cooker / hob upgrade

[philbee22]

As I intend to fit a new kitchen which has a double oven rated at 6.1kw and a new hob rated at 6.6kw. As the existing cooker position is going to be in the wrong place I intend remove it and to install two new 6mm 30amp radial supply circuits fused seperatley, and a new kitchen appliance ring main also fused seperatley. ( Part P notification duely noted of course)
in previous posts I notice that isolators should be with in easy reach. As I have to provide two, one for each circuit does any one know of a readily available 2 gang 30amp double pole switch, or am I going to have to mount 2 x 45amp cooker points side by side which will look horrible. Alternatively I could mount one of these on the inside of the base cabinet next to the oven, just leaving one on the wall which wouldn't be so bad, just wondered what the current regs are with regard to isolator distances from the appliance. Or has anybody got any better ideas?

 

[securespark]

No more than 2m away from the appliance to be switched.

No closer than 300mm to hobs & sinks.

Mounted on the fabric of the building, not furniture.

 

[philbee22]

Thanks securespark for the reply

Distances noted


Is it a legal requirement for the isolators to be visible?

Or can they still be inside a cabinet , if mounted to the structure of the building?

 

[bernardgreen]

Is it a legal requirement for the isolators to be visible?

Depends on your planning for a chip pan fire. Will you need to find them in a mild panic situation ?

 

[JohnD]

If you hide them inside a cupboard, then next time you need them in a hurry you will have to pull out the pans, bleach, shoe polish etc to get at them.

Worse still, the person (not you) who is faced with the burning child or faulty appliance will not even know where the switches are hidden, or how to find them.

 

[philbee22]

Is it a legal requirement for the isolators to be visible?

Depends on your planning for a chip pan fire. Will you need to find them in a mild panic situation ?

Can't see how isolating the mains will make the chip pan fire go out, better to cover it with a damp cloth isn't it? (anyway don't have a chip pan)

Possible siting of the isolator was going to be in the bottom of the wall cupboard adjacent to the cooker hood, fixed to the wall but hidden form daily view, but obvious to all who open the cupboard,so isolating is only opening a cup/brd door away, and you could do that while stood at the cooker.

 

[philbee22]

If you hide them inside a cupboard, then next time you need them in a hurry you will have to pull out the pans, bleach, shoe polish etc to get at them.

Worse still, the person (not you) who is faced with the burning child or faulty appliance will not even know where the switches are hidden, or how to find them.

Not quite sure how much pans, bleach, shoe polish etc you can get in the bottom of a 300mm wall unit

Possible siting of the isolator was going to be in the bottom of the wall cupboard adjacent to the cooker hood, fixed to the wall but hidden form daily view, but obvious to all who open the cupboard,so isolating is only opening a cup/brd door away, and you could do that while stood at the cooker.


I think the points raised are valid but the usual use of an isolator is to isolate the appliance for maintenance or repair, or even electric shock ( but this will be covered by the RCCB at the CU) so the fact that it is close enough to the cooker and hob to use, and the fact you would have to be blind not to know where it is, I don't think this shouldn't be a problem .

Going back to my original question,

Is it a legal requirement for the isolators to be visible?

 

[bernardgreen]

Can't see how isolating the mains will make the chip pan fire go out, better to cover it with a damp cloth isn't it? (anyway don't have a chip pan).

It won't make it go out but it will help it to cool down. If the oil hasn't actually ignited then turning the heat off is the first action. If the control has failed then the isolator is the only option ( or the consumer unit )

Other faults are a jammed thermostat leaving an element red hot.

Such as an oven where the insides were glowing red. The heat prevented the terrified owner reaching the isolator which was placed directly over cooker. ( it was my mother in law ).

Safety planning is often overlooked, until it was needed....

 

[securespark]

( it was my mother in law )

That's OK, then!

 

[bernardgreen]

( it was my mother in law )

That's OK, then!

No the dinner was ruined and there were at that time no take-aways in the town. But is was the first step in getting her to accept that electricity could be more dangerous than gas ( which she would not have in the house ) and that the house needed a re-wire.