Appliance connections

[Andy Velcro]

Hello

I'm about to gut my kitchen ready for new units and appliances and would like to get all the wiring sorted before everything arrives. I've ordered a single electric oven and a ceramic hob which as yet have nothing to power them. I've already installed 6mm cable from my fuse board but would like to know the best way to terminate it for the instalation of the hob and oven. I'm also fitting a fully intergrated fridge freezer, is there usually space beneath for a socket, if not where is the best place to mount the socket.

Thanks in advance

Andy

 

[felix]

That 6mm cable should go to a cooker switch on the wall. These are now available in much smaller physical sizes than they used to be. You can get one with an integral single socket outlet no bigger than a standard double socket - except that you need a deeper back box. From the other side of this switch you run more 6mm cable to a cooker outlet. This is nothing more than a single socket sized plate with three large economy sized terminals and a clamp for the external cooker wire. There's no fuse. This goes on the wall behind the cooker but the best place to fit it depends on your cooker. You'll have to look at one to see where there will be space. Remember that you will have a loop of dangling wire in there and you don't want it getting burnt.

Getting power to built in fridges, freezers etc is one of those problems that needs careful planning - and so kitchen fitters are inclined to bodge it! I once opened a cupboard in a very expensive looking kitchen but found no cupboard behind. Instead there was a void containing wood offcuts, an old newspaper, an empty tool box and a rotting apple core. In amongst all this was a four way mains extension block into which were plugged the adjacent fitted fridge and freezer. The mains lead for this disappeared into the darkness behind other cupboards, presumably to a wall socket. For the sake of the kitchen's owner I hope its fuse holds out!

Needless to say you aren't going to do this. I would put a single, unswitched socket on the wall behind. As with the cooker, you'll need to find out where the free space will be. It'll most likely be low down. If you want a switch - which isn't necessarily a good thing on a freezer - you can wire a two pole switch and neon, of the type used for immersion heaters, in line with the socket. Put this on the wall above the bench and label it.

 

[AliasOmega]

If your fitting 'fitted cupboards' then i would put the cooker switch in the cupboard next too it. Fit a switch with a socket on it, then wire the hob into a 13amp plug and plug into the Socket on the Cooker Switch. Get the socket and pattress, drill a hole in the back of the cupboard, feed the cables through then put the pattress over it so no cable are shown except for the flex.

As to the fridge socket, maybe a single socket behind it, with a DP (Double Pole) switch above the worktop allowing you to isolate it incase of any emergency..without having to unplug it

This is a good idea for washers, dryers, fridges where things cant be moved easily.

 

[shaggy]

Ceramic hob on 13A plug?

 

[AliasOmega]

i had the idea of a gas hob, and the ignition being plugged into this.

Whoopss