Electric plinth heater under sink??

[DavidA1982]

Hi

My kitchen designer (read: me) has made a bit of a cock up. I had to re-arrange the layout at the last minute as the client (read: my wife) wanted a lot of smaller cupboards to replace a two larger ones. I rearranged it all as per her request, and it arrives next week. There is no more opportunity to change the layout. The problem that I made is that in acceding to her demands, I removed the two 600mm+ base units that could accommodate a plinth heater. The plinth heater is electric, and the only source of heat that I can put in the kitchen.

I am now left with the following choices:

1) Install under integrated fridge freezer. This seems a terrible idea for obvious reasons, in particular given the steps I went to in order to avoid having the FF next to the oven.
2) Install it under a larder unit at the entrance end of the kitchen. This is not ideal as it is at the warm end of the kitchen, a good 3.5m from the back door, and so will not do a very good job of heating the room.
3) Install under the sink. This seems like a pretty stupid idea – a leak in the plumbing could see water getting in to the unit. In addition, I’d have to put the FCU a long way away as I would not want it anywhere near the sink.

The other base units in the room are: 3x 400mm units (not adjacent); 1x 300mm unit; 600mm tall unit for double oven; integrated DW and WM (no space for a plinth heater).

Any advice would be welcome!

 

[Taylortwocities]

It will be fine under the sink, there are many many electrical devices and junctions under sinks. Dishwashers, washing machines, waste disposal units etc etc all have mains electricity underneath sinks and other water vessels.

If I read between the lines, perhaps the problem is that the plumber (read: you) is not confident of his ability to install the kitchen sink without it leaking?

 

[bernardgreen]

Provided the supply to the plinth heater is protected by an RCD then there shouldn't be a hazard. Assuming there is a "floor" to the unit above the heater then water from a leak would not fall directly onto ( into ) the heater.

Remind the client that hot feet while washing up can be uncomfortable.

Add 20% to the client's bill for late alterations.

 

[JohnW2]

3) Install under the sink. This seems like a pretty stupid idea – a leak in the plumbing could see water getting in to the unit. In addition, I’d have to put the FCU a long way away as I would not want it anywhere near the sink.

As TTC has said, installing under a sink is not necessarily a problem (particularly if the plumber has done his/her work properly).

However, people spend quite some time standing in front of kitchen sinks, and they might well get unpleasantly hot ankles/feet if there is hot air blowing at them from close quarters. Assuming it has a fan, I certainly wouldn't want to stand immediately in front of a plinth heater for very long.

Kind Regards, John

 

[stem]

I would go for option 2. The hot air from a plinth heater is fan driven and will distribute quite well because of this.

Apart for the reason you give, you may not be able to fit it under the fridge freezer. The integrated units I have seen still have legs that support them which may interfere with the installation.

Plinth heaters are often installed under sinks, so whilst your electrical concern is appropriate, there is a need to be reasonable. Would it stop you having a ceiling light fitted in your kitchen if there was a bath / sink / WC in the room above for example?

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• 1 Apr 2015
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• stem
• 1 Apr 2015
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However, personally I think fitting it under the sink is a bad idea because it is the only place in the kitchen where you will stand in the same place for extended periods of time. Standing directly in front of 2 kW of fan expelled heat will be very uncomfortable.

Blimey there are some quick typists around today. There wasn't a single reply when I started my post.

 

[Taylortwocities]

 

[DavidA1982]

Thanks all. I am certainly not confident enough in my own abilities to plumb the sink properly, I'll be getting a plumber to do that! However, I am also not confident that my client won't bash the plumbing around once installed, as she rams various cleaning products in to the unit. It's happened in the past!

Thanks for the confirmation on the location. It still seems a bit odd, but I suppose it could get wet anywhere really.

I also agree that having it under the sink could be uncomfortable, but it's a price I'm willing to pay. In particular as the "client" tends to leave teh washing up to her kitchen designer anyway, and he's happy to turn the heater off and do the washing up in the cold! I should add that there is one other option - under the 800mm pan drawer under the hob. However, I really do stand there for hours on end, so that really is too much for me to bear.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

There are 400mm plinth heaters.
Is there the room to fit it beneath the oven, if you have oven housing that is?

 

[stem]

Hey! have you got a hidden camera in my office?

 

[DavidA1982]

There are 400mm plinth heaters.
Is there the room to fit it beneath the oven, if you have oven housing that is?

I've already got the plinth heater (for a 600mm unit), but I suppose buying another could be an option. I do have oven housing, but it is at the wrong end of the kitchen. In some ways it would be easier to put it there, but I would struggle to find a space for the FCU, as there is a hob and then a sink (with a space of about 700mm) to the left of the oven unit and a full-height larder unit to the right, and then the wall. The electrician proposes to put the cooker switch and the FCU for the induction hob on that wall already.

 

[Iggifer]

FCU for the plinth heater could go in a cupboard?

 

[bernardgreen]

Could the two 400 mm units be fixed together to make in effect a single 800 mm unit with its legs 650 mm apart.

Fixing some 800 mm battens to the undersides of the units would provide the necessary strength to cope with the wider spacing of the legs. There should be enough space between top of heater and underside of cabinets for the battens.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

There are 400mm plinth heaters.
Is there the room to fit it beneath the oven, if you have oven housing that is?

I've already got the plinth heater (for a 600mm unit), but I suppose buying another could be an option.

Well you have two options, make 600mm fit or go for 1 or 2 400mm.
Although the sink location is an option, it would not be my preferred one.

The electrician proposes to put the cooker switch and the FCU for the induction hob on that wall already.

What rating is the hob?

 

[JohnW2]

Could the two 400 mm units be fixed together to make in effect a single 800 mm unit with its legs 650 mm apart.

... 3x 400mm units (not adjacent) ...

Kind Regards, John

 

[stem]

Option 2 it is then

2) Install it under a larder unit at the entrance end of the kitchen.

If you're worried about it not being an ideal position, put a plug on the plinth heater and try it in the position where the larder unit will be, if it works OK Bob's your uncle.

If you don't want to use the plinth heater for the test, either borrow a fan heater (or you can buy one for less than £10) and try that.