Can gas cooker be fitted into cupbd. unit space?

[windy]

I have a gas cooker fitted into a purpose-made space in a large cupboard unit but it needs to be replaced. The space is 54cm wide x 60cm deep x 163cm high. It is fitted with an small extraction fan.

The cooker is very old and needs replacing anyway and, apart from that, the gas supply has refused to light straightaway, on a couple of occassions recently, which my gas fitter says is because it is in this recess and is being starved of air.

That, I find very difficult to accept, when the cooker has worked impeccably in that position for the past seventeen years without showing any signs of compbustion problems. He also says that it may not permissible to fit a cooker in that position now.

The cooker is going to be replaced, about that there is no doubt, but can anyone advise on the legality of fitting the new one in the same place. The kitchen is very well ventilated and is opposite a large window and internal door, about 2m away, plus another 'picture' window some 4m away.

Windy

[Ash]

Is it just me or since CORGI was replaced by Gas Safe there seem to be more and more queries on gas appliances?

Hi Windy ... try

for some advice on gas cookers ... an extract is below ... I'm sure there's someone more knowledgeable in the Group who'll be able to offer better advice.

Ash Here is a checklist of some of the things to watch out for when fitting a gas hob or free-standing cooker. This list does not include the checks for commissioning.

a.. Follow the instructions supplied by the manufacturer. b.. The appliance must be suitable for the type and pressure of the gas supply. c.. The room must have an openable window or door, direct to outside air d.. The room must either be larger than 5 m3 and have 50 cm2 of ventilation to the outside, or be bigger than 10 m3. e.. The gas supply must included a cut-off for servicing (this is an item even some registered fitters sometimes omit) f.. Avoid siting hobs and cookers next to a window or door where a strong draught might blow out the flame. g.. In the absence of manufacturer's data to the contrary: For hobs, there is an exclusion zone that extends over the hob and a further

50 mm horizontally in every direction along the work surface, and upwards for 760 mm. In this zone, there may be no combustible materials. This usually means there is almost no margin for positioning the hob to avoid the wall cupboards each side. Note that as of autumn 2004 if you fit a 700mm wide hob (usually 5 burner units) then you must have at least 700mm gap or "bridge" in any wall cupboards. For cookers the zone is 20 mm side clearance on the lower part of the cooker (oven sides) and then 150 mm each side for the top part of the cooker (above the level of the burners and pan supports). The upper zone extends vertically to either 610 mm above the top of the cooker if it has an eye-level grill, or 760 mm if the highest point is the hob burners. Note that often the pan supports on older models of cookers are below the standard 900 mm level of the work surfaces to the side.

[windy]

Ash

Many thanks for that speedy and helpful reply.

The only bit I don't understand is " . . . and then 150 mm each side for the top part of the cooker (above the level of the burners and pan supports). "

Surely, most cookers (other than those with an eye-level grill) don't have a "top part" other than a non-combustible lifting lid.

Windy

[Ash]

Pass on that one

[Andrew Gabriel]

That's a key part. I haven't looked at many gas cookers, but the two I have both explicitly allow reducing the lower side clearances to nothing, and one of them, the eye level grill clearance on one side (unfortunately wrong side for me, so had to fit heat shield to cupboard).