We are converting a couple of flats, and I am having great trouble persuading the architect not to specify a 30 amp spur for the single oven. (The hobs will be gas.) We'll obviously choose an oven under 3Kw, so it can just be plugged into the ring main. Is there anywhere I can refer the architect to so as to convince him?
In message , GB writes
It would be useful for someone in the future that wanted to cook electric though.
>In article , GB scribeth thus
Tell him I said it can be done as we've had that on a go at a rented property for sometime with no problems. You could put the oven on a fused spur off the main I suppose. In fact the makers manual may well say use a 13 amp socket..
What do Architects know about electric's, I ask you;!...
My though straightaway. Induction hobs will likely be the first choice for many (even if not yours) and having the issue of putting in another circuit would be a big pain. Surely the cost of the 30A radial (I assume, rather than spur) will not be that great at this stage?
Welcome to the real world. It's not one that an archirect lives in.
I would rather spend a full week at work with an apprentice than spend 2 minutes with an architect.
Architects are worse than paedophilles.
+1 - I think your architect is right. The kitchen is a power hungry area and to add to the load by including the oven is poor design - legitimate no doubt, but poor design. Ovens from my experience aren't that secure an electrical environment - that is I've had to undertake several repairs on ovens, and the last thing you want is a failure taking out a whole ring main.
Don't be penny pinching and put in a 30A radial. Rob
A double oven usually only need a 16A supply.
I don't think the issue is so much the oven but the flexibility of putting in an electric hob in future.
I know. At it should be so easy to put the 6mm in now.
I had to install an aerial in London a few years ago on a new office building to provide coverage of quite a large site. The architect refused point blank to have it on the outside of the building, it had to go inside a lift motor room, because it wouldn't look nice. No amount of explanation of the laws of radio propagation through re-enforced concrete would get him to change his mind.
No, it didn't work properly, but the architect was happy :-(
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In general, it's not a good idea to have large fixed appliances on the ring main. It only takes one or two more and the system is fully loaded. So really he's right.
I refitted (including rewiring) my kitchen 11 years ago. I laid a high current dedicated supply for the cooker, but for the moment it's still a free standing gas cooker which requires a supply only for the spark ignition, so the flex outlet was fitted instead as a 13A socket, with the cooker plugged in and a 1A fuse in the plug ;-)
I'd say in this instance he's right. Kitchens can be very power hungry, and adding an oven to a single final circuit ring might just be too much - if the kitchen has lots of other appliances.
an oven is not really a "large fixed appliance" in this context. It will only draw full load for 10 mins or so until up to temperature, and then cycle on its thermostat.
Is the 1A fuse ASTA certified:-)?
No, because there aren't any certified 1A ones, and yes I know it's a PAT test failure. ;-)
Space heaters and water heaters in >20 litre tanks (and instant showers) are the only things you're likely to find in a house which are "large [in terms of power] fixed appliance".
Whilst there are plenty of other appliances which can draw 3kW, none of them have a high duty cycle. If they did, you'd have the problem of how you got rid of all the heat they generated.
Go on then. Why did you fit the 1A fuse? What's wrong with the 3A ones?
Nevertheless, if they all happened to come on at once the mcb could trip.
Or 2A for that matter...
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