Electric Cooker Switch

[duxster]

Hi

We have having some work done on the kitchen and part of it is the installation of a glass splash back behind the range cooker. unfortunately the 45amp cooker switch is above the cooker so will have to move about 8" to one side. I have contacted an electrician and he said that he would have to replace all of the wire back to the consumer unit due to not being able join a cooker feed. Is this correct?

Also if I wanted to move an existing double socket (1ft to one side) located in the dining room does this fall under Part P?


Cheers

Robert

ps: I know the kitcen work is notifiable.....

 

[adwt2004]

That has to be rubbish surely. I would get him to connect it to a high amp rating junction box that would be accessible under the kitchen plinth in order to extend the cable that way. If the cable size is correct then it's madness to re-wire it. In fact I wouldn't allow him to do it and insist on above method.

 

[duxster]

Hi, thanks for the response.

The switch is located above the worktop and the cable goes up the wall. Does this cause any issues? I assume that he is correct to say that you can not join the cable in the wall where the current switch is and then extend to the new location? But running a full new wire did sound extreme!

Robert

 

[bongos]

It could probably be crimped and extended but it must be a good connection. It is better to replace the cable than join it. Beware that the cable must still comply with safe zones.

If the cable currently comes straight down vertically from the ceiling then moving it 8" left or right will stop it being in a safe zone. I'm guessing you would want to avoid a blanking plate on the splashback?

Have a look at this. Did the electrician just say he wouldn't want to join the cooker feed or were safe zones also an issue?

 

[duxster]

Hi, he said nothing about safe zones! Just that he said he wanted to run a new wire all the way back tot he consumer unit in the utility which would require a lot of work as it's in the next room on a different wall!

Moving it would not place it in any of the coloured zones and it is an outside wall so no impact from the other side of the wall.

There are no sockets near by either.

Robert

 

[bongos]

Moving it would not place it in any of the coloured zones and it is an outside wall so no impact from the other side of the wall.

It must be in the coloured zones not outside them!

If it comes down vertically from the ceiling then extending from this point and moving the end of it left or right 8" will mean that this extended section will not be in a safe zone.

 

[duxster]

Hi thanks for clarifying that, miss-understood the diagram.

So is the only safe method to take the wire out back up to ceiling and then drop the cable down vertically to it's new location?

Anything other options before I call the leccy back, or call someone else for a different quote?

Cheers

Robert

 

[duxster]

I took the leccys word for the wire going upwards but I remebered he did not take the switch out. SO I have just dropped the front off and the wire enters the metal back box from the bottom so I presume the wire in fact comes up from the floor.

So does this mean that he could chase out the wire at the floor, add a external junction box and then run a new wire up the wall? Does this sound feasible?

Cheers

Robert

 

[duxster]

Hi, before I ring the electrician back does this sound ok?

Cheers

Robert

 

[bongos]

So does this mean that he could chase out the wire at the floor, add a external junction box and then run a new wire up the wall? Does this sound feasible?

It's possible but i'm not sure how feasible - if its been covered in plaster for some time it would be difficult to dig out without risking damaging the cable. Even if it's capped i'm not really sure that it would be very easy to pull in 10mm.

If the supply comes into the kitchen from below (I assume under floorboards) it may be a better idea to just pull in a new cable.

 

[Taylortwocities]

If it comes up from under the floor then it should not be too difficult to reveal a goodly length of cable and either crimp a new length or use one of these to join a new length (dont forget that it must be accessible)

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/AAJB60.html

 

[duxster]

Hi, thanks for that.

I will have a word with the leccy and see what he thinks, otherwise I will ring a different one for a second opinion.

Just for my knowledge what do you mean by crimp together? What do you use?

Cheers

Robert

 

[ban-all-sheds]

One of these:

or possibly one of these:

depending on the size of the cable.


NOT one of these:

 

[duxster]

Hi

Thanks I thought you meant one of these but was not sure they were allowed on mains wires.

If the wires are crimped do you still have to leave access to the join?

Robert

 

[rebuke]

No access is required, the regs state that you don't have to have access to a variety of different types of joint, one of which is a joint made with an appropriate compression tool (or some sort of wording to that effect).