Wiring in gas cooker

TheTopdog

I have just taken delivery of a new gas cooker. It has a standard 13amp plug. The previous gas cooker had its standard 13 amp plug plugged into a socket above the work surface. In the cavity that the old cooker came from there is an electric connection box that has a corresponding oven switch above the work surface. Can I remove the 13 amp plug from the new cooker and hard wire it into that electric connection box. That would then give me a free socket above the work surface.
Any advice would be appreciated.

SHAFT

If you hardwire it what size fuze is protecting it at the consumer unit? It won't be 13 amp.

shaun_from_Africa

TheTopdog wrote: »

Can I remove the 13 amp plug from the new cooker and hard wire it into that electric connection box.

No.
The purpose of the fuse in the 13A plug is to protect the lead should there be a problem with the appliance that it is connected to and if you hard wire the lead to the connection box, you will lose this protection.
The box you mention will be for the direct connection of a cooker/oven and will probably be fed from a breaker of at least 32A so if there is a problem with your new cooker, the lead may well melt/catch fire before the breaker tripped or fuse blew.

Your best bet would be to connect up to the existing socket at the moment and get an electrician in to see about getting a new socket fitted in the cavity.

Ganga

Could they not change the fuse in the box to 13 amp and mark the box to say why it has a smaller fuse than what would normally be fitted.

SHAFT

Ganga wrote: »

Could they not change the fuse in the box to 13 amp and mark the box to say why it has a smaller fuse than what would normally be fitted.

Which fuse are you talking about?

Risteard

Ganga wrote: »

Could they not change the fuse in the box to 13 amp and mark the box to say why it has a smaller fuse than what would normally be fitted.

No. BS 1361 fuses are not manufactured in 13A variety. These are BS 1362 fuses.

Anyhow, as it is a fixed load it doesn't actually require overload protection. It simply needs to provide fault protection (which it may or may not, depending on the cross-sectional area of the flex, impedance of the supply at that point etc.)

In any case a fused connection unit could be added to provide a 13A fuse at the point of connection.

premkit

It may say 13a on the plug but most gas cookers use a 3 amp fuse, as it draws very little power. You could change the cooker outlet to a fused connection with the right fuse in it.

Risteard

premkit wrote: »

It may say 13a on the plug but most gas cookers use a 3 amp fuse, as it draws very little power. You could change the cooker outlet to a fused connection with the right fuse in it.

And yes, I meant to state this. A simple ignitor for the gas is almost invariably on a 3A BS 1362 fuse.

Ganga

What i was thinking about was replacing the main fuse in the cosumer unit with a lower value fuse (3/5 amp )and then they could use the dedicated outlet normally situated behind the cooker.

snilloct1957

The electrical connection box in the kitchen would be for a hard-wired electric cooker, usually 32 amp, to take the load for 4 rings and an electric oven. Continue to use the 13 amp plug for the gas igniter and the oven light and see if the lead will stretch to another socket close by if you don't want to use the one on the connection box.

newbie1980

i have and will continue to swap the outlet plates for single sockets

this is the best way forward for you