Can I wire in 2 appliances into the same fused spur?

Aubrey_Thicket

I am close to finishing the total renovation of a terraced house. The house has literally been rewired from top to bottom by a professional electrician company. They have since certified the works and left. However, since they have left I have found a tiny problem created by myself only. It was me who told the company where to install the sockets etc but one of them is creating me a problem. So, the kitchen has a brand new fitted kitchen with a brand new built in electric oven and GAS hob directly above it. The actual cooker is wired in to a fused sour out of site underneath the worktop. Above the worktop there’s a socket face with a thick Red switch on that says ‘Cooker’. So, all is well and good up to now. However, next to that fused spur (hidden away underneath the worktop in the void where the cooker sits) is a standard 2 gang plug socket. The only thing plugged into this 2 gang plug socket is the power lead for the GAS hob ignition. If I pull this plug out then the ignition on the hob doesn’t work. This power lead plug is causing problems because I cannot push the cooker all the way back in its void. Simply, the plug sticks out too much to allow the cooker to slide right back. If I pull the plug out the cooker fits perfect. So, my question is... can I simply cut the plug off this hob and simply wire it into that cooker fused spur so that the cooker and hob ignition are on the same fused spur? I wouldn’t dream of fiddling with dangerous electrics but my mind tells me that because the only use of this wire is simply the occasional hob ignition burst (ie, there’s no prolonged draw on it) this may be OK?? I know I could easily cut the plug off, drill a hole in the brand new worktop and feed the wire up, refit the plug and power it from a socket above the worktop but I’d rather not. If I am able to do what I am suggesting here I am confident of carrying this job out given that this is a total rewire with anew switched consumer unit etc.
I know there is a huge difference in money saving by doing small jobs at home myself and being reckless with electrics but at the end of the day I wouldn’t call out an electrician to change a plug on my bedside lamp or indeed to change the wire on the table lamp. I may be wrong but to me this is a simple job with no real risk of injury or danger unless you guys tell me otherwise and if that is the case I’ll call in the electricians again.

martinthebandit

I'm no electrician but I would be very wary of wiring the hob into the cooker spur, if for no other reason than the fuse for the spur will be much bigger than safe for the cooker ignition.

I might be tempted to wire it straight into the plug socket though.

Hasbeen

No! The cooker has a higher rated fuse than the hob.


You can however cut the plug off and wire direct as per below it should be enough to get oven back.

https://www.switch-lighting.co.uk/click-scolmore-mode-13a-switched-spur-and-neon-with-optional-flex-outlet-cma052_15508?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzMuOlvjJ4QIV1-FRCh2OjgtMEAQYBSABEgIqGvD_BwE

Apodemus

I’m with Martin on this. The socket is unusable anyway, so get the faceplate changed and get the gas cooker wired directly...all done by a suitably qualified electrician of course!

neilmcl

Does it not fit if you use both sides of the socket?

If not then you need to get it moved so it's usable.

Hasbeen

neilmcl wrote: »

Does it not fit if you use both sides of the socket?

If not then you need to get it moved so it's usable.

If put in only for hob at that level then it will be a single socket.

Yes it can be moved, sparkie to wire in, blank faceplate, extend cable, new socket in a place that is suitable/reachable. ££££££


Or wire direct DIY job for most? £ its like fitting a plug and perfectly acceptable

scottishblondie

Hasbeen wrote: »

If put in only for hob at that level then it will be a single socket.

Yes it can be moved, sparkie to wire in, blank faceplate, extend cable, new socket in a place that is suitable/reachable. ££££££


Or wire direct DIY job for most? £ its like fitting a plug and perfectly acceptable

Aubrey_Thicket wrote: »

However, next to that fused spur (hidden away underneath the worktop in the void where the cooker sits) is a standard 2 gang plug socket. The only thing plugged into this 2 gang plug socket is the power lead for the GAS hob ignition.

I would do away with the socket faceplate and hardwire the hob into it, much easier than moving the socket. Absolutely do not wire it into the fused spur for the cooker.

FreeBear

Is this double socket flush mounted or surface mounted ?


I have a socket behind my oven, and it slides all the way into the opening without any problem.


If the socket is flush mounted, then I would also go with the fused & switched faceplate to replace the socket. Alternatively, chase out the wall below the worktop and fit a single gang box & fused outlet in a position that would allow the oven to slide all the way back. Replace the standard 13A fuse with something more appropriate for the hob (no more than 3A).

Owain_Moneysaver

You can't usually wire two flexes into one spur outlet - the cable clamp won't take it.

You can't put a single faceplate on a double backbox without leaving wires exposed.

Personally I would chase out from the existing double backbox a short way, fit a grommet to the backbox, run 2.5mm cable to a new fused spur a short distance away (flush or surface mount as most convenient), and wire the hob into that. Then blank off the double box with a blanking plate.

Another option may be to replace the existing oven 'fused spur' with a
https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/AA45DCOP.html
which will take 2 outgoing cables, to hob and oven. However that will not provide fuse protection to the hob which might need to be fused down to 3 amp. It's also deeper than a normal spur outlet but not as deep as a socket+plug.

neilmcl

Hasbeen wrote: »

If put in only for hob at that level then it will be a single socket.

But it will fix your immediate issue, no? What else are using the other empty socket for?

bris

Most just add a single surface mounted box and wire it into the cooker outlet and put it on the floor. Having the oven and hob on the same circuit is the done thing.


I am surprised though because it must be a surface mounted box so the electrician should have worked out the clearance before installing it, it's not as if they don't know about these clearances, or at least they should.