New socket for fridge freezer

[stl]

Hi,

I am looking to get a new double socket installed by an electrician to serve a new free standing fridge freezer. This is on an empty wall with no kitchen cupboards etc. here. It should be able to be spurred from existing socket on the other side of the wall in the dining room,, but where is the best place for the new socket?.

Any issues with it being behind the fridge / freezer? - e.g. would it get hot from heat from rear of appliance? It would also mean appliance sticks out of wall further?

Should it be at the side at low level (as other sockets in property), so just a minor bit of flex visible?. This would be good as the other socket would be used for outdoor garden tools etc. The existing ring socket is RCD protected. Also, is it ok for the spur cable to run horizontally through the wall from the existing socket on the other side?

Thanks

 

[Taylortwocities]

Spur from existing socket is OK, providing the existing is not already spurred from somewhere else (on a ring final circuit).
Wiring must be in safe zone. See WIKI for details.
Personally I hate sockets behind appliances as the last thing you want is to have to access the plug/fuse in the event of a fault - while your fridge/freezer is full of lobster and Bollinger!
Put the socket to the side, or in an adjacent cupboard. SOcket must be on RCD protected circuit especially if used for outside use.

 

[securespark]

Here's mine (he said, realising that the top of the fridgefreezer is filthy):

I can't reach to clean it, not allowed up steps or ladders anymore...

 

[Iggifer]

I can't reach to clean it, not allowed up steps or ladders anymore...

Can't reach it to unplug it either then!

Although, a nice tidy solution. I take it you just cut a hole in the cabinet big enough to take the guts of the socket and then woodscrewed the faceplate back?

 

[securespark]

Nope! All done proper, like.

 

[Iggifer]

Nope! All done proper, like.

And I would expect nothing less!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Here's mine (he said, realising that the top of the fridgefreezer is filthy):
I can't reach to clean it, not allowed up steps or ladders anymore...

Wouldn't that be Mrs Secure's job anyway?

Sorry if that offends anyone, but apparently we've made a democratic decision in this country to go back to the 1950's.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Hi,
I am looking to get a new double socket installed by an electrician to serve a new free standing fridge freezer. This is on an empty wall with no kitchen cupboards etc. here. It should be able to be spurred from existing socket on the other side of the wall in the dining room,, but where is the best place for the new socket?.

The best place is where it is easily accessible for any maintenance that maybe required to both plug and socket outlet. Directly behind the appliance is not ideal, as you have already pointed out, it could cause the appliance to protrude from the wall more than it would normally and the plug could become damaged by heat or mechanical damage from the appliance.
So either to one side or above the appliance would be best. Also as you are wanting to use the socket as an outlet for outside appliances, a socket being behind the fridge/freezer, would prevent ease of access!
The electrical supply,connection and route of cable would be best left for your electrician to access and establish and yes RCD protection will be required.

 

[ericmark]

My fridge/freezer has a very short lead there is really no option but to have it behind the unit, in my house I have side access and can switch it off without moving freezer in my mother house the socket is supplied from a switched FCU at an accessible position. She has a fridge/freezer with another small freezer on top. The top one stores the back-up supply for carers to move down. Inside the top freezer there was a knob marked Off 1, 2, 3, 4 etc to adjust temperature. Sounds good but it did not work, to stop freezer you had to switch off on the wall.

It does vary fridge/freezer to fridge/freezer, but some have no off. With my frost free I have no need to switch off, but last one also frost free and every 18 months I did need to switch off.

So if I was starting again the socket would be dead centre of the bay at standard hight and I would supply it from a switched FCU close to the bay with easy assess.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

But with regards to the op, you would still need to move F/F to access the second outlet for use of outside appliances.
So an accessible socket outlet would be best served rather than a hidden one connected to a S/FCU.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Wouldn't that be Mrs Secure's job anyway?

Or the French maid's (providing they as still allowed freedom of movement that is!)

 

[winston1]

So if I was starting again the socket would be dead centre of the bay at standard hight and I would supply it from a switched FCU close to the bay with easy assess.

No need, in fact stupid, to use a FCU as the plug has a fuse. In the event of a fault there will be two fuses to replace. Use a 20amp switch.

 

[ericmark]

So if I was starting again the socket would be dead centre of the bay at standard hight and I would supply it from a switched FCU close to the bay with easy assess.

No need, in fact stupid, to use a FCU as the plug has a fuse. In the event of a fault there will be two fuses to replace. Use a 20amp switch.

Yes the standard install uses grid switches marked to show what they control one for each socket. However grid switches are not cheap and to select a 20A switch one does need some care to ensure it is 20A, so just as easy to use a FCU which also means if you want you could fit a second socket should you ever replace it with independent matching fridge and freezer which seems to be the way things are going to get around the EU rules on power being used.

112 freezer A++ better than 171 kWh/annum. 288 fridge A++ better than 119 kWh/annum. Combine as a fridge/freezer and A++ is 279 kWh/annum so 11 kWh/annum less, as the fridge/freezer hits the 50/50 mark this get worse and people want smaller fridges and bigger freezers so the side by side or stacking units are starting to hit the market. result is you need two sockets one would hope a simple twin, but the cable length with freezers and fridges does seem to be short. In my kitchen the second freezer is away from the fridge/freezer, in mothers second freezer is on top of fridge/freezer.

Although a FCU may not be required, I would not consider it to be "Stupid" I have seen many marked kitchen sockets from a grid switch changed to a double socket and seen both a washing machine and tumble drier running through a 20A switch, in the main the two would still not blow a 13A fuse, but I would still like the fuse to be there rather than simply praying the switch will take the load. Over loading 2.5mm² cable for a short time is very different to overloading a switch.

Yes I know you have a fridge freezer, but often we switch appliances around at a latter date.

 

[securespark]

Wouldn't that be Mrs Secure's job anyway?

Why?

If she is working and I am retired, why should she do that?

I get the boys to help with some of the small jobs I cannot do (like stuff involving ladders, or carrying really heavy stuff). But otherwise, I do what I can: Cooking, cleaning, hoovering, tidying, laundry, gardening etc...

 

[winston1]

Wouldn't that be Mrs Secure's job anyway?

Why?

If she is working and I am retired, why should she do that?

I get the boys to help with some of the small jobs I cannot do (like stuff involving ladders, or carrying really heavy stuff). But otherwise, I do what I can: Cooking, cleaning, hoovering, tidying, laundry, gardening etc...

There is no such verb as hoovering. I assume you mean vacuuming. Hoover is a brand name of various electrical appliances.