Cooker question

[st0ner]

Hello all. Cooker question if you could cast an eye over it. I'm replacing a gas oven for an electric one. Now there is from the previous occupants still fixed in the 45 Amp cooker switch (+13 amp socket) with 6mm T&E to a 45 amp mcb on the CU. Currently mcb switched off but hoping to re-use this to power the new oven (which is rated at 2.2 Kw I think) with the 13amp socket serving the ignitors on the gas hob. My question is as this oven is okay to run from a 13 amp socket, I haven't any spare as the one on the cooker swith is powering the gas hob ignitors can I take another socket from the 45 amp cooker switch (either hard wire into a 13amp FCU or a normal 13amp plug socket). Also does the cable from the cooker switch to the oven socket/FCU have to be the same size as the one feeding it from the CU (6mm in this case).
Thanks very much

 

[Taylortwocities]

The MCB in the consumer's unit is way too big for 6mm cable. It should be 32amp or (subject to a survey on the cable run) max 40amp.

Given the loads you are planning, you can add another 13A socket on the cooker circuit. After all, it is just a regular 32A radial circuit.
If there is a cooker coonection plate it is often just situated to replace that. Otherwise you can add a socket but the connect cable will also need to be in 6mm per the rest of the circuit.

Remember legislation re electrical works in a kitchen.

 

[imroberts]

As TTC says, a 45A MCB is too high for the cable. You need to get this swapped with a 32A to prevent any mishaps (what if someone connects an oven which requires 32A itself, and plugs in a 3kW kettle into the socket?)

The cable running from the cooker switch to the cooker connection unit doesn't HAVE to be the same cable running to the cooker switch, however again it has to be suitable for the MCB fitted, so in your case and with a 32A MCB you would need to use 6mm T&E for this run.

If it was me I'd replace the cooker outlet with a twin 13A socket, and simply plug in your oven and your hob. The oven at 2.2kW should run fine on a 13A fuse, the hob will only need 3A.

 

[davelx]

6mm^2 clipped direct or equivalent method is rated 47A - so how is a 45A MCB "way too big"?

 

[PrinceofDarkness]

There's no need to change the MCB for this circuit. The main consideration here is that of short circuit protection - because there's no liklihood of an overload on the 6mm cable to the CU, being as it is a fixed pair of loads each with their own local fuse protection.

If the circuit load were to change in the future, then that would be the time to address the change.

Lucia