Oven Flex Too Short.

[caveman2]

I am installing 2 single 13A Built in oven to replace existing gas type that are not sold now. The ring in the kitchen is fine and I can intercept it above the units and install a double socket outlet which is all that is required for the ovens supplied with 3 pin plugs.
However I believe the flexes will be too short to reach - especially the bottom oven.
Is there any legal way to extend the cables so as not to invalidate warranty.
A double oven is a nono as a) no spare connector in CU, and b) impractical to run cable due to solid flooring. Although unusual to have 2 x single ovens, it suits our needs.

 

[EFLImpudence]

However I believe the flexes will be too short to reach - especially the bottom oven.

Can you not find out for sure?

Is there any legal way to extend the cables so as not to invalidate warranty.

Yes of course; it is nothing to do with the law.

Just fit longer flexes.


Do you not already have a "cooker circuit" which could be fitted with two sockets wherever you want them.

 

[caveman2]

Cable is 1.2m with 3 pin plug on both. No double cooker socket in existence as a gas oven has been in situ for decades. Top oven will reach newly installed 2 way socket on ring mounted above unit. But bottom oven will be too far away. Obviously I can extend the flex but am concerned about guarantee if I do that.

 

[Why Not Indeed]

I know it's a bit of a boring answer, but single extension socket?

 

[morqthana]

Although unusual to have 2 x single ovens, it suits our needs.

It's not unusual, and if you have the space, better, as 2 singles are bigger than 1 double.

If you can make one of them a full-sized microwave combi so much the better.

 

[JohnW2]

Is there any legal way to extend the cables so as not to invalidate warranty.

It's frustrating that we live in such a silly world that you need to ask that question.

There is clearly absolutely no way in which extending the power cable of an oven could cause the oven to become 'faulty', so it is equally clear that such an action should not affect a warranty. However, some companies do continue to "try it on", so I couldn't promise you that you could get them to accept those obvious truths without a lot of argument and hassle.

However, they could 'try it on' regardless of how you did the extending - so, in that sense, it wouldn't matter how you did it. As has been said, you could simply use a short 'extension lead' (hence not 'interfering' with their cable in any way), but that should not be necessary and could be argued, theoretically, to make things safe - but, provided the manufacturer doesn't also say that the oven must not be used with an extension lead, they could not sensibly argue that you had invalidated the warranty by doing that!

 

[caveman2]

Thanks for all the answers / advice.

 

[Sureitsoff?]

I would be inclined to extend the ring and provide a socket for the bottom oven rather than extend the oven cable(s). I don't like the idea of two ovens in a double socket.

 

[caveman2]

I would be inclined to extend the ring and provide a socket for the bottom oven rather than extend the oven cable(s). I don't like the idea of two ovens in a double socket.

Having seen your reply, it is something I was concerned with. Could anyone else offer an opinion as to whether it would be bad practice, having (on a ring) a double socket outlet to provide power to 2 x single ovens (with 13A plugs already fitted) potentially drawing 20A ie. 2 x 10A approx. if both ovens were used or 1 oven and the other used as a grill at that moment?

 

[JohnW2]

Having seen your reply, it is something I was concerned with. Could anyone else offer an opinion as to whether it would be bad practice, having (on a ring) a double socket outlet to provide power to 2 x single ovens (with 13A plugs already fitted) potentially drawing 20A ie. 2 x 10A approx. if both ovens were used or 1 oven and the other used as a grill at that moment?

You'll see a lot of discussion and debate about this.

Although one might expect/hope that a "double 13A socket" would be able to happily supply 2 x 13A loads, continuously, there is no doubt that some people experience problems (overheating, thermal damage or even potential fires) when two fairly large loads (e.g. 10A) are plugged in simultaneously. It is therefore probably always preferable to have two single sockets rather than one double socket in that sort of situation.

 

[Scally-Ho]

What are the actual oven loadings as shown on the appliance details plate? That would determine what size of flex eeded and then put new longer flexes onto both, as flex replacements if done correctly would not invalidate the guarantee. I would change the size to 1.5mm to eliminate any warming of the new longer flex., because the longer the flex the greater the electrical resistance.

 

[JohnW2]

What are the actual oven loadings as shown on the appliance details plate? That would determine what size of flex eeded and then put new longer flexes onto both, as flex replacements if done correctly would not invalidate the guarantee.

Nor, in terms of electrical common sense, should extending the cable invalidate the guarantee - but, as I wrote, that doesn't stop some manufacturers 'trying it on' (which they might in the case of either extension or replacement of the cable)

I would change the size to 1.5mm to eliminate any warming of the new longer flex., because the longer the flex the greater the electrical resistance.

I wouldn't be at all surprise if some "try it on manufacturer" even attempted to claim that replacing the cable with one of larger size also 'invalidated the warranty'

As I wrote, in the crazy world we live in, it's all down to how much argument and hassle one is prepared to 'risk'.

 

[caveman2]

What are the actual oven loadings as shown on the appliance details plate? That would determine what size of flex eeded and then put new longer flexes onto both, as flex replacements if done correctly would not invalidate the guarantee. I would change the size to 1.5mm to eliminate any warming of the new longer flex., because the longer the flex the greater the electrical resistance.

Although not Hotpoint, but the retailers seems to believe it to be true. In the meantime I will email Hotpoint - thanks

 

[EFLImpudence]

Lots of people believe all sorts of rubbish.

 

[JohnW2]

Lots of people believe all sorts of rubbish.

Indeed they do - but the problem is that in situations like this, when those people have some degree of 'power' it can be a serious pain for the rest of us to try to contest their beliefs!