Cooker switch above gas cooker

[JohnW2]

If I were to transfer the socket to the RH side on the adjacent wall and create a horizontal chase in the plaster at the same height as the original socket, ie about 1300mm from the floor, would that be in the 'safe wall zone'?

Safe zones do not go around corners, so, if I understand you correctly, the part of the chase behind the cooker would not be in a safe zone unless there were some visible accessory (on the same horizontal line) behind the cooker. However, I presume that you would have to join the cables behind the cooker. If you did that in the existing back box, with a blank plate on it, that would create the necessary safe zone and I would have thought would also be acceptable to gas installers - even though you might not find it aesthetically ideal..

If not, it would have the create the chase in the hard wall up to the ceiling, across it, and down again.

The same issue would arise - you would need some visible 'accessory' (like the blank plate mentioned above) to create the vertical safe zone for the cable up to the ceiling.

Another idea I came across is to move the cooker in the middle of the adjacent wall and get some kitchen units on both sides. By doing that I could leave the socket where it is, but my question is could I replace the all powerful cooker switch/socket by a 2 gang ordinary socket outright?

I can see no reason why you couldn't do that.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Ambergreen45]

Safe zones do not go around corners, so, if I understand you correctly, the part of the chase behind the cooker would not be in a safe zone unless there were some visible accessory (on the same horizontal line) behind the cooker.

Since the walls are made of solid brick covered with plaster 15mm thick, would I be able to create a chase in the wall, and then bury the cables in plaster for aesthetic reasons?

I have added an additional pic where the black lines would be a chase in the plaster with cables, probably the easiest option. If not, perhaps by creating a chase vertically, along the ceiling then down again (white lines). The red box I have coloured would be the switched FCU for the extractor fan. Could I do that?

Finally, another idea I was thinking was to move the switched FCU about 800mm above the cooker, blank off the Cooker Switch and then fit a socket behind the cooker. The cables would again be buried in plaster. Would that be allowed?

Just exploring all my options.

Thank you.

Untitled

• Ambergreen45
• 15 Sep 2014
• 1

 

[ban-all-sheds]

You may not have that dogleg in the white route at the top.

You may not have the one in the black route where it comes out of the existing switch.

//www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:walls

Chasing would have to go into the brick, not just the plaster, or you'll not have enough plaster depth over the cable to avoid cracking.


But I thought the whole point of this exercise was to get rid of all of the accessories which will be directly above and behind the cooker?

Presumably the cables to the switch come up from the floor? Is it a solid one, or can you access the underneath? If you can then you could go straight up to the switch in the new position, ditto to the socket or outlet plate for the cooker.

If not then you could mount the switch lower down, at the same height as the socket/outlet plate and run cables in the horizontal zones they create. Or if you really don't want the switch at that height have a box with a blanking plate (or the FCU) below the switch and at the socket/outlet plate height.

If you're going to have a switch on the RH wall for the cooker, you might as well have a 2-gang one for the extractor fan as well, if you want that separately switched.

 

[JohnW2]

... just exploring all my options.

BAS just beat me too it, but I agree with everything he wrote.

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

So - main questions:

1) Can you get to under the floor so that you can run cables vertically in the walls?

2) Do you want the fan & cooker on separate switches?

 

[Ambergreen45]

Can you get to under the floor so that you can run cables vertically in the walls?

I have a concrete floor. I can only access the cables from the rear socket since they come in a metal conduit buried in the concrete floor and the brick/plaster.

Do you want the fan & cooker on separate switches?

Depending on what's easiest. If I have to create a chase as part of the brickwork before re-plastering, that would involve quite a bit of banging when I live in a flat.

I was trying to see if there were any regulations that would clearly state that a switch should not be above a cooker and haven't found anything strictly speaking; there is some brief guidance on the subject but no distance is mentioned. Not even the cooker' instructions advises on the position of sockets in the manual. I rung a few plumbers, one told me I could have the switched FCU moved 800mm above the cooker, the socket placed behind the cooker and put a blank plate on the original socket. But having a socket behind the cooker especially when there is a hot zone does not make me feel very comfortable. In contrast another plumber told me there are no direct regulations about it, if it's already there. But it seems common practice to have the switch on either side of a cooker on newly installed kitchens or new builds, which obviously is a is safer option.

So, in view of all this, I think I may choose to re-arrange the kitchen and place the gas cooker in the middle of the adjacent wall with worktops on both sides. About the cooker switch I would just replace it by an ordinary double socket and leave it where it is That seems to be the most viable and practical solution.

Thanks again.