Cooker and Hob supply

[Bob Young]

I have a good knowledge of electrical installation and I am renovating my kitchen.
This will involve fitting a new Cooker and separate Hob which I have already purchased.
The new appliances are factory fitted with supply cable and standard 13A 3-pin plugs.
Do the IE regs allow me to provide a new 13A double socket wired into the 13A ring main close to the Cooker and Hob and run both appliances from this or should I provide a radial supply from the consumer unit dedicated to the Cooker and Hob?

 

[RandomGrinch]

Hi,

If you can adapt your existing ring to fit two single sockets next to each other, that may be a good compromise.

There have been some interesting discussions on the electrical forum, about the maximum load of a double socket - they are only tested to supply a total load of 20A.

Although unlikely, if both your appliances were powered and taking 13A each, two single sockets would comfortably take the load.

On the other hand, a dedicated 32A cooker circuit would allow you to connect both appliances, and allow some future-proofing (although it would need an electrician to install it).

If you would like some more opinions, you may wish to ask the mods to move this post to the electrical forum.

I hope this makes sense!

Edit: I believe some electrical regulations are different within the home nations - if you live in Wales, even adding the new sockets may be notifiable.

 

[foxhole]

Do you not currently have a cooker supply?

 

[Bob Young]

I have 2 supplies at the moment because the Cooker and Hob are in different locations but they will be closer and can come off the same supply when the modification is complete.
The confusing thing is that both new appliances have cables with factory fitted 13A 3 pin plugs. Do the regs say I should remove the plugs and hard wire them in or can I wire them off the 13A ring main.
I should mention that I am in a bungalow with just the one 13A ring main. I could off course fit 2 x 13A sockets and wire them from the existing cooker supply not the ring main.
The question is what the regs say.

 

[RandomGrinch]

I think you're getting tied up over 'The regs' and are over thinking this a bit!

So you have a cooker circuit already (or 2?)?
Is this in a convenient location for your new hob and cooker? And what is the fuse rating of the circuit?

You have chosen appliances that are (relatively) low powered, hence they are supplied with plugs attached.

If you have a suitable cooker circuit, both appliances can be hardwired into that outlet if you want to.

There's nothing in the regs to stop you doing that!

 

[Bob Young]

You've basically confirmed that what I wanted to do is OK.
I have an electrical qualification but I am not technically an electrician and not up with the REgs.
Many thanks

 

[RandomGrinch]

...although, possibly the 'safest' thing to do, may be to connect two single sockets to the cooker outlet - the sockets could carry the load and the built-in wiring to the appliances would be protected from over current, from the plug fuses.
The appliance itself would also gain some degree of protection, popping a 13A fuse under fault conditions, rather than melting itself, until a 32A MCB trips!
Warranty claims may also be easier, if the plugs hadn't been cut off!

Again, have a look around the electric forum - there is plenty of discussion about this type of problem - proving that even for competent electricians, 'the regs' arent the 'be all and end all'.... and don't always make sense!