Regulations on cooker wiring

[Digibin]

Hi all. I recently moved to a new house and quickly removed the cooker and bought a new one. I bought the Bosch HBA13B150B which is a 2.9kW unit. The old cooker was plugged into a regular 13A socket on the wall behind the cooker. The electrician who fitted the new cooker just plugged it into this socket as well. My problem is that the new cooker is deeper than the old one and doesn't quite fit into the space. The back of the cooker pushes up against the plug in the wall socket. So if I can I'd like to replace the socket with a fused connection unit as this will allow the cooker to sit slightly deeper and will probably be enough to screw it in properly (it only needs another 5mm or so).

The cooker is on it's own circuit, although this is based only on the fact that there is a circuit breaker labelled 'cooker'. There is also an isolation switch above the counter top in the kitchen, which consists of an isolation switch on one side and a socket and switch on the other. The extractor hood is plugged into the socket here, and I believe the larger isolation switch feeds two regular 13A sockets behind the cooker. One of these is for the cooker and the other is for the gas hob igniter.

So would it be acceptable to replace the two sockets behind the cooker with fused connection units? And if so could I use regular FCUs such as this?

 

[Darkwood]

Welcome to the forum

 

[davesparks]

Just buy an oven which fits in the available space


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[Spoon]

Just buy an oven which fits in the available space

Not very helpful as the OP has already got the cooker.

 

[Digibin]

Not very helpful as the OP has already got the cooker.

Yes, might be slightly cheaper to fit a couple FCUs than buy a new cooker. Is there anything wrong with doing this?

 

[dave274]

get an electrician to put an fcu in and wire it straight into that, don't get the same electrician back though as he should have done this in the first place but probably couldn't be bothered.

 

[telectrix]

or move the socket into or behind adjacent cupboard.

 

[westward10]

Don't see any obvious reason not to fit fcus, is the existing socket flush or surface mounted, if surface you could make space by sinking it into the wall. Check the warranty before you cut the plug off, assuming it came with one.

 

[DPG]

Don't see any obvious reason not to fit fcus, is the existing socket flush or surface mounted, if surface you could make space by sinking it into the wall. Check the warranty before you cut the plug off, assuming it came with one.

Oh dear, here we go again Daz

 

[spary]

Better still don't check warranty, just cut plug off, it won't invalidate anything.
What do you think happens when the plug needs replacing through damage!!!lol

 

[westward10]

There are always some duff lamps in every box children.

 

[telectrix]

There are always some duff lamps in every box children.

we already got a sarky smartarse in northampton (pete999) now we have another. :teeth_smile:

 

[Tink]

get an electrician to put an fcu in and wire it straight into that, don't get the same electrician back though as he should have done this in the first place but probably couldn't be bothered.

I have to agree:smiley2:

 

[westward10]

That is strange I never knew Northampton had capacity for two smartasses:bigcry:

 

[sparksburnout]

Did it actually come with a fitted flex and moulded plug, or has someone fitted their own? At 2.9kW they usually have a termination block. If so and it's on its own circuit why not just fit a CCU and do it properly?

 

[Digibin]

I didn't see exactly what the electrician did, but the cooker has an IEC socket on the rear not terminals. What's the difference between a FCU and CCU - is it just the current rating of the terminals?

 

[davesparks]

I didn't see exactly what the electrician did, but the cooker has an IEC socket on the rear not terminals. What's the difference between a FCU and CCU - is it just the current rating of the terminals?

I hope it has an IEC plug fitted, not a socket! Otherwise you will need a lethally dangerous adapted cable.


A CCU does not have a fuse, an FCU does

 

[Digibin]

Ah yes sorry, I forget that what looks like the plug is actually the female.

If I used a CCU then the circuit would only be fused at the circuit breaker, is that how higher power cookers are fused?

 

[westward10]

The oven would be deemed a fixed load appliance so in theory it is not going to exceed the rating on the plate. As long as the cable satisfies this loading and can withstand any fault current I see no problem. Of course you can reduce the size of protective device at your board if you are worried.

 

[Digibin]

But there's a socket on the isolator switch which is currently powering the extractor hood, but could easily be swapped for anything else. So the circuit isn't really fixed is it?

 

[DPG]

Anything plugged into the socket has a 13A fuse which protects the cable to it. Daz

 

[westward10]

Not sure what you are worried about, the cable for the appliance (cooker), or the cable to the ccu. As Daz points out the socket is protected by the fuse in the inserted plug. The appliance would be deemed a fixed load.

 

[Andy78]

But there's a socket on the isolator switch which is currently powering the extractor hood, but could easily be swapped for anything else. So the circuit isn't really fixed is it?

The socket on the cooker switch unit and its potential use is usually accounted for when the circuit is designed.

 

[David M]

or move the socket into or behind adjacent cupboard.

Makes the most sense, if its possible to achieve. Makes the socket/connection more easily accessible and reduces the chance of the flex being damaged or trapped as the cooker is slid into place.

 

[davesparks]

Ah yes sorry, I forget that what looks like the plug is actually the female.

If I used a CCU then the circuit would only be fused at the circuit breaker, is that how higher power cookers are fused?

Cookers are not fused at all, the fuses installed outside of an appliance are only there to protect the cables, anything internal to the appliance will be protected within the appliance if necessary.

 

[telectrix]

Cookers are not fused at all, the fuses installed outside of an appliance are only there to protect the cables, anything internal to the appliance will be protected within the appliance if necessary.

i think what he meant to say was "is that how cooker circuits are fused?". i.e. no OCPD apart from the origin of the circuit.

 

[Pete999]

we already got a sarky smartarse in northampton (pete999) now we have another. :teeth_smile:

Oi don't tar me with the same brush Tel pleaseeeee

 

[Pete999]

That is strange I never knew Northampton had capacity for two smartasses:bigcry:

Yep and that's me