Kitchen sockets and lighting question?

[RF Lighting]

Providing there is an FCU at worktop level I don't see any problem with hiding a socket or flex outlet in the 'chimney' of the cooker hood.

IMHO this is no different to a CCU at worktop level and a cooker conection plate hidden away behind a cooker, which is common practice and perfectly acceptable.

 

[JohnD]

Not too keen on a socket that would get covered in that disgusting fluffy grease.

 

[Akshay]

Hi JohnD thanks for your help. This one is stumping me though because I have a row of sockets above the worktop connected horizontally, so in order to fit a 3A FCU so can I break into the circuit to fit the FCU in line with the other sockets? (Hope that makes sense?)

If I'm thinking this correct the existing mains feed would enter the source part of the FCU, and then leave the source to continue to the next socket. I would then connect the flex for the cooker hood to the supply end. Is that how I would wire it all up?

If thats correct, can I use a single FCU to supply both the cooker hood and the ignition for the gas burner, or is it safer to install an unswitched below worktop level socket as mentioned before?

Thanks again for your input - its much appreciated!

 

[Akshay]

Are you out there JohnD? Or can someone else confirm my last post please?

 

[JohnD]

If I'm thinking this correct the existing mains feed would enter the source part of the FCU, and then leave the source to continue to the next socket. I would then connect the flex for the cooker hood to the supply end. Is that how I would wire it all up?

Like a socket in a ring, both the 2.5mm cables from the ring go into the "Supply" side of the FCU, and a cable from the "Load " side is chased vertically into the wall and goes up to the Flex Outlet, where a flex is connected and goes through the hole in the plate.

If thats correct, can I use a single FCU to supply both the cooker hood and the ignition for the gas burner, or is it safer to install an unswitched below worktop level socket as mentioned before?

You should gave separate controls for the cooker hood and the hob ignition. As the hob ignition is out of sight below the worktop a plug and socket will not look unsightly (as they would by the ccoker hood) so I'd go for that, with a DP switch in the row above the worktop,

 

[Akshay]

Thanks JohnD - thats sorted out my problem. Just wanted to ask though whats the difference between using a fused switched spur and a DP switch for controlling the cooker hood/hob combo? I was thinking of just using the fused spur to switch the hood flex outlet and an unswitched socket for the hob ignition. I'm just confused what a DP switch does differently.

 

[JohnD]

An FCU has a fuse in it. A switch doesn't.

Hence we are saying use an FCU with a flex outlet (which has no fuse) and a DP switch with a socket outlet (because the plug does have a fuse).

the ideal number of fuses per appliance is one.

Not more, and definitely not less.

(on a radial circuit the fuse might be in the consumer unit, e.g. for a shower or immersion heater. But a socket ring is "fused" way above any appliance you can connect to it, so each appliance must be protected by its own fuse)