Connecting fridge to cooker circuit.

[Moonhead]

Morning.

Just bought a new, fancy under-the-counter fridge to go in the kitchen. The issue I have is that the house is 150+ years old so, the electrical installation is 'interesting', to say the least. There are no outlets on the side of the kitchen where the fridge will be going aside from the outlet for the cooker which is on its own circuit but, there 2 sockets right next to one another with a spur for a single socket just below - on the complete opposite side of the room to where the fridge is going.

The cooker is gas so only draws power for the lights and sparkers, and whilst the installation is questionable in its design, it is protected by a brand new consumer unit and has been re-wired in the last 10 years.
My question is: can I spur off that cooker socket (I know it's a radial circuit so maybe it's not that simple), or can I put an extension socket onto it and connect both appliances? Seeing as the gas cooker will draw little to no power at any given time, I assume it to not be an issue but, I thought I'd ask!

Edited to add picture of all sockets in room and picture of location of cooker socket (red) and where the fridge will be going (green)

PXL_20211010_164202705~2

• Moonhead
• 19 Oct 2021

PXL_20211010_164101313~2

• Moonhead
• 19 Oct 2021

 

[ericmark]

There are methods, this is how I got around the problem in mothers house. In the main a cooker uses a 32 amp supply, so most likely is what we call a lollipop, where the ring is taken from the cooker supply, easy way to connect is a double cooker outlet which will allow the large likely 4mm² or 6mm² cable to connect to 2 x 2.5mm². Dado trunking may save the need to remove tiles,

and you could have 30 sockets if you wanted. A fused connection unit (FCU) for the cooker would allow the cooker supply to be fused down, in the main we have no more than three wires in a terminal as over three one may not be clamped fully with torque allowed. So this

gets around the problem of multi wires in one terminal, but there are many ways.

 

[Moonhead]

Brill, thanks for that.
The cooker plugs into a socket under the counter that runs off the switch in the upper cupboard, I know for a fact it's 6mm cable as when we plastered the kitchen, elements were exposed behind the old woodchip paper, where they'd re-wired and done a crap job of burying the cable in the wall and just papered over it.
Could I swap the socket under the counter for a dual appliance outlet plate, hard-wire the cooker into one side and then run a length of cable to an additional socket in the next cupboard along, under the sink?


Edited for spelling!

 

[dannyboi2003]

Change the cooker socket for a twin socket, plug the gas spark for the oven into one and the fridge into the other, then make a cup of coffee using milk from your newly installed fridge

 

[Moonhead]

Change the cooker socket for a twin socket, plug the gas spark for the oven into one and the fridge into the other, then make a cup of coffee using milk from your newly installed fridge

No issues with it being on the cooker circuit then? If not, happy days!

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

No issues with it being on the cooker circuit then? If not, happy days!

None at all, providing it plugs in via a 13amp plug and is fused. A 32amp circuit is normal as the supply to a 13amp socket(s).

 

[Taylortwocities]

Cooker circuits often have sockets on them

 

[Moonhead]

Cooker circuits often have sockets on them

Yeah so that is in the overhead cupboard, the one I want to split is the one that has the gas cooker plugged into it, under the counter - connected to the 'cooker' switch in the cupboard.

 

[dannyboi2003]

Yeah so that is in the overhead cupboard, the one I want to split is the one that has the gas cooker plugged into it, under the counter - connected to the 'cooker' switch in the cupboard.

Still no issue with this, just change the socket under the counter to a twin socket, it's perfectly safe and acceptable.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Still no issue with this, just change the socket under the counter to a twin socket, it's perfectly safe and acceptable.

Whssign

• Taylortwocities
• 16 Jul 2016

What he said

 

[Moonhead]

Cheers for the help guys. I've had a look under the counter at the socket again in the cold light of day and I'm thinking the fridge won't reach the current position of the socket without using an extension ( which I don't want to do).
I'm thinking this as a potential alternative (excuse the handwriting). The general gist is to swap the current socket for a dual outlet plate and put an unswitched single socket on each, in surface mount boxes in the cupboards. The second socket would be no more than 2 meters from the outlet plate. Is this safe enough? Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[EFLImpudence]

You don't need to - just connect the new cable to the existing socket.

 

[Moonhead]

You don't need to - just connect the new cable to the existing socket.

Just off the back of it? Well that is easier!

 

[EFLImpudence]

Yes.