Single oven & electricity regs

Yorkie1

At some point in the not too distant future I will have to replace my single oven, which is built under the gas hob. It's probably around 10-12 years old.

It plugs into a 13A socket and there isn't an isolator switch nearby.

Can anyone advise whether the current electrical regs require an isolator switch to be fitted if I replace the oven with another one which plugs into a 13A socket? (As opposed to good practice).

If they do require it, are there any specific requirements as to where it is located?

I have had one sparky come out who has proposed siting it proud of the wall (so as to avoid recessing it into the wall / removing tiles but involving making a hole in the worktop for the wire) at worktop level and more-or-less next to the hob. I have very little worktop space so this would be an inconvenience if it had to be placed there rather than further away.

phill99

I fit kitchens for a living and we fit many single ovens. The electrician I use who signs off all the appropriate certificates is adamant that a 13a plug in oven does not need an isolator switch.

It's only if an oven is over 3kw requiring a dedicated circuit that an isolator needs installing. When we have installed double ovens, we have put the isolator in the cupboard adjacent to the oven. Again, the electrician is happy to do this and issue certificates as appropriate.



Get another electrician.

Yorkie1

Thanks phill99.

That's reassuring.

Now all I need to do is get a gas person out to quote for moving (or recessing into the wall) the gas pipe which goes up behind the oven to the hob.

Owing to the pipe, the depth of the oven cavity is 535mm and all ovens are now 550mm deep minimum ... grrr!

Ectophile

If the oven is plugged into a 13A socket, and you want to isolate it, then just pull the plug out. That assumes that the socket isn't hidden behind the oven.

[Deleted User]

Yorkie1 wrote: »

Owing to the pipe, the depth of the oven cavity is 535mm and all ovens are now 550mm deep minimum ... grrr!

My kitchen is very old and I had a new oven a few years ago after the old one broke and it sticks out a bit. Not ideal but I live with it short of shelling out for a new kitchen.

It also has a 13A plug on it but the old one was wired in on it's own circuit with an isolator switch. I had someone just put a 13A socket onto the end of the wire for the oven.

mttylad

If the socket does not have a switch in it can you get it swapped for one that does?

plumb1_2

Yes, under 3kw they don't need a separate isolator switch. And you will find most new single oven don't come with a flex now.

almeria1

We bought a Hotpoint oven from John Lewis last year- came with fitted plug- just a simple case of pull old oven out of the kitchen unit and slot the new one in and switch it on. Just one point- as I understood the socket should not be behind the oven in the unit but should be easily accessible- in case of emergency.

Yorkie1

Hmm, I wouldn't say that the present socket is 'easily' accessible. It's at the back of a cupboard behind cake tins ...