Plinth heater in kitchen

[Dave123456789]

Hi I'm gonna have tiles in my kitchen diner and only have 1 radiator no underfloor

If seen this and it looks pretty neat and can help the kitchen area get less cold....used to laminate floor so going to find it cold

http://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Electric-Plinth-Heater-Stainless-Steel/p/143845

But can this be plugged into a normal 13amp socket? It's not clear at all....
Says 2kw? I only ran one 6mm cable for my oven.

Think £126 ain't bad.....

 

[JohnW2]

But can this be plugged into a normal 13amp socket? It's not clear at all.... Says 2kw?

One would probably normally expect it to be 'fixed wired', but plugging it into a 13A socket would be no different from plugging any other 2kW fan heater (about 9A) into any socket.

I only ran one 6mm cable for my oven.

I don't really understand the significance of that statement, unless you are suggesting that you want to run the heater off the cooker circuit - which I would not say was a very good idea.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Dave123456789]

Hello John

Sorry what does fixed wired mean?

Yes I meant if I cannot plug into a normal socket is it special like my oven where I need it to be hard wired by running 6mm cable?

 

[JohnW2]

Hello John, Sorry what does fixed wired mean?

Actually 'permanently' wired into your electrical installation, rather than connected via a plug and socket. For something 'fixed and permanent' like your heater, it's a bit neater, apart from anything else! However, it's not essential.

Yes I meant if I cannot plug into a normal socket is it special like my oven where I need it to be hard wired by running 6mm cable?

As I said, plugging it into a 'normal socket' would be no different from plugging any other 2kW fan heater into any 'normal socket'. Although you might find a few people quibbling, it doesn't really need a separate supply of its own (like your oven does).

Kind Regards, John

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

You don't want to be installing the heater as part of the cooking circuit, should ideally be either part of an existing socket circuit or an independent circuit.
I would always prefer to connect them to a FCU, rather than a plug/socket arrangement.
And I personally would purchase a SS2EW (5 years warranty, part/labour) and cheaper.
There are also plinth heaters than can be connected to the wet system, they still need an electric connection for the fan though.

 

[JohnW2]

You don't want to be installing the heater as part of the cooking circuit, should ideally be either part of an existing socket circuit or an independent circuit.

Indeed - as I wrote:

...unless you are suggesting that you want to run the heater off the cooker circuit - which I would not say was a very good idea.

I would always prefer to connect them to a FCU, rather than a plug/socket arrangement.

As I said, so probably would I - but only really as a matter of neatness. I have plenty of 2kW fan heaters in my house which, when used, are simply plugged into sockets.

Kind Regards, John

 

[EFLImpudence]

I do not see why there should be a blanket ban on connecting to the 'cooker circuit'.
It would then be a 'cooker and plinth heater circuit'.

It depends on the situation.


OP mentions 6mm² for oven. If there is a gas hob there would be spare capacity.
There may be anyway.

 

[JohnW2]

I do not see why there should be a blanket ban on connecting to the 'cooker circuit'. It would then be a 'cooker and plinth heater circuit'.

I didn't say anything about a "blanket ban" - I merely offered my opinion that it "was not a very good idea".

It depends on the situation.

It does ...

OP mentions 6mm² for oven. If there is a gas hob there would be spare capacity. There may be anyway.

It's not really so much about the cable (particularly if it's 6mm²) as the OPD. If one is invoking diversity to allowing, say, a 32A OPD to be used, then 'stealing' 9A of that for a substantial proportion of the time stretches that diversity concept a bit, thereby making it more likely that the OPD would operate at times of high cooker demand. The 5A allowance for a socket in diversity calculations not only is just 5A (rather than 9A), but probably is based on the assumption that the socket will normally only be used occasionally for brief periods of time (kettles, toasters, mixers etc.), rather than supplying ~9A 'semi-permanently'. This won't be an issue if we're only talking about an oven - but it could become more of a consideration if it were a large cooker (or oven+hob) which was already connected to the 'cooker circuit'.

Kind Regards, John

 

[ericmark]

All plinth heaters have an electric supply but not all get the heat from the electric the hydronic the Myson heater still has a kW rating but the heat is taken from your wet central heating system not from the electric supply.

From the picture

it's hard to see that it is connected to central heating or gets power all from the electrical supply. One shown is connected to central heating system.

There are also DUO versions that can either use the water or electric to heat.

 

[JohnW2]

All plinth heaters have an electric supply but not all get the heat from the electric the hydronic the Myson heater still has a kW rating but the heat is taken from your wet central heating system not from the electric supply.

FWIW, my personal experience of 'wet' plinth heaters are not very happy ones. Most seem to use pretty narrow bore tubing (with fairly small radius U-bends) for the heat exchanger which, at least in my hands, therefore seems to 'clog up' fairly quickly. However, maybe I've just been unlucky.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Taylortwocities]

You need to flush out your system then.

I have a "wet" plinth heater and it has been great. Especially as it comes on at the same time as the rest of the heating.

But this hydronics chat may be an unnecessary diversion, as i imagine that the OP hadn't planned to have to start running additional central heating plumbing as well as electrical works!

 

[JohnW2]

You need to flush out your system then.

I do, periodically, but I've been surprised how little gunk it seems to take to clog mine. However, don't get me wrong - they work OK for a year or four. I also have to bleed mine quite often - they seem quite good at trapping any air which gets into the system. Mind you, I am talking about pretty old ones!

But this hydronics chat may be an unnecessary diversion, as i imagine that the OP hadn't planned to have to start running additional central heating plumbing as well as electrical works!

Indeed!

Kind Regards, John

 

[Dave123456789]

Hi all this got slightly confusing lol

For me I have just had s new kitchen ring done from consumer unit with all new sockets and one 6mm cable for oven

Hob is gas plug only for ignition

So I don't have a seperate ring nearby to rub this Heater off now

So shall I just leave it?

No gas pipe/radiator nearby either

Shame u can't just plug into double socket above worktop ...

 

[JohnW2]

Hi all this got slightly confusing lol ... For me I have just had s new kitchen ring done from consumer unit with all new sockets and one 6mm cable for oven ... Hob is gas plug only for ignition

In that case, at least with your present cooking arrangements, it would be fine to run your plinth heater off the cooker circuit (through an FCU).

So I don't have a seperate ring nearby to rub this Heater off now ... Shame u can't just plug into double socket above worktop ...

You can do that (if you don't mind the untidiness, and can do something safe with the cable to stop it being a liability) - but if there's "no ring nearby", there presumably is not a suitable double socket nearby, either?

Kind Regards, John

 

[Dave123456789]

On my consumer unit
One switch is for oven
One for kitchen sockets
One for remaining downstairs room socket (ie old ring cos kitchen was previously part of one downstairs ring)

So basically I have a double socket where hob is going to go and that's the sock I was going to plug heater onto.......

It doesn't even say if it comes with a plug or not

Can you pls explain fcu in lay mans term sir??