cooker connection to consumer unit

[nacnud21]

Hi,
in a plan to change my freestanding oven and hob to a built in double oven and gas hob i have started looking into the electrical implications which should be a reduction on the current electric demand. There is currently a dedicated 6mm cable from the consumer to the existing cooker, the cooker recomends a 30a fuse, but on inspection of the consumer unit connection it is connected to a 32a MCB, but what i think isn't correct is it shares the 32a MCB with the kitchen socket ring. first is this acceptable?
secondly if i change the cooker to an oven rated at 16a should i use the same dedicated cable and should this this be connected to a lower rated MCB or is this acceptable as is?

before i get the usual comments of 'if you need to ask you shouldn't be touching electrics' im not going to touch, i'm just trying to satisfy my curiosity.

any constructive advice would be appreciated

Untitled

• nacnud21
• 22 Apr 2014
• 1

 

[sparkwright]

Where in the picture is the cooker circuit connect to the ring circuit?

All I can see is a brown 6 mm2 cable sharing the same MCB as a red 6 mm2 cable.

Is that what you mean?

 

[Adam_151]

Is it just me, or does it look like that whole board could be reverse polarity?

 

[sparkwright]

Is it just me, or does it look like that whole board could be reverse polarity?

It's not just you.

Been looking at SquareD consumer units to see what way round the main switches should be wired!

Not found anything yet...

 

[AndyPRK]

Could be although the bottom black neutral link appears to be on the left.

Not many circuits rcd protected

 

[nacnud21]

Where in the picture is the cooker circuit connect to the ring circuit?

All I can see is a brown 6 mm2 cable sharing the same MCB as a red 6 mm2 cable.

Is that what you mean?

hi thanks for the replies, its the far right mcb to the left of the main red dis- connector switch, was just wandering if the principle of multiple circuits into the same mcb is acceptable.

 

[sparkwright]

But there's only two cables connected to that breaker - one being the cooker.

A socket ring circuit would be two cables. Then the cooker cable. So i would expect three cables.

Why do you call it a ring?

Are you certain that circuit controls sockets?

 

[nacnud21]

Where in the picture is the cooker circuit connect to the ring circuit?

All I can see is a brown 6 mm2 cable sharing the same MCB as a red 6 mm2 cable.

Is that what you mean?

hi thanks for the replies, its the far right mcb to the left of the main red dis- connector switch, was just wandering if the principle of multiple circuits into the same mcb is acceptable.

the consumer unit is made by domae

 

[nacnud21]

But there's only two cables connected to that breaker - one being the cooker.

A socket ring circuit would be two cables. Then the cooker cable. So i would expect three cables.

Why do you call it a ring?

Are you certain that circuit controls sockets?

yes definitely controls the 4 double sockets above the worktop, but yes as you say it a ring would have 2 cables so must be radial.

 

[sparkwright]

Then the sockets may well be a 32 amp radial wired in 4 or 6mm2 cable.

 

[sparkwright]

You need to put the cooker on it's own circuit.

I see you have some spare ways, so you'll need another MCB.

For the cooker that requires '30 A', you'll need a 32 A MCB. When it comes to MCBs, 32 has replaced 30.

You say you may change the cooker for a 16 amp oven.

Is this going to happen?

Check the manufacturers instruction, they will probably recommend a 16 amp MCB.

 

[nacnud21]

You need to put the cooker on it's own circuit.

I see you have some spare ways, so you'll need another MCB.

For the cooker that requires '30 A', you'll need a 32 A MCB. When it comes to MCBs, 32 has replaced 30.

You say you may change the cooker for a 16 amp oven.

Is this going to happen?

Check the manufacturers instruction, they will probably recommend a 16 amp MCB.

yes the plan is to change the freestanding oven/hob with a built in double oven and gas hob, the double oven is 16a, i just wanted to check my suspicion that what is installed already is wrong, i.e. sockets and cooker sharing the same mcb. so in short a new 16a mcb dedicated to the oven is the correct route. can this be on the rcd side of the CU as this looks like where the spare gaps are?

 

[sparkwright]

It looks like there is a spare way on the non-RCD side, and several spare ways on the RCD side.

You would be advised to use the RCD side. Remember you will have to remove the neutral wire, and put into the other neutral bar.

You should also move the earth wire to the corresponding earth terminal. It's expected that the neutrals and earths should be in sequence, not just put in any hole.

 

[nacnud21]

It looks like there is a spare way on the non-RCD side, and several spare ways on the RCD side.

You would be advised to use the RCD side. Remember you will have to remove the neutral wire, and put into the other neutral bar.

You should also move the earth wire to the corresponding earth terminal. It's expected that the neutrals and earths should be in sequence, not just put in any hole.

if the oven/cooker is removed from the 32a mcb to a new mcb, is the remaining kitchen radial ok left on the original 32a mcb on its own?.

 

[AndyPRK]

Yes 6mm radials are ok on 32A MCB's.


Do you know whether the CU was fitted at the same time as the oven/new kitchen ?