Faulty wiring at electric cooker switch?

[vegasgo]

Recently installed new kitchen, all working fine then yesterday all power to the cooker went off. It came back on five mins later but went off again a short while later, and has not returned since. The cooker switch incorporates a 3 point plug as well, with amber lights above this and the cooker swtich. There is a faint light on the 3 point plug switch, but this goes off when the cooker switch is turned on. I have checked the fuse box and all are ok. I have run a different power cable into the socket and this works fine, so not a faulty cooker switch.

It seems that the main wires powering the cooker swtich that go into the wall have decided to only give a trickle of electricity - not enough to power anything. The same fuse powers other plugs and these all work fine.

Any help would be much appreciated, thanks.

 

[plugwash]

It seems that the main wires powering the cooker swtich that go into the wall have decided to only give a trickle of electricity - not enough to power anything. The same fuse powers other plugs and these all work fine.

Any help would be much appreciated, thanks.

just what is the rating of your cooker

my guess is that someone has wired a big cooker onto a socket cuircuit (i hope to hell its a ring) useing undersized cable and there has been heat damge somewhere probablly where it was spurred from the ring

the cooker needs its own cuircuit wiring in suitable cable (depending on its size) from a suitable dedicated fuse/breaker in the CU

furthermore the old cable must be removed and every connection on that socket cuircuit must be carefully inspected for damage

i think frankly its time to call a sparky in

 

[vegasgo]

just what is the rating of your cooker

> Not sure. Its got a double oven and gas hob.

my guess is that someone has wired a big cooker onto a socket cuircuit (i hope to hell its a ring) useing undersized cable and there has been heat damge somewhere probablly where it was spurred from the ring

> I wired it myself. The old cooker was plugged into a socket, and this is the socket I replaced with the dual cooker swtich. I used proper thick cable running from the swtich connecting to the wire supplied that goes into the cooker. I also connected the fan to the same socket.

the cooker needs its own cuircuit wiring in suitable cable (depending on its size) from a suitable dedicated fuse/breaker in the CU

furthermore the old cable must be removed and every connection on that socket cuircuit must be carefully inspected for damage

> which old cable would this be? Like I said, when I run a different power supply into the socket, the oven works fines so the cables there must be ok?

i think frankly its time to call a sparky in

> big job?

 

[plugwash]

> which old cable would this be? Like I said, when I run a different power supply into the socket, the oven works fines so the cables there must be ok?

the cable feeding that cooker control unit from the socket cuircuit

how many cables are there feeding that cooker control unit from the socket? just the one?

i can't tell you what cable and breaker you need without knowing the power rating of the cooker

> big job?
this depends mainly on how far it is to the CU
also your CU may need to be changed (depending on age type and condition) and most sparkys won't do this withotu doing a full inspection of your wiring

 

[vegasgo]

The power rating is 230v - forgive my lack of knowledge, but what is the voltage of a 3 point plug socket? Could I rig it up to another socket?

 

[plugwash]

no that is not the power rating its the voltage

with your sheer lack of even basic knowlage of electrical terms you are a danger going near electrics

you really need to get a pro in

 

[vegasgo]

Only 2 shocks in 15 years of DIY ain't too bad!

Anyway, there is a thick cable running near to the cooker which powers the electric shower - would this be strong enough to take a loop from and rig up the cooker?

Cheers.

 

[securespark]

No. Showers and cookers need their own dedicated radial circuit.

Sounds like you have cable damage somewhere. Lay a new piece of cable from the CU to the CCU.

Before you do, though, you should know the rating of the appliance in Watts so you know how big your cable and MCB/ fuse rating should be.

Also, the circuit length can alter the cable size due to voltage drop.

Are you familiar with this, or lost?!

 

[vegasgo]

Yeah, you've pretty much lost me now.

>Sounds like you have cable damage somewhere. Lay a new piece of cable from the CU to the CCU

Blimey, the CU is is on the other side of the house, would be a nightmare trying to disguise it. Its all a pain cos I burried all the kitchen wiring behind the plaster/paint/tiles cupboards and I want to get round this with very little disruption.

When I say electric shower, I actually disconnected this and am running just a light from it now - this huge big wire shurely has it in it to take a cooker huh? It even has its own dedicated fuse socket.

 

[plugwash]

yes if the cable is no longer in use for a shower it can probabbly be used for the cooker

but the light should be disconnected from it and moved onto the lighting cuircuit first

but i still think you should get a sparky in and get your wiring tested considering the lack of basic electrical knowlage you are shwoing

and btw the number of shocks you have had in no way represents how good your are at electrics

 

[vegasgo]

If i did go with the shower cable, is it ok to leave the 'burnt wire' where it is?

 

[dingbat]

Vegasgo, you've made plenty of comments to suggest that you don't fully understand what you're doing. When you say you wired the kitchen yourself I dread to think what you might have done. Plugwash has already said it, but it's worth repeating; get a pro in, please.

 

[vegasgo]

I don't do too bad with electrics, just don't know about the terminology. I even installed underfloor heating in the kitchen - works a treat though it does make my hair stand up sometimes and drains the power from my mum's dialysys machine, but not too worried at the moment becuase it won't be in daily use until the winter.

 

[Igorian]

I don't do too bad with electrics, just don't know about the terminology

I agree with the others, call a pro. If you don't know Volts from Watts, then how did you manage to rate any of the circuits you installed to determine the correct cable or fuse/mcb? It may all appear to work, but heat damage for sure can happen over time. Just think, if you ever sell up, what about the poor guy who moves in and discovers your mistakes?

 

[dingbat]

I don't do too bad with electrics, just don't know about the terminology.

And there you have it. Everybody thinks they can 'do electrics' simply because they've seen somebody else do it, or they've rigged up something that hasn't killed anybody yet. Like the kitchen fitter who left live cable taped up and tucked behind a cabinet... which is where the family's three-year-old found it. Or the builders who simultaneously increase the load of circuits whilst decreasing their protection by splitting ring mains. (Happens every day) Or the plasterers who tape up old (live) switch cables and plaster over them. Or the plumbers who unknowingly/ignorantly/blatantly/innocently (you choose the emphasis) remove all trace of equipotential bonding. And every DIY-er who installs a shower by replacing a 30A 3036 fuse with a 40A plug-in MCB in a 60A Wylex 4-way fuseboard and with any old bit of cable that's handy... and so it goes.

(I'm sure, by the way, that some rogue sparks regularly commit sins against other trades, but professionals tend, very much, not to.)