New oven with plug

[meanwhileinhell]

Hi all,

I'm looking to buy a new single electric oven, but I have noticed that some of them come with a 13amp plug. My problem is, my current setup and oven came with no plug and wired straight into a junction box to a separate cooker switch on the wall, and is on a different wiring system with its own fuse. Is it a big job to get this changed so that I can use a plugged oven, or is it simply a case of removing the plug and wiring it into the JB?

Thanks!

 

[winston1]

Why not remove the plug, then wire it in as prievous?

 

[meanwhileinhell]

This is what I am hoping I can do, I just wanted confirmation that it was safe to do so. I would assume that if the oven is ok to be plugged into a standard socket, that it will do just find on its own circuit.

 

[John D v2.0]

n a different wiring system with its own fuse

What is the rating of the fuse?
In general it's likely to be ok, but there's a chance the fuse in the plug is necessary to protect the cable to the oven (as the fuse may not blow within the required time of a fault at the oven). If so, you'd need to change to a socket on the wall, or an fcu, or reduce the fuse rating in the cu.

 

[meanwhileinhell]

I'll need to check the fuse rating in the FCU when I get home. If its 13amp like the plug on the oven, then everything's fine as it'll still have the same protection to the oven. If its higher (say, 45amp) can I just drop it down to 13amp? If I'm dropping the FCU fuse, would it be advisable to drop the one in the main fuse box also?

 

[JohnW2]

What is the rating of the fuse? In general it's likely to be ok, but there's a chance the fuse in the plug is necessary to protect the cable to the oven (as the fuse may not blow within the required time of a fault at the oven). If so, you'd need to change to a socket on the wall, or an fcu, or reduce the fuse rating in the cu.

The chances are the the fuse (or whatever) protecting the circuit would be rated too high to theoretically be able to protect the cable of the oven (which comes connected to a plug with a 13A fuse, in which case the OP would be left with your "If so ..." option, which he has said would be a 'big job'.

However, if one is prepared to agree that an oven is, by its nature, not capable of creating an 'overload', then the requirement for the cable to have adequate overload protection goes away - since it is very probable (probably 'almost certain') that there would be adequate 'fault protection' for the cable.

The question of whether the oven, rather than its cable, needs 13A protection is a matter often discussed here (including recently) - and I think that the consensus is that, if it really needs such protection (which is probably doubtful), it would/should be provided internally within the oven.

Although I dare say that I might get criticised, if it were me I would simply cut off the plug and hard-wire it (as with the OP's existing oven).

Kind Regards, John

 

[Taylortwocities]

Change existing junction box for a socket, and plug in the oven.

Meerkat

• Taylortwocities
• 11 Dec 2009
• 53

Simples!

 

[JohnW2]

Change existing junction box for a socket, and plug in the oven.... Simples!

Yes, that may be possible. However, the 'junction box' is actually a "separate cooker switch on the wall" (maybe associated with an 'output plate'), which may or may not be serving things other than the oven and which may or may not be dimensions-compatible with a socket.

Kind Regards, John

 

[meanwhileinhell]

There is also an electric hob connected to the switch, and its not from memory connected into the junction box. I'll need to double check when I get home, and I'll update this thread with what I find.

Thanks for all your comments and help so far!

 

[John D v2.0]

I'll need to check the fuse rating in the FCU when I get home. If its 13amp like the plug on the oven, then everything's fine as it'll still have the same protection to the oven. If its higher (say, 45amp) can I just drop it down to 13amp? If I'm dropping the FCU fuse, would it be advisable to drop the one in the main fuse box also?

Ah right didn't realise the connector was an fcu separate from the main fuse box, in that case it'll be 13a so go ahead.

 

[meanwhileinhell]

So this is the wall switch, I could've sworn that there was a fuse slot on the front.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The question of whether the oven, rather than its cable, needs 13A protection is a matter often discussed here (including recently) - and I think that the consensus is that, if it really needs such protection (which is probably doubtful), it would/should be provided internally within the oven.

Indeed, and as you say, oft discussed.

But if the maker really has designed the internals on the assumption of a maximum 16A protective device, what can you do?

There is also an electric hob connected to the switch, and its not from memory connected into the junction box. I'll need to double check when I get home, and I'll update this thread with what I find.

This is important.

If the oven is not directly connected to the same cooker outlet plate as the hob, then you can do as TTC suggested.

If they are then replacing the outlet plate with a double one, to feed the hob directly and a new socket to plug the oven into would be the way to go.

 

[EFLImpudence]

But if the maker really has designed the internals on the assumption of a maximum 16A protective device,

That's a strange question.
Why - or how - would they do that?

what can you do?

Apply 433.3.1(ii) ?

 

[JohnW2]

Indeed, and as you say, oft discussed. But if the maker really has designed the internals on the assumption of a maximum 16A protective device, what can you do?

If the manufacturer had somehow determined that there would be a significant additional safety problem with the oven if the external protection were >16A, then I would agree.

However, as has been said before, I do find it difficult to see how that could be the case. Quite apart from the fact that it's hard to think of even remotely likely scenarios in which an oven could create a significant overload (even a jammed small fan probably wouldn't), even a B16 would allow 30A+ to flow through the fault for a few minutes, and that would probably be enough to 'fry' whatever was involved, so I don't think it would be significantly worse with a higher-rated OPD.

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

That's a strange question.
Why - or how - would they do that?

Why? Because there is a market of several hundred million people where mandating a maximum 16A circuit is no issue. You live in a part of it.

How? By cutting corners.

Apply 433.3.1(ii) ?

Doesn't apply to appliances.