Replacing cooker hood - OK to use existing FCU and 13A socket?

[Steve]

I have an old cooker hood, which plugs into a 13A socket behind the removable stainless steel chimney. The socket is supplied by a switched FCU. I want to replace the cooker hood but the new one says it must be permanently wired-in (because it is a fixed appliance, I believe).

Is there any problem with simply fitting a 13A plug to the new hood and using it with the existing 13A socket (with a suitable fuse in the FCU of course)? Are there any technical or legal (Part P) reasons I shouldn't do this? Presumably just plugging something in won't involve Part P. Or will it?..).

Thanks, Steve

[Big Les Wade]

Steve posted

I bought a cooker hood just a few months ago and it came with a 3 pin plug already. I doubt the regulations have changed since then. Even if they have, nobody is going to care.

[Lobster]

I don't think you can say that because one model of an appliance comes with a manufacturer's stipulation to hard-wire it, and other one comes with a 3-pin plug attached, that this is automatic justification to ignore the instructions on the first one.

But in this case it's hard to see why the OP's plan wouldn't be OK (especially with the 13A plug hidden behind/within the hood).

David

[Big Les Wade]

Lobster posted

My thinking was as follows. If there really is an official regulation requiring the OP to hard-wire his hood to the mains, then it will say something like "All cooker hoods must be hard-wired into a mains outlet, and not plugged in with a removable plug." It is very unlikely to say "Cooker hoods of types X1, X2, X3 ... must be hard-wired in, whereas cooker hoods of types Y1, Y2, Y3 ... can be plugged in with a 3-pin plug." And since it is evidently legal for *my* cooker hood to be plugged in, then presumably the same goes for the OP's.

Do such regulations exist for *any* household devices, by the way? The only reason I can think of for having hard-wired connections is that it stops people plugging and unplugging certain devices with damp hands. But that wouldn't be a very popular regulation .,. who wants a hard-wired portable hair dryer?

[Steve]

Thanks for the replles all. I'll put the 13A plug on. Cheers. Steve