Too Many FCU's

[smilerbatten]

Hi All,

I have ordered the new kitchen for my new extension with all new appliances and now need to agree the wiring design with the electrician.

As the appliances are mainly integrated i need to have each one on an FCU. The trouble is I have 2 single ovens / dishwasher / chimney hood / fridgefreezer / wine cooler that all require an FCU, but i dont really want these scattered around the work surfaces and am not keen on then being surface mounted in my new cupboards...

Maybe I get a bank of FCU switches and hide them in a corner somewhere? Is this what most people would do? I can then have terminal (cooker) outlets near the appliances running back to these FCU's.
How do most people get around this?

Any ideas?
Much appreciated

 

[RF Lighting]

Personally I install a grid switch containing 20A DP switches that matches the sockets.

 

[ajrobb]

concealed 13A sockets for appliances wired to a bank of 20A isolator switches above the counter

 

[smilerbatten]

RF...That is genius...and looks good.

So I could have a 4 gang grid for the 2 ovens / hob ignition and hood somewhere near the ovens. Do these need to be fused?

To install these, not that I am, but just so i know, you can run from the consumer unit to each grid switch, then from the grid switch to an outlet plate for that appliance?
Do these need to be fused and do they need to be within a certain distance of the appliance? I think i read 2m somewhere.

Many Thanks

 

[RF Lighting]

Providing the ovens are less than 3kW each, then I'd take a 4mm 32A radial to feed all four switches, and then a 2.5mm from each switch to a SINGLE socket behind each appliance

They should be within 2m of the appliance they control, and fairly easily accesible.

 

[smilerbatten]

Thanks RF.

The ovens are 3.5kw each, so probably need seperate wiring?
so i could do one radial for each oven and then one for the hob and extractor maybe?

Where do you get the black MK grid switches from?

Thanks
Jason

 

[ban-all-sheds]

RF - have you still not repaired and painted that b****y wall?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

RF...That is genius...and looks good.

Bit worrying that your electrician doesn't know enough to have suggested it...

 

[JohnD]

Personally I install a grid switch containing 20A DP switches that matches the sockets.

flash git

 

[ajrobb]

i could do one radial for each oven and then one for the hob and extractor maybe?

If you have a 32A circuit (ring final or radial) of 13A sockets above the counter for kitchen appliances, the gas igniter and cooker hood could easily run as isolated spurs off that.

 

[dingbat]

RF...That is genius...and looks good.

Bit worrying that your electrician doesn't know enough to have suggested it...

When you say 'electrician' you are of course referring to 'kitchen fitter'.

 

[smilerbatten]

RF...That is genius...and looks good.

Bit worrying that your electrician doesn't know enough to have suggested it...

When you say 'electrician' you are of course referring to 'kitchen fitter'.

Thanks all for your replies, an electrician is doing the wiring and suggested hiding the sockets in the cupboards as i didnt want banks of switches etc running round the counter tops.

I hadnt seen these grid switches before which arent as 'offensive' on the eye, but the electrician hadnt mentioned these. Perhaps he just assumes that when i said 'no' sockets, i meant 'no' sockets, not even these nice functional ones

 

[Chri5]

See here for the range of labelled switched

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_In...nu_Index/Grid_System/Grid_System_3/index.html

 

[JohnD]

Perhaps he just assumes that when i said 'no' sockets, i meant 'no' sockets, not even these nice functional ones

Even a simple man like me has sockets set below worktop level, behind the appliances. However they are fed by switches set 150mm above the worktop, vertically above the appliances and the sockets they serve. Mine don't need to have engraved labels as it is obvious which appliance each switch serves.

I have no problem being able to see a switch. Wanting to hide them reminds me of the Victorian fashion for putting skirts round piano legs. You'll be wanting a tiled cover to hide the tap next.

 

[tambourineman]

You'll be wanting a tiled cover to hide the tap next.

Where can I get one of those?