Earthing SS cooker "splashback"

[Stringman_uk]

Hi all
not a new member as such (just couldn't remember my password and the email associated is now deleted!

We have remodelled the kitchen and have a dual fuel cooker in an alcove between the chimney breast and wall.
It has been decided ( ) that this alcove should be enclosed in stainless sheet.

The previous owners had tiles across the back. They had surface mount sockets and surface mount plastic conduit.

Originally I was going to cut out a channel for the cables and run it behind the steel and use surface mount sockets ( I know)
Then I thought if I am going to all that effort why not cut socket boxes in the wall and steel.

If I do that should earth and/or bond the steel. There is a gas pipe running very close by.

Or should I just take the easy option and just surface mount the sockets /cable. I know that's not as pretty but there are lots of runs like that as its an old house.

If I do surface mount do I still need to think about earthing?

I have looked on the forums and there seems to be loads of conflicting advice.

Many thanks in advance

 

[JohnW2]

Originally I was going to cut out a channel for the cables and run it behind the steel and use surface mount sockets ( I know). ... Then I thought if I am going to all that effort why not cut socket boxes in the wall and steel. If I do that should earth and/or bond the steel. There is a gas pipe running very close by.

If, I imagine is likely to be the case, you will be having sockets with metal faceplates, if you flush mounted them (over holes in the steel), the steel would get earthed by the faceplates, anyway.

Or should I just take the easy option and just surface mount the sockets /cable. I know that's not as pretty but there are lots of runs like that as its an old house. If I do surface mount do I still need to think about earthing? I have looked on the forums and there seems to be loads of conflicting advice.

If you surface mounted plastic boxes onto the steel (which I would have thought would look awful!), there would be no need to earth the steel. Some would argue with that statement, since there are pros and cons of earthing 'exposed metal', but I think that many/most people (certainly myself) believe that the hazard created by 'unnecessarily earthing' exposed metal is greater than the hazard created by not earthing it. If you surface mounted metal boxes, they would again presumably result in the steel getting earthed.

Will this stainless steel be 'removable'? Don't forget that there might possibly be a need to get at the wiring at some point in the future. Probably no worse than tiles, but worth thinking about, since the options to make it 'removable' probably exist with steel, whereas they don't with tiles (unless one tiles onto some sort of removable board!).

Kind Regards, John

 

[EFLImpudence]

I agree. Do not earth it.

It is not an exposed-conductive-part in the electrical meaning.

 

[Stringman_uk]

Many thanks for the replies - I expected a " if you don't know- you shouldn't be doing it" type of response!

John, yes if they are cut into the wall then the covers will be metal.

Yes surface mount will look awful but that's what there is in the whole house - when i say re model its more a case of repairing after a flood!

I will see if i can face cutting channels and steel sheet (or rather wait to be told what to do)

Thanks again

 

[JohnW2]

Many thanks for the replies - I expected a " if you don't know- you shouldn't be doing it" type of response!

Only a small minority of us here give such responses, except when it is apparent from what they say that the person concerned really shouldn't be "doing it". After all, if needing to ask questions meant that one shouldn't be doing things, there would be no point in forums such as this!

John, yes if they are cut into the wall then the covers will be metal.

That's what I presumed. In that case, as I said, it's all a bit moot, since the steel will presumably get earthed whether or not you 'want' it to!

Yes surface mount will look awful but that's what there is in the whole house - when i say re model its more a case of repairing after a flood!

The horror I was really contemplating was plastic surface boxes with a steel background - in my opinion, that really would look awful

I will see if i can face cutting channels and steel sheet (or rather wait to be told what to do)

It shouldn't be that difficult, provided you have the necessary tools. Good luck.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Adam_151]

I agree. Do not earth it.

It is not an exposed-conductive-part in the electrical meaning.

I agree thats its best to find that you no not have to earth it, however that sometimes does require care taken that it is not inadvertantly an ECP... I've come across many that have been installed over an existing wall and cut round the metal knock out boxes such that there is a small 'lip' of the stainless protruding into the box. The problem is that cutting it round the socket front would look crap, the ideal would be for the SS to sit under the plastic front just enough the edge is covered but doesn't come any further where it could be taken as entering the enclosure.

I always thought someone should produce some plastic widgets, made out of the same thinckness material as the cladding which can sit over the knockout box and give a suitable size frame for the splash back to meet upto and on the back have a box section protrusion that is the same dimensions as teh knockout box, that can be cut down to suit the depth the box is in the wall by. Difficult without a drawing!

 

[EFLImpudence]

The point is that it cannot become live on its own during an uncleared fault - not an exposed-c-p in the electrical definition.

It can only become live by contact with a faulted part - the metal face plate/back box - and by this same contact, it would also be earthed.