

Colin C