Can you solve this Puzzle Re Electrics/Cooker Hood

[ScubaCollie]

Hi All, can anybody please help me to solve this puzzle?

Replacing cooker hood.

Existing round flex connected to existing hood was only 2 core and had no earth.

New Hood is only class 1 (Bosch!) and requires an earth.

I have a 13amp Fused Spur above the cupboards (see picture) and this isolates the round flex/existing cooker hood.

The igniter on the gas hob still works when isolated.

I found a socket behind the cabinets below hob (which has a plug and flex running up to below hob and think this is for the igniter).

My plan was to cut the plug off end of hood flex and pull through on existing 2 core and terminate inside that fused spur above the cupboards.

Problem is its spur is flat 3 core t&e therefore it must run somewhere else, terminate there and then the existing 2 core runs from that to the hood?

Can't find that ANYWHERE and judging by the direction of the 2 core running in the wall it runs off towards that cabinet below the fused spur... Therefore I reckon it's behind that cabinet and dont really want to go taking the cabinets off the walls....

What's the best way of sorting this?

It's a timber framed house and has joists running parallel between the hood position and the fused spur, therefore I've got no chance of getting through to join new cable up there.

However I can get down the wall to behind the hob and could break the ring going into that socket, fit a fused spur in there, and run new 3 core round flex up the wall to the hood, and then connect the ring back up to the socket next door where I picked up from, but not sure cables can be run up the wall behind the hob and hood?

Please see below pictures.

Any help appreciated

 

[sparkwright]

I see no issue running the cable from the cooker hood vertically downwards towards the hob.

AFAIAC it's a safe cable zone, the cable will be seen emerging from the wall where the hood is.

Keep the cable run as straight as you can, then there is no problem.

 

[ScubaCollie]

I see no issue running the cable from the cooker hood vertically downwards towards the hob.

AFAIAC it's a safe cable zone, the cable will be seen emerging from the wall where the hood is.

Keep the cable run as straight as you can, then there is no problem.

Many Thanks Sparkright. I'm not an electrician therefore not sure of all the regs but have done a bit over the years and want to comply with regs.

Therefore, is it OK to break that ring/plug socket under the hob, put a 13amp fused switched spur in, then connect the ring back up to that original socket, and then run the wires up the wall to the hood (you already answered that last bit I know).

And then what about the existing circuit running from the fused switched spur above the cabinet. I could just leave that isolated (switched off) and wago clip the cables inside a wago box and leave inside the wall or would it be best to take the wires out, continuity test to ascertain which cables run to the existing flex and remove them therefore the circuit is then dead inside the wall?

 

[sparkwright]

Yes, if you can break into the ring, as you describe, fine.

Since you can run cable vertically from the hob position, I wonder if you could also run a cable from the existing cooker hood switch downwards?

All of what you have suggested as regards the redundant wiring is fine.

 

[ScubaCollie]

Yes, if you can break into the ring, as you describe, fine.

Since you can run cable vertically from the hob position, I wonder if you could also run a cable from the existing cooker hood switch downwards?

All of what you have suggested as regards the redundant wiring is fine.

Hi mate I can't get through to the left to terminate on the existing fused isolation switch, but I should be able to get down the wall to put a fused switched spur in off the socket below the hob that the hobs plugged into.

Many Thanks for your help Spark Right really appreciate it!!

 

[sparkwright]

You have looked INSIDE the cupboard to see if the joint is there, I take it?

 

[ScubaCollie]

You have looked INSIDE the cupboard to see if the joint is there, I take it?

Hi mate yes checked inside all cupboards, I've now managed to get a section of gyproc cut out to the eight hand side of the double socket under the hob and managed to get my carbon rods down inside the cavity to the bottom, just need to hook it out now, that's my favourite bit lol

Can I just run 2.5mm t&e up through the cavity and terminate with a wago block insulated just inside the opening of the wall cavity behind the hood or does it need to be a straight run of round flex from the fused spur I'm installing under the hob off the existing double socket? Either way it's got to be terminated to the hood flex as the hood flex isn't long enough to reach the fused spur below the hob.....

Unless I run the 2.5mm t&e spurred out the back of the plug socket below the hob and run that up the inside cavity and terminate that at a fused spur near the hood chimney and attach the hood flex there, but would rather it be out of sight below the hob if possible?

Also is 2.5mm t&e enough to run inside a cavity with insulation around it as I understand cable size needs to be increased if inside wall cavities?

The reason I ask is I have LOADS of flat 2. 5mm t&e but if I need round flex then will need to buy some tomorrow.

 

[SUNRAY]

Have you tried rodding horizontally to the existing FCU?

 

[ScubaCollie]

Have you tried rodding horizontally to the existing FCU?

Hi mate yes I tried that and there's a stud in the way, must have been drilled and threaded through the hole in the stud, but even if I had managed to get through, I still have no access on the external wall for the termination box that the round flex terminates with the flat t&e.

 

[Adam_151]

Hi mate yes I tried that and there's a stud in the way

Just the one or two? If you go from the round hole as well and measure the distance.

Personally if just one stud, and not too far from one of the access holes, you could probably drill it with a long flat wood bit at an angle , and then rod through and grab it through an access hole and pull a new 3 core flex straight to existing FCU

 

[sparkwright]

Looking closely at the photo of the FCU, I see a repair has been done to the plasterboard wall - it looks like the FCU has been moved up slightly.

Could this be a clue?

 

[ScubaCollie]

Looking closely at the photo of the FCU, I see a repair has been done to the plasterboard wall - it looks like the FCU has been moved up slightly.

Could this be a clue?

Thats what I thought and wondered if its behind that cabinet, I didn't want to have to take that off the wall.

Is thst what you think as well its behind the cabinet?

If got the wall cut out now underneath the hob and the fishing rods through from top to bottom, just need install the fused spur tomorrow night under the hob and then pull some twin and earth up the wall tomorrow and terminate it to the round flex of the new hood.

I can just use a wago connector and insulate it and push it into the small round hole out of way?

 

[securespark]

If you're talking about the joint between the hood flex and the supply cable to it, they need to be in a proper enclosure and accessible, unless they are maintenance free connectors/ junction boxes.

 

[ScubaCollie]

If you're talking about the joint between the hood flex and the supply cable to it, they need to be in a proper enclosure.

Many Thanks mate I purchased a Wago Box this afternoon to use my existing Wago 221 connectors in it, will terminate all inside that and pop it back through the hole in the wall