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Cooker switch siting |
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| message from Steve Wilson on 19 May 2004 |
I'm refitting a kitchen and the new hob will be slightly to the right
of the old one. This means that the cooker control switch will now be
partly above the hob, unless it is moved. Are there regs. governing
the relative position of the cooker switch and the hob?
TIA
Steve
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| Christian McArdle replied to Steve Wilson on 20 May 2004 |
You can't do this. Indeed, when I was in Italy, our apartment had just such
an arrangement and right next to the Wok burner too. We manage to melt the
faceplate pretty well, but luckily no-one noticed.
Christian.
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| Bob Eager replied to Christian McArdle on 20 May 2004 |
When we moved in here, there was a built in overn contained in a
floor-to-ceiling unit. No apparent main switch. Eventually found it in
the rear corner of the cupboard ABOVE the oven (at a heaight of about 6
feet, and 600mm back)!
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| Steve Wilson replied to Christian McArdle on 20 May 2004 |
My own house (not the kitchen I am refitting) also has this
arrangement. One side of the faceplate looks a bit like one of those
Dali paintings of the melting watches. It's yet another thing on the
to do list.
Cheers,
Steve
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| Lurch replied to Steve Wilson on 19 May 2004 |
Although I don't know the relative regulations to this it can't be
above it by any amount. It should be at least a couple of inches away,
preferably further.
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| BigWallop replied to Steve Wilson on 19 May 2004 |
Not to close that you get burned if the chip pan goes on fire, and not to far away
that you can't get to it in time if something does catch fire.
Or, in other words, anywhere between 300 and 500 mm away from the side of the hob is
ideal. It is also a god idea to drop a connector unit for the hob / cooker below the
worktop height so all the wiring is hidden away from the worktop area.
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| Steve Wilson replied to BigWallop on 20 May 2004 |
The connector unit arrangement you describe is already in place. The
hassle is that if I move the switch as far as I would like, the
existing wiring won't reach. This means at least some crimping, which
is not my favourite way of joining wires.
Cheers,
Steve
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| BigWallop replied to Steve Wilson on 20 May 2004 |
news:<EaRqc.454$2Q7.4427958@news-text.cableinet.net>...
Crimping is not my cup of tea either, but a new length of 6mm csa' T&E cable won't
break the bank. Safer as well.
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| Steve Wilson replied to BigWallop on 20 May 2004 |
The connector unit arrangement you describe is already in place. The
hassle is that if I move the switch as far as I would like, the
existing wiring won't reach. This means at least some crimping, which
is not my favourite way of joining wires.
Cheers,
Steve
Agreed, but the top of the supply cable disappears into the ceiling
and is joined who knows where, possibly not until it reaches the
consumer unit.
There might be just enough slack in this cable though, so I may get
away with only replacing the cables that drop down to the connector
units.
Cheers,
Steve
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| BigWallop replied to Steve Wilson on 21 May 2004 |
I have my fingers crossed for you. Good luck with it.
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| Martin Angove replied to Steve Wilson on 20 May 2004 |
When you say "slightly to the right" and "partly above the hob", can you
give an idea of actual measurements?
I looked into this fairly recently and discovered that there is nothing
specific in BS7671 about this, other than the usual erection
requirements of safety, fit for purpose etc.
For example 462-01-02 requires that a device for switching off for
mechanical maintenance "shall be suitably located".
The whole "the switch must not be above the cooker" thing is from the
On Site Guide, specifically Appendix 8 (p154 in the blue edition) where
it says:
"The control switch or cooker control unit should be placed within two
metres of the appliance, but not directly above it."
This is only *guidance* as it does not refer back to a specific
regulation.
There is the issue of common sense though - if you have to reach across
a "live" hob in order to switch it off, you may be in some trouble if
you've just spilt fat on the thing and the whole, including the control
knobs, is in flames. Likewise, putting a control unit with socket outlet
over a hob is completely daft as trailing leads will inevitably come too
close to the hob units.
As I said, I have looked into this recently. This is because of some
work I did for a client where I needed to issue a certificate. The
cooker control unit (including socket) was directly above the cooker
(large double oven, six burner range thing) and it would have involved
a lot of disruptive work to the kitchen in order to move it, due to
cables and outlets being buried in plaster and a large tiled splashback.
The mitigating factor is that the clients plan to redecorate the kitchen
"soon" (implying within 12 months) and so, having searched the "regs"
and the OSG, I came to the conclusions I have mentioned and felt able to
sign them off with only a warning rather than a "fail", and an
understanding that they would arrange to have the control unit moved
when they redecorate. I suspect some here may disagree.
Oh yes, and the socket wasn't an issue because there are plenty of other
sockets in the kitchen and this socket isn't ever used, testified by the
lovely build-up of fat gunge :-)
Hwyl!
M.
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| usenet replied to Martin Angove on 21 May 2004 |
However turning it off is probably a pretty pointless exercise in this
situation.
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| BigWallop replied to usenet on 21 May 2004 |
But if it is possible to turn it off while at a safe distance from it, then it makes
sense to turn it off first before you start throwing wet clothes at it.
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| usenet replied to BigWallop on 21 May 2004 |
Why, I really don't see what difference it is going to make, unless
you insist on hanging onto the wet clothes after you've thrown them.
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| G&M replied to Martin Angove on 20 May 2004 |
Does that mean you can put it below the hob - i.e. in the cupboard ?
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| Martin Angove replied to G&M on 20 May 2004 |
Common sense might suggest that that wasn't the best location,
especially since spilt burning oil will probably migrate downwards, but
I really can't see anything specifically outlawing it, and I'm sure
I've seen designer kitchens with the switch mounted directly under the
worktop, though not enclosed in a cupboard.
There's nothing specifically outlawing having the switch on the wall in
the conventional position but enclosed in a locked cupboard, but would
you do it?
I suppose it boils down to the intended purpose of the cooker switch:
It isn't functional switching (despite being called a "control switch")
because there are controls on the cooker for this;
It *is* isolation for maintenance as it is usually the only DP switch in
circuit;
It *might be* emergency switching, as it is certainly more convenient
and possibly safer than making sure six or seven control knobs are all
in their "off" positions, but in that case what about a dual fuel
(gas/electric) cooker?
To borrow from another thread, a competent person might reasonably be
assumed to be able to apply a certain amount of common sense.
HTH
Hwyl!
M.
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| Steve Wilson replied to Martin Angove on 20 May 2004 |
Martin Angove <MJAngove@tridwr.demon.co.uk> wrote >
Height is standard, about 4 inches or so off the worktop. The left
edge of the switch would overhang the hob by maybe 2 inches. I guess
you could reach past the towering chip pan inferno with only light
charring to the back of the hand!
Cheers,
Steve
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