2 Adjacent Electric Ovens on Ring Main

C

caveman2

Joined
26 Apr 2005
Messages
159
Reaction score
1
Country
United Kingdom
As I have a large gas double oven, which unfortunately cannot be replaced. I am forced to have electric. However as it has to occupy a 900mm hole a double oven would be ideal. But I do not have or could provide a 30A (or whatever) source for it (solid floor and no available capacity on CU)
Long story short, I will install 2 single ovens with 13A plugs attached already. I have a complete kitchen ring circuit and would ideally intercept with a double socket outlet to supply those ovens.
Would it be bad practice to have a possible 6 Watt drawn from said double socket outlet or should 2 singles be used in preference or what would a professional advise instead?
 
just a DIYer and not an electrician by Trade - Personally I would put in 2 single sockets , i think a double socket is rated around 20A from memory (14A&6A testing) - I will need to look that up, maybe a myth

I seem to have read on the forums to use 2 singles
see JohnW2 here
www.diynot.com

Two single sockets instead of one double socket

Hi all, Would it be better to replace a double socket with two singles to allow two 3KW heaters to be plugged in at the same time? Thanks
www.diynot.com www.diynot.com
But also NOTE the comment how the connection is on the ringmain,

I see if i can find something

if you use the double oven GAS a lot , you will notice the cost difference for electric, we changed from a standalone double gas cooker and did notice the cost difference before before covid and all the price changes
 
Last edited:
caveman2 said:
As I have a large gas double oven, which unfortunately cannot be replaced. I am forced to have electric. However as it has to occupy a 900mm hole a double oven would be ideal. But I do not have or could provide a 30A (or whatever) source for it (solid floor and no available capacity on CU)
Long story short, I will install 2 single ovens with 13A plugs attached already. I have a complete kitchen ring circuit and would ideally intercept with a double socket outlet to supply those ovens.
Would it be bad practice to have a possible 6 Watt drawn from said double socket outlet or should 2 singles be used in preference or what would a professional advise instead?
Click to expand...
Not adviseable for several reasons. You say possible 6 Watt, how did you calculate that? When I went to school 2 x 13 = 26, although the maximum current of both running together will never be at full whack.

I assume that the kitchen ring circuit has an MCB of 32 amps? Ring circuits are designed to provide current for DISTRIBUTED loads round the circuit. You would be concentrating a huge load (when both ovens are running) at a single point.
You don't say what else is on the existing ring. Large loads like washing machine, tumble dryer, even a kettle used at the same time as the ovens could easily trip the protection for the circuit.
So...
caveman2 said:
what would a professional advise instead?
Click to expand...
You need a separate circuit for those additional large loads. it may look like (to you) that an additional circuit is not possible, but there are many ways to add another circuit, a small additional CU is an obvious solution. Often, a re-arrangement of the existing CU can free up a slot.
A site visit would provide you with some options. An experienced electrician can usually be creative when it comes to cable routes.

Lastly, re double socket for two large loads. the answer is NO. The test spec for BS1363 sockets is requires a double-socket to handle 20A total load; the test conditions are 14A on one and 6A on the other. I would not even use a plug and socket for loads like this. An FCU is the way to do it (assuming a new circuit can be provided.

Sorry to be negative, but you wanted professional advice.
 
Last edited:
Running 2 ovens and the rest of the kitchen appliances on a single circuit is asking for trouble if you ask me
 
Taylortwocities said:
Not adviseable for several reasons. You say possible 6 Watt, how did you calculate that? When I went to school 2 x 13 = 26, although the maximum current of both running together will never be at full whack.
Click to expand...
I'm sorry I wrote this in a hurry. The max. power draw is quoted at 2.35kW and twice that would be near 5kW. Which I was questioning as a possible problem for a double socket out - till I read some other the answers here.
 
We have no washing machine or tumble drier in the kitchen. The only other large drawer of power is the kettle rated at 2.5 - 3kW. We that make you pros happier or have I got to go down the additional cable route?
 
caveman2 said:
As I have a large gas double oven, which unfortunately cannot be replaced.
Click to expand...
Why can it not be replaced?
caveman2 said:
I am forced to have electric. However as it has to occupy a 900mm hole a double oven would be ideal. But I do not have or could provide a 30A (or whatever) source for it (solid floor and no available capacity on CU)
Click to expand...
Tough. Send a picture of the consumer unit please.
 
 
I wonder how old the property is because it’s reasonably rare to not have a traditional cooker circuit installed
 
Well if you are using them singly and together pretty much as you might do with a common cooker type scenario I would advise using the little calculation for diversity as as if the whole lot were one traditional cooker really.

If a competent manufacturer has supplied it with a moulded plug already attached at new then it should be OK to plug in to a standard socket.
If someone has put there own plug on it then it might not be.

Generally we say 2KW or so is the maximum load permissible for an oven etc to plug into a socket and only one on one circuit not two.

Our standard 13A socket is rated at 13A total whether twin or single, however the twin socket is type tested to 14A at one side and 6A at the other.
Any decent make will stand 13A total and many good ones will actually exceed this quite happily but not necessarily all the way up to 2 x 13A = 26A for a twin. That is why many recommend that items nearer the 13A load are placed on single sockets not twin sockets to deter two heavy-ish loads on the same socket.

A "Heavy Load" as far as our 13A sockets are concerned are generally heating loads such as washing machines, dishwasher, tumble dryers etc not say mobile phone chargers and TV sets etc which are considered as "Light loads".

A proper cooker circuit is usually 4mm or even 6mm usually whereas a ring final circuit is usually 2.5mm.
With the Ring Final Circuit (proper name) the heavy loads should be ideally be within the middle one third portion (as measured by the cable runs) or at the origin (fuseway ) or spread fairly equally around the ring itself.

A cooker circuit is calculated for diversity and usually includes the things you would find in a hob with 4 elements for pans etc, an oven and a grill, you might actually have them as separate items instead but they would be used pretty much in a similar way so the load calculations remain the same.
One item - a single socket incorporated into the cooker control unit is intended for occasional use of a kettle (say 10A for a few minutes boil of kettle) so a figure of 5A is deducted in the diversity calculation.

You have probably decided by now that a proper cooker type circuit is probably best for you intended use.
 
Taylortwocities said:
Lets start here. Please....
Click to expand...
Thanks for all your help guys, but Taylor. There are a couple of reasons why I don't want to consider the extra cable option. 1 is that the CU is very old and 2 there is no easy option to cable to the kitchen from that unit either. I have shelved that idea.
My only option now is for a single electric oven and possibly a gas single as well. This will give my wife the extra capacity when needed and fill the void when as I have a 1,200mm larder unit that has the capacity for an older double oven.
This may sound odd but will get me out of trouble. That is unless someone says that even one 2.5kW oven on that ring is wrong. Using your diversity theory, an Oven, Microwave, Kettle, Toaster & Iron surely is OK?
 

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.


Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

C
Oven Flex Too Short.
Replies
14
Views
921
JohnW2
J
S
Cooker and hob wiring
Replies
10
Views
3K
Silverdog
S
B
Oven Electric supply
Replies
2
Views
941
M4tty
M
P
Extending kitchen ring main + new oven.
Replies
5
Views
2K
PWR
P
P
Built in oven replacement
Replies
2
Views
1K
RF Lighting
RF Lighting
Back
Top