**Hissy fit** ... Electric ovens

[T4Trouble]

Hallo ...


Ok, i`m moving house and need to buy a new cooker, as the one where i live now is built in. So measured up etc, and have one in mind ... but do i have to get a sparky in to fit it by law ? or can i just take the white panel off and fit it myself ... it`s hardly difficult to do, just seems silly that i have to ring a sparky for a bit of paper ? (or do i have to have that bit of paper by law?) .... I`ve had a read of your other page about LABC ... and major/minor work etc ... but it has flumuxed me .... not like red tape to bind ya up and leave ya feeling a bit "Eh" ???


So in "ordinary joe" terms ... can i (well it`ll be hubby) connect up our new leccy cooker ?

Thankyou in advance

 

[Paul_C]

Hello.....

but do i have to get a sparky in to fit it by law ?

No.

or can i just take the white panel off and fit it myself ..

Yes.

(or do i have to have that bit of paper by law?) ....

No.

So in "ordinary joe" terms ... can i (well it`ll be hubby) connect up our new leccy cooker ?

Yes.

Those are the simple, straight answers!

 

[T4Trouble]

You Sir, are a legend .... thankya

 

[ericmark]

You don't need to inform the LABC to connect up a cooker to an existing supply.

However it is recommended that the electrical system is inspected every 10 years or change of occupier which ever is the sooner and as a new occupier the system should be checked.

The problem is you have no idea who has fiddled with the system and if those people who have fiddled in the past have done everything correct.

As an electrician before connecting a cooker I would check the supply with an earth loop impedance meter and on a TN-C-S system would want a reading of 1.44 ohms or better. This ensures should something go wrong with the cooker the fuse or MCB will open rather than the cooker becoming live.

Because the test meter imposes a load on the cables during the test if there is a bad connection it will show up. However with a multi-meter there is not enough load imposed on the circuit to high light bad connections.

Since the earth loop impedance meter or even the low ohm meter used to test the supply are expensive it is unlikely any DIY man will have the meters required.

So if the property has been inspected and tested as you moved in then to DIY the connecting of a cooker is unlikely to be a problem. However if a "PIR" as it is often called has not been done then I would advise the risk of DIY connecting the cooker is unacceptable in my opinion.

 

[ajrobb]

Getting a full PIR on the new home sounds like a good idea; screw connections can work loose, which is why they have to be accessible. If they connect the cooker at the same time, there is hardly any extra work and they might even do it for free.

 

[T4Trouble]

Thankyou for that reply ...... and i completely understand what you`re saying.

I`m lucky in the fact it is a housing asscotiation property i`m moving into, so they all have to be checked between tenants.

I`m waiting on permission to fit a shower, and have a storage heater moved, once granted i will get an electrician in to do that, so will just ask him to check the cooker for me with his thingumyjig whilst he`s there .... .... (its a guy i`ve known for a few years ... so i know he won`t mind) .... Thanks again for all your help ... this is a fantastic site