New circuit for kitchen?

[Erichsonb]

Hi,

Need a bit of advice with regards to my kitchen rewire -

Currently my 2 bed flat has only 1 30amp ring main, and one 30amp cooker circuit (and light circuit of course).

I've had about 5 different guys in to quote for installing additional sockets for integrated appliances, adding a power supply for an extractor and adding some additional sockets along the worktop length etc. I intend to use the cooker circuit for an induction hob and the ring main for everything else.

3/5 have said fine, no problems. 2/5 have said that I really need to install a new circuit exclusively for the kitchen - only problem with this is that I've got solid concrete floors so that will probably be a tricky and expensive job.

I appreciate that in a new build you'd have separate circuits for everything, but in an older, 2 bed flat like mine, is it worth installing the additional circuit?

Any comments much appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Spoon]

Does you CU have RCD protection?
If you are getting more sockets put into your kitchen for extra appliances then this may overload the 30A protection.

 

[Erichsonb]

I am getting the CU replaced as part of the work so yes, it will have rcd protection.

 

[Richard Burns]

Overall so long as you do not have lots of power hungry appliances in the kitchen then you should be OK. A two bed flat will not generally have lots of people using lots of things simultaneously.
Ideally it would be the best practice to have a new circuit for the kitchen, but in your case where the work is prohibitively expensive, so long as you are aware of the limitation you should be OK, presumably you do not have electric heaters run off the socket circuit as well.
It might be worth considering if it would be less inconvenience to make such a change at this time than if you needed to change it later.

 

[Octopus]

How many circuits does the flat have ?

 

[Pete999]

How many circuits does the flat have ?

3 acording to post 1

 

[Jonathan Burnside]

Upstairs flat easy job

 

[Octopus]

So a metal clad RCBO board is the ONLY option for a new CU

 

[Pete999]

Hi,

Need a bit of advice with regards to my kitchen rewire -

Currently my 2 bed flat has only 1 30amp ring main, and one 30amp cooker circuit (and light circuit of course).

I've had about 5 different guys in to quote for installing additional sockets for integrated appliances, adding a power supply for an extractor and adding some additional sockets along the worktop length etc. I intend to use the cooker circuit for an induction hob and the ring main for everything else.

3/5 have said fine, no problems. 2/5 have said that I really need to install a new circuit exclusively for the kitchen - only problem with this is that I've got solid concrete floors so that will probably be a tricky and expensive job.

I appreciate that in a new build you'd have separate circuits for everything, but in an older, 2 bed flat like mine, is it worth installing the additional circuit?

Any comments much appreciated.

Thanks

Any access above the ceiling?

 

[Erichsonb]

Yes, access to loft space above. Metal clad RCBO board? I don't think any of the guys who have come to quote have mentioned this?

 

[davesparks]

In a 2 bed flat it is unlikely that more than one ring circuit is necessary from a loading point of view.

 

[Pete999]

Yes, access to loft space above. Metal clad RCBO board? I don't think any of the guys who have come to quote have mentioned this?

What sort of fuse board is already installed, could be you don't actually need a new one, that's why they didn't quote for one.

 

[Wilko]

Hi - is there gas for central heating and hot water, or is this electric too?

 

[Erichsonb]

It is a communal heating system, so no electricity required for heating or hot water

 

[Erichsonb]

What sort of fuse board is already installed, could be you don't actually need a new one, that's why they didn't quote for one.

Sorry got a bit confused about this - it is an old 1980s board with wired fuses so will definitely need replacing. They have quoted for this and it will be a metal clad unit.

 

[Erichsonb]

Sorry got a bit confused about this - it is an old 1980s board with wired fuses so will definitely need replacing. They have quoted for this and it will be a metal clad unit.

With RCD protection

 

[Erichsonb]

Sorry got a bit confused about this - it is an old 1980s board with wired fuses so will definitely need replacing. They have quoted for this and it will be a metal clad unit.

With RCD protection

 

[Adam W]

It will have to be metal clad to comply with the latest regulations.
There are two ways of providing RCD protection - to have a split load board with 2 RCDs and the circuits split across them, or to have each circuit controlled by a combined RCD and MCB (RCBO); since you've only got 3 circuits it makes sense to have them all on RCBOs.

 

[DPG]

I'd go with RCBOS. If nothing else it will keep Murdoch happy

 

[Pete999]

I'd go with RCBOS. If nothing else it will keep Murdoch happy

Fat chance