Connecting a 4.6kW double oven Ask questions and find answers to many subjects relating to electrics and electrical work

[NickQ]

I have just ordered a NEFF U1422 fitted double oven to be installed in my kitchen which is currently being fitted. The brochure says it has a 'total connected load' of 4.6kW. My kitchen fitter initially said fan ovens can run off a normal 13a plug but the website says this cooker must be hardwired.

I have a 30 amp fuse in my (rather elderly) fusebox which I assume is a for a cooker circuit but there is no evidence of a cooker point in my kitchen. My old gas cooker just ran off a 13 amp plug.

I'm assuming the new oven will therefore need to be hardwired. Am I right to assume there will be a 30 amp circuit somewhere in my kitchen (because there's a 30 amp fuse in my fusebox) and does an oven with the above rating have to be wired into this circuit?

Thanks

[ericmark]

4.6Kw = 20 amp so will need hard wire. Old houses would have 4 fuses 6 amp lights 16 amp immersion heater 30 amp ring main and 30 amp cooker. If the cooker was unused very likely the supply now feeds something else. Since ring main will use 30 amp you would have 2 x 30 if there was a supply to the cooker.

[rosebery]

Your "kitchen fitter" really should know that you can't run a double oven off a 13A plug!! Single oven yes in many cases. Double no.

Good job you checked the website IMHO.

Cheers

[NickQ]

Thanks ericmark and rosebery. You've been very helpful. In his favour, my "kitchen fitter" is more of a builder who does good plastering and tiling and other general stuff but I don't think he's fitted a lot of kitchens before and he prefers to pass on the gas and electrical side of things.

My fuse box has only 3 fuses. A 30a ring main (I guess) and two 5a fuses - this is in a 1960s purpose built flat. So I don't appear to have a dedicated cooker circuit at all.

My problem now, is I'm midway through fitting a kitchen which will include an oven that's not likely to work. Next week I have worktop templaters arriving and the following week they fit the worktops. Is it likely I can find a good electrician who can come in next week and fit a new consumer unit and a dedicated cooker circuit? Short of thumbing through Yellow Pages and taking pot luck how do you go about finding a good guy at short notice? I've already emailed one contact through this website and am waiting for a response.

[ericmark]

Oh dear you may have a problem. Because of changing regulations and Part P regulations electricians have been given more work than normal to get jobs completed before July1st and industrial electricians not being registered under Part P are loathed to undertake domestic work. I would think you will require a new consumer unit. With 3 fuses it is unlikely that any other option would be sensible. With so few circuits this should be easy but also with so few circuits the wiring is likely to be old. Even with the old regulations an earth leakage trip would normally be fitted to the sockets and with the new regulations in the main, everything is feed through earth leakage. These earth leakage unit protect you the user but on an old house high light faults which may have been there for years but now will need fixing or you can’t physically turn the power on. I would think the work could even involve a partial re-wire so fitting a kitchen before a re-wire would be daft. I would strongly advise you get an electrician in before you continue and find out exactly what is involved before you continue with kitchen re-fit. If you telephone electricians should they not be able to do the work they may recommend someone else in the area. Also visit the electrical suppliers they will normally know who are the good electricians in the area. Your builder may also be able to help. Part P does not stop those electricians who are industrial from working on your house it just means they have extra cost of paying fee to building control (Council) if you do use someone not registered make sure you have agreed on who will contact building control no good at the end of the job there is nothing to say he must do it and if he does not you as the house owner are responsible. Again talk to you builder he may be able to help the job may already be registered with building control. You will find link to Part P on projects section. I would normally say only use a Part P registered electrician but with your time constraints you may not have the option. I would insist on 17th Edition compliant rather than old 16th Edition (both valid at moment) but you may find you have other problems that stop that again ask the electrician about what you can or can’t do to make it easier in the future. For example he may fit latest triple split board but only connect to old regulations because of existing faults in the house but at lease you can then slowly repair things without needing to replace the board a second time.
I know it seems a lot but better you know now than spend money then find you have unexpected bills on top.