Cooker Extractor Hood electrics

Ant555

Hi,

We are about to install a new kitchen.

I'll need a bit of electric work doing by an electrician, whichever one I choose may know the answer anyway, but my question is where I should install the socket for the cooker hood.

Ive not got one now so its a new install.

Would it be exactly behind the hood 'chimney' or to one side - does it matter? (Its going to vent outside so there will be a tube running above the wall units)

My kitchen is not as big as this but I think the hood arrangement would be something like the picture in this link with the vent running towards the window wall
http://www.rural-lifestyle.co.uk/images/Properties/riverdene/0964_336_Kitchen_B_Riverdene_JackBridge_HX7.jpg


Many Thanks

MoneyMate

Hi, when I fitted ours it had a 3 pin plug on the cable from the extractor so we mounted a single socket above and to the right of the hood.
If mounted inside the hood you could have all sorts of problems with heat & condensation.
Hope all goes well :beer:

Jonesya

As it is a fixed appliance and the socket would be inaccessible behind the covers you might be better having an fused connection unit (FCU) at work-top level supplying a flex-outlet behind the cooker hood cover.

That way you can easily isolate supplies, say when away or for maintenance etc and the flex outlet should be a more reliable connection than a plug/socket.

ryder72

If your hood is supplied with moulded plug tops, be wary of cutting them off to hardwire them. Some manufacturers can be funny with this sort of thing and even invalidate the warranty.

I would socket near the hood (where depends on the make/model) with a fused spur to isolate the hood. A service technican should be able to isolate it to service the product and a fused spur would allow the fuse to blow on the spur rather than the plug should something go wrong with the electrics.

fluffpot

I agree with Jonesya - this is the best option. Although if the hood is vented then there will be no grease on the chimney (it will all be in the duct) so you could fit a socket hidden in the chimney - not ideal as if the fuse in the plug goes then you have to dismantle the chimney to change it

Don't fit the socket to one side - it looks terrible with a bit of flex running out of the chimney. It could of course sit on top of the wall units as another option...

Ant555

Thanks for all the replies.

The electrician came round at the weekend and to cut a long story short i'm getting a new consumer unit, a dedicated socket/fuse/switch for my electric cooker and a new mains ring specifically for the kitchen on its own fuse in the box.

The bottom line is that I am 'all in' so am having sockets put where I want - this means the cooker hood can be mounted free on the wall and doesn;t have to have a bridge between the cupboards.

Like this http://www.armaghelectrical.com/acatalog/rangemaster_classic_chimney_cooker_hood.jpg

I'm probably going for a switch/isolator above the cupboards and a strategically placed outlet on the wall behind the chimney bit (as already mentioned its vented out, presumably through a flexible hose) although I am still a little bothered about condensation etc.
The kitchen company are supplying and putting in the appliances so my guarantee is with them so should be no issue them cutting off the plug.