No plug socket behind washing machine

Bendy_House

Hi Lisa.

Your plan to temporarily use an extension cable is seemingly NOT ok. It goes against the best advice, and also W/M manufacture's instructions. It could also put your insurance at risk should anything go wrong.

It would help us to see what switches you have above your worktop, and what they control - and whether there are appliances associated with them under the w/top. Could you take some pics, please?

There remains the possibility that the cable outlet point can be adapted for use with a washing machine (perhaps, in an unusual way, it was before), but there are certain things that would need to be checked and altered to do this properly, and this requires either a competent DIYer, or a sparky.

Given some pics as requested above, this could become more clear.

daveyjp

Have you checked inside the kitchen cupboards around the washing machine?   Thats where the sockets for all my kitchen appliances are fitted.

Section62

Bendy_House said:

Your plan to temporarily use an extension cable is ok....

No, it isn't.

Appliances drawing high currents (e.g. washing machines/tumble dryers) should never be operated with an extension cable.

More to the point, there should be no need to do so.  It appears this space has been probably been provided for a washing machine, the plumbing is there for one, so it ought to be a case of just finding where the electrical power supply point is.

Rather than a 'cooker', I suspect the electrical outlet plate has been provided for connecting a washing machine, perhaps powered via a FSU above the worktop.

The OP is in a rented property and has limited electrical knowledge, so should either ask the landlord, or get a professional electrician to investigate.  This isn't a DIY project.

Bendy_House

Section62 said:

Bendy_House said:

Your plan to temporarily use an extension cable is ok....

No, it isn't.

Appliances drawing high currents (e.g. washing machines/tumble dryers) should never be operated with an extension cable.

Most - all? - current W/Ms have 2kW heating elements, so around 2.3kW in total going flat out.

I agree is ain't ideal, but hey.

I did miss the fact it's a rented accommodation, so - yes - I'd contact the LL to sort this.

FreeBear

Bendy_House said:

Section62 said:

Bendy_House said:

Your plan to temporarily use an extension cable is ok....

No, it isn't.

Appliances drawing high currents (e.g. washing machines/tumble dryers) should never be operated with an extension cable.

Most - all? - current W/Ms have 2kW heating elements, so around 2.3kW in total going flat out.

I agree is ain't ideal, but hey.

All the WM instruction manuals I've read have a warning not to use with an extension lead. So I would concur with Section62.

I also recall a thread here (a few years back) of someone running a WM in the middle of their recently completed kitchen and was using an extension lead... Short version of the story: House burnt down, fire brigade identified the extension lead/WM plug as the probable source of fire. House insurers refused to pay out, WM manufacturer rejected the claim.

Do NOT run a washing machine with an extension lead, even a short one.

Bendy_House

Gulp - fair do's!

Bendy_House

FreeBear said:

All the WM instruction manuals I've read have a warning not to use with an extension lead. Of course they'll say this. So I would concur with Section62.

I also recall a thread here (a few years back) of someone running a WM in the middle of their recently completed kitchen and was using an extension lead... Short version of the story: House burnt down, fire brigade identified the extension lead/WM plug as the probable source of fire. House insurers refused to pay out, WM manufacturer rejected the claim. And there will almost certainly be more to that story than your summary. Eg, the extension lead was faulty, or not used in the correct manner (eg coiled up, with a 3kW load). The W/M co. likely rejected the claim 'cos I presume it wasn't the W/M that was at fault?

Do NOT run a washing machine with an extension lead, even a short one.

Fair do's - OP I completely retract my earlier comment - in fact will now change it.

But, we all know that a 2kW load on an extension lead should be fine. If it isn't, then we are in all sorts of bother whenever we use one.

lis1320

Section62 said:

The OP is in a rented property and has limited electrical knowledge, so should either ask the landlord, or get a professional electrician to investigate.  This isn't a DIY project.

We’ve contacted the estate agents who have left a message with the landlord. Hopefully there is a simple solution my fiancé and I failed to spot so far, or they’ll send an electrician to actually figure it out. 

We only realised something was wrong then the delivery man from AO couldn’t connect the washing machine because there was no plug socket near. Him and my partner looked around for a socket nearby but to no avail. 

@Bend@Bendy_House we are not currently at the property but can get photos in a few days.

travis-powers

FreeBear said:

Bendy_House said:

Section62 said:

Bendy_House said:

Your plan to temporarily use an extension cable is ok....

No, it isn't.

Appliances drawing high currents (e.g. washing machines/tumble dryers) should never be operated with an extension cable.

Most - all? - current W/Ms have 2kW heating elements, so around 2.3kW in total going flat out.

I agree is ain't ideal, but hey.

All the WM instruction manuals I've read have a warning not to use with an extension lead. So I would concur with Section62.

I also recall a thread here (a few years back) of someone running a WM in the middle of their recently completed kitchen and was using an extension lead... Short version of the story: House burnt down, fire brigade identified the extension lead/WM plug as the probable source of fire. House insurers refused to pay out, WM manufacturer rejected the claim.

Do NOT run a washing machine with an extension lead, even a short one.

We had a small fire because of this!

Section62

Bendy_House said:

BUT, we all know that a 2kW load on an extension lead should be fine. If it isn't, then we are in all sorts of bother whenever we use one.

That depends entirely on the rating of the extension lead.

Also, the heating element may be rated at 2kW, but what about the motor?  Which may be rated at say 500W, but can draw more when starting, which they do rather a lot of in a washing machine.

The power rating is also only one factor that needs to be considered.  You suggested unwinding a long extension lead so it doesn't get warm, but that does nothing (of any significance) to reduce the resistance of that length of cable, and thus the volt-drop which will occur drawing high currents through a longer length of small-csa cable.

The manufacturers (and fire services) say don't do it because they know what they are talking about.

The advice should be simple and straighforward.  Never use a high power appliance (washing machine/tumble dryer/dishwasher etc) on an extension lead.  And use extreme caution when using an extension lead for anything else.