We've got a new electric oven on the way and so I need to get a 30amp supply into the kitchen.
There are no empty positions on the fuse box (installed when the house was new ~1967) under the stairs.
Since two Jags took time out from his croquet and other pursuits I assume there's nothing I can do myself if I'm not going to risk getting into trouble. So what do I need to look for if I get an electrician in for a quote? Any ball park figures for the potential cost?
TIA
I don't think he'll be watching ...
Mary
Bear in mind that you don't need to pay an electrician to chase out the wall.
I was thinking of running the cable too.
Just an oven? Many of these are only 2.2kW or so (unless it is a double oven) and you may be able to get away with running it on the kitchen ring if not too heavily loaded already... (although a dedicated circuit is usually preferable). What about the hob? is that gas or lekky? If the latter how is that powered?
So then the parts list is likely to include a henley block, a meter or two of new tails, a dinky CU with incomer and a suitable MCB, some
6mm^2[1] T&E, big switch and box to mount it in, hefty cable outlet plate and box... so about £80 quids worth of bits from TLC.You ought to check out your main and EQ bonding in the kitchen - that ought to be brought up to scratch anytime you do this sort of work. That may add another £10 - £30 to the total depending on what is required. (A pro sparks would insist on doing this work as well)
You can do it all yourself... even the cost of a building notice will probably work out significantly cheaper than getting a sparks in if you want to do it totally legit (another £88 would be a good starting bet) and you know what you are doing. Failing that, porky is probably too busy shagging his latest conquest (or perhaps just "us") to bother noticing.
So a DIY solution say £170 all in (with hoops jumped) - or as little as £80 without. Pro sparks I would guess, about £250 minimum depending on the complexity of the cable run.
[1] Might be overkill if you are only feeding one oven over a shortish run, but gives you some more options later.
If the CU is '67 and a fuse type, I'd bite the bullet and replace it with a modern one. Add on units always look a bodge IMHO. Make sure the new one has plenty of spare ways for future expansion or modernisation of the house wiring.
OTOH the OP may be able to safely combine 2 existing circuits to give a fuseway for the shower. Job cost: cable. BTW you dont need equipotential bonding in the kitchen, if a pro spark insists on doing pointless work find another.
NT
Sorry! Should've said double oven.
Gas.
Thanks: just the kind of detail I was hoping for.
Hadn't realised that the notice would be so cheap.
Or, perhaps, both...
Which it is.
Sounds like a good idea. The present one has had fuses replaced with plug in circuit breakers that Management has a habit of tripping when she bungs yet more things in the cupboard!
Just out of interest, how do you totally switch off the electricity to be able to remove the old unit and install a new one?
Turn off all the load, then cut the seal and pull out the main fuse. (You are not supposed to do this as it really belongs to the electricity supplier, but no one ever checks or cares these days it seems)
Depends a bit on what is there... loads of places seem to have half done jobs (probably left overs from the 15th edition). Either completing it or removing it would seem sensible. The main EQ bond to the water service is also usually in the kitchen and this must be present.
Depending on the state of the rest[1], you could also rip and replace the whole CU obviously.
That is the base price for a building notice in this area. Each of the councils seem to have different idears about how much to charge for part P notices. Some will (incorrectly) try to pass extra costs for inspection etc. This can push the price up to over £300. The only way to know for use is to phone em and ask what they charge.
[1] One issue often forgotten when replacing a CU is that many modern CUs are much bigger and often won't fit in the space available.
OTOH the OP may be able to safely combine 2 existing circuits to give a fuseway for the shower. Job cost: cable. BTW you dont need equipotential bonding in the kitchen, if a pro spark insists on doing pointless work find another.
NT
I agree that you do not need to supplementary bond in a kitchen, but any decent electrician will insist on main equipotential bonding before he starts any work. In a 1967 built house that has not had a rewire there is a good chance that the bonding is not in place.
Adam
Tempting to sort this while we're at it.
I'll do that.
Plenty of space (once Management can be persuaded to dispose of the cupboard's contents: original copies of Noah's weather forecast are said to be in there!).
An earth wire clipped onto water pipes? Nah! Nothing like that here!
It gains nothing besides giving you your extra way(s). There is no safety difference between an old CU with retrofitted mcbs and a new one.
OTOH if you fit a new one with an RCD you're likely in for a bundle of trouble. In many cases it is necessary to track down and rewire bits of the existing wiring just to get your power to stay on. Your call as to whether you want a bunch of extra work for not a lot.
NT
I'm not into bunches of extra work and, as it's not broke, I won't be fixing it...
So that's the one with the bit of wire and official looking seal next to the meter, rather than the one under the cover secured by a thumb screw on the consumer unit?
Yup, it will usually be incorporated into the head unit that terminates the incoming cable. From this there is usually a pair of wires (tails) that go to the meter thence consumer unit. Depending on the design of the fuse holder, you may find there is a partially exposed live terminal which you could touch if you poked your finger in there (don't!). In these cases sticking a bit of tape of the opening can a good move. Better fuse holders keep anything live reasonbly well covered.
The cover on the consumer unit (I take it we are talking about an old wylex model here) - like :
If you install a split load unit and only RCD protect the relevant circuits, then you gain a significant improvement in safety (especially if you ever use power tools in the garden and don't have a RCD at present) without too much potential for nuicesence trips.
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