I have a new Bosch HBN331E0B electric oven.
The supplier (Comet) states that it must be hard-wired, and this is also mentioned in a number of references I've found on the web.
The manufacturer's installation instructions say that it must be connected by a licensed specialist, and otherwise only states that the connection lead should be H05-VV-F or higher, which I know just means 300/500V pvc insulated, pvc sleeved flexible cable, and that an all-pole isolating switch with a contact gap measuring at least 3mm must be available. They refer to the connection diagram on the unit, but all this shows is three terminals, unsurprisingly labelled as PE (with an earth symbol) L & N.
The rating plate shows the oven as being 2.35kW.
Is the requirement to hard wire and use this isolating switch not overkill/overengineering? By my reckoning, 2.35 kW is approximately 10A, well within the capability of a ring main socket, and providing that socket is accessible and switched, why would this not meet the needs?
I did wonder if it could be because there is a combined grill, and if the oven rating excludes the grill, but I doubt it - there is no seperate figure shown for the grill, and it is a single oven, so only one can be used at a time, either the oven or the grill, unlike a double oven where they usually allow for the worst case of having either two ovens or an oven and a grill operational simultaneously, hence I feel certain the word oven used on the rating plate in this case must encompass the whole device there being no other figure available.
I really don't feel inclined to pay for the call-out fee of a sparky, which would no doubt be £50 plus at least, to get an over-engineered installation just because manufacturer/supplier prefer to cover their backsides by overstating the case. If I've missed a point, however, and this really is required in order to be safe, I will willingly take the appropriate action.
The supplier (Comet) states that it must be hard-wired, and this is also mentioned in a number of references I've found on the web.
The manufacturer's installation instructions say that it must be connected by a licensed specialist, and otherwise only states that the connection lead should be H05-VV-F or higher, which I know just means 300/500V pvc insulated, pvc sleeved flexible cable, and that an all-pole isolating switch with a contact gap measuring at least 3mm must be available. They refer to the connection diagram on the unit, but all this shows is three terminals, unsurprisingly labelled as PE (with an earth symbol) L & N.
The rating plate shows the oven as being 2.35kW.
Is the requirement to hard wire and use this isolating switch not overkill/overengineering? By my reckoning, 2.35 kW is approximately 10A, well within the capability of a ring main socket, and providing that socket is accessible and switched, why would this not meet the needs?
I did wonder if it could be because there is a combined grill, and if the oven rating excludes the grill, but I doubt it - there is no seperate figure shown for the grill, and it is a single oven, so only one can be used at a time, either the oven or the grill, unlike a double oven where they usually allow for the worst case of having either two ovens or an oven and a grill operational simultaneously, hence I feel certain the word oven used on the rating plate in this case must encompass the whole device there being no other figure available.
I really don't feel inclined to pay for the call-out fee of a sparky, which would no doubt be £50 plus at least, to get an over-engineered installation just because manufacturer/supplier prefer to cover their backsides by overstating the case. If I've missed a point, however, and this really is required in order to be safe, I will willingly take the appropriate action.
