Replacing ceramic hob

[Chris Adams]

I want to replace an old 1990s Siemens ceramic hob with a new one (Siemens ET 651HE17E).

The brochure says it needs a hole in the worktop of 560 mm x 490-500 mm. The hole in our worktop is a few millimetres smaller than this.

It's difficult to measure exactly because I have to bend double with torch and tape, and never get the same darned measurement twice.

The old hob is a Siemens ET 72020/02. It needed a hole of 560 mm (plus or minus 3 mm) x 488 mm (plus or minus 3 mm).

Does anyone know how much tolerance these hobs will take? What are the chances the new one will fit?

Cheers, Chris Adams.

[Michael Chare]

Making the hole bigger is much easier than making it smaller. Just make sure that there is nothing to get in the way.

Can you not just lift the existing hob up enough to measure the whole more accurately.

If it was me the replacement would be an induction hob.

[Chris Adams]

Unfortunately, the frame is stuck down with some kind of sealant.

Induction hubs seem to be the way everyone is going, but they are more expensive and this is a rented flat, so I'm replacing like-with-like.

[fred]

In article , Chris Adams writes

The simple answer is suck it and see.

You'll need to remove the old one no matter what.

Offer up the new one dry to see if it fits and see how much slop there is in the fit.

Have a jigsaw ready to make any slight adjustments required on the day and fit the new one.

If you don't have a jigsaw, what are you doing here ;-)

[newshound]

Well he *could* use a sanding disk on an angle grinder!

[Michael Chare]

IIRC my previous hob was held in by clips on the underside that had to be released.

[Chris Adams]

Don't have the new hob yet. I thought I'd find out about the fit before I bought it.

The worktop is marble.

Asking for advice. That OK?

[Chris Adams]

My present one too. In fact, those clips must take up a few millimetres, which is worth remembering.

[harryagain]

You have to take the old one out in any event so do it now and measure properly. You might find the "sealant" is just dried on gunge. Mind you don't break the marble with excessive levering, it's quite weak.

To make the hole bigger, angle grinder and diamond disk. Marble is quite soft. Try and avoid making a sharp corner which could start a crack in marble

If the hole is significantly oversize, you will have to go for a different hob.

[Brian Gaff]

Yes, less hot bits. But do you not have to have special pans etc for those?

Brian

[polygonum]

You need pans that have the right attributes - but that does not necessarily mean "special". Lots of pans are OK.

[ARW]

Did you not see the ;-) . Take this as friendly and not an insult. That OK:-)?

Anyway it's a marble worktop (you failed to mention that bit of info) so a jigsaw is the wrong tool. And ALL posters on this newsgroup know the correct tool for this job if you need to make the hole bigger for the new hob.

Cheers

[Michael Chare]

Not copper bottomed!

[polygonum]

Some copper bottomed

||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_--_-

(Gawd knows what that link will do!)

[Tim+]

Seem cheap enough. I think I'll just replace all of mine. ;-)

Not quite sure if there's any logic to using copper pans (to aid conduction) when you're using an induction hob. Heating is so damn fast anyway.

Tim

[polygonum]

And the heat is arriving *** above *** the copper layer. So the effect if the copper will be to conduct heat away from the interior of the pan, and down onto the hob surface. A relatively cool hob is a definite advantage of induction hobs...

I think I'll get a new set every year to save having to scrub them up again. :-)

[Michael Chare]

A set of pans that costs more than an induction hob!

[fred]

Sure, tell half a story, get half baked advice . . . . .