Blanked off electrical socket

Martuk67

Hi Guys

Wondering if anyone can help please.....
My Mum had an old cooker socket blanked off when she had the kitchen done about 20 years ago as it wasn't needed. She has just bought a new gas cooker and this has a plug for the igniter. Am wondering if I can now use the socket for the igniter plug ? Wires are still in surface mounted box, with terminal blocks on the end and taped up. There are 6 wires a large and small of each, red, black and yellow/green, each colour large and small wired to their own terminal block, so 3 blocks.
Is it possible to re-use this socket, and if I can do I need to get a cooker faceplate or just an ordinary socket and any help at how to wire greatly appreciated
Thanks

Browntoa

Have you checked that the cables still live with a meter ?

Martuk67

Hi Browntoa thanks , no I haven't but from memory pretty sure that the guy didn't disconnect as if he did we would have got rid of the surface mounted box as redecorated as well. Also terminal blocks taped up, would he bother doing that if cables were disconnected ?

Le_Kirk

If it was the big box with a socket and a red switch for the cooker, it is likely that the thicker wires were for the cooker and the thinner for the socket. Still needs checking out between socket and CU with a multi-meter as advised

Martuk67

Le_Kirk, thanks yes I believefrom memory it was one of those with the big red switch and a socket like you describe, and that also describes the wires I have found. Not being dismissive of any the advice to check the wires are still live and get you are all only advising because of safety etc., all I have done at the moment is turn off the power and take the blank faceplate off to see what was behind. Don't currently have a multi meter assume I can get from DIY chains etc ? Just really wanting to know if in theory it is possible to do or not before buying anything , because if it requires a more complex job for a professional will probably just leave it as it is and leave blanked off.

victor2

Wiring up a socket in a kitchen is a job for a qualified electrician. It does sound like an easy job to just put a socket back there, so shouldn't cost much.

Ectophile

At a guess, the bigger wires are the cooker feed, and the thinner ones are going on to something else - perhaps another socket or an extractor fan.

You can do the work yourself if you are competent to do so. That is incredibly vague, but that's the rules.

Martuk67

Ectophile thanks, there isn't an extractor fan and not sure if they would go to another socket. I remember she had new sockets put in when the kitchen was done but they were on the other side of the kitchen. She is in a top floor flat so no access to loft and concrete floor and sure there wasn't any major works chasing wise done at the time. When you say competent do you mean qualified in electrics ? Obviously I'm not but as such a small job hoping to be able to do it myself .

C_Mababejive

Commonly, electric cooker supplies would have a 30amp supply for the cooker on its own circuit back to the consumer unit. Some would also have a pair of cables off the ring main for a plug socket which would be incorporated into the unit.

You cannot connect the cooker to the 30 amp cooker supply !

If there are a couple of ring main cables or even a single one,well you could put a plug socket on it.

If your not sure, get an electrician in. Better safe than sorry.

Le_Kirk

C_Mababejive wrote: »

You cannot connect the cooker to the 30 amp cooker supply!

Not sure I understand the logic behind that statement. Are you saying the cables might not be big enough (gauge wise)?

Grenage

If the cooker doesn't have its own circuit (probably not in this case), then it will probably be either part of a ring, or a radial to the kitchen. Sounds like the sparky just maintained the circuit using connector blocks.

You can get a good idea where the power is coming from by checking the cables with a multimeter to see if live, then turning off the circuits one at a time at your fuse box, and checking the cables again each time.

I'd personally just put a socket in - it's only an igniter. If in doubt, get a sparky in.