6mm flex

lukeallen88 · Mar 19, 2012

hi got to connect a cooker to the cooker point and the installation manual states that you should use 6mm cable. do they do 6mm flex or shall i use 6mm twin and earth?

Darkwood · Mar 19, 2012

you can get flex of many sizes and ideally using a 90c rated flex is best, most wholesalers can get it in cut to length but if the instructions dont specify flex then your bog standard t&e 6mm should be sufficient

Paul.M · Mar 19, 2012

T+e mate, just make sure the cable support on both the contact and cooker inlet are secure and there's enough cable so you can pull out the cooker and give a good working space.

mogga · Mar 19, 2012

and enough cable for the "lady " of the house to move cooker to clean behind it ( like that ever happens I hated going to connect a new cooker when serving my time as 95% of them had grease running down bothsides of the units ewwwwwwwwwwww

Paul.M · Mar 19, 2012

On the same issue, why do Gas Safe have a reg stating that a gas cooker has to have a chain of (i think 30-40cm) and we dont?

Is it because the flexible gas pipe is shorter than what we install and more venerable to unintentionally disconnect via pulling it out? Just as dangerous IMHO.

mogga · Mar 19, 2012

yea paul and it also prevents toppling of appliance IF correctly fixed not screwed into plasterboard like Iv seen a few times

Darkwood · Mar 19, 2012

paul.m said:
On the same issue, why do Gas Safe have a reg stating that a gas cooker has to have a chain of (i think 30-40cm) and we dont?

Is it because the flexible gas pipe is shorter than what we install and more venerable to unintentionally disconnect via pulling it out? Just as dangerous IMHO.

Gas linking pipes are usually set lengths when bought and its possible for cooker to fall forward severing or damaging the gas hose (bang goes the house!!!), where as when flexing a cooker up to outlet you fit a length that allows the cooker to be full withdrawn to gain access to terminals
and this means the cable wont be too short if cooker fell forward.... although free standing cookers are now required to be chained to wall to avoid this situe but their was a time when they weren't.

malcolmsanford · Mar 19, 2012

And just to reiterate what as been advised Reg 521.9.2 advises that non-flexible cables can be used.

Richard Burns · Mar 19, 2012

malcolmsanford said:
And just to reiterate what as been advised Reg 521.9.2 advises that non-flexible cables can be used.

521.9.3 perhaps! thank you for the reference very useful.

malcolmsanford · Mar 20, 2012

Thanks Ritch it is indeed 521.9.3, my excuse is age and the liberal application of marking pens on my reg book, highlighting chages, well that is what I'm sticking with lol

Thanks for corrected that mate.

baldelectrician · Mar 20, 2012

Quite a few cookers I have fitted recently (esp hobs) have asked for HO7 or HO5 flex

Always refer to manuacturers instructions as the big red book says

I carry 4mm HO7 flex in the van for cookers, makes a more professional job

Engineer54 · Mar 20, 2012

baldelectrician said:
Quite a few cookers I have fitted recently (esp hobs) have asked for HO7 or HO5 flex

Always refer to manuacturers instructions as the big red book says

I carry 4mm HO7 flex in the van for cookers, makes a more professional job

T&E has been successfully used to connect cookers for literary donkeys years, long before i even came into the industry!! I can't see any reason for change now.. manufacturer recommended or not, They have been recommending flex for years now, few if any take any notice of it!! lol!! About 6X the cost of T&E too...

As for neatness, ....maybe, but who's going to see the cooker connection cable?? lol!!

Knobhead · Mar 21, 2012

Engineer54 said:
As for neatness, ....maybe, but who's going to see the cooker connection cable?? lol!!

My sister! (Compulsive cleaning disosorder).

Darkwood · Mar 21, 2012

Engineer54 said:
T&E has been successfully used to connect cookers for literary donkeys years, long before i even came into the industry!! I can't see any reason for change now.. manufacturer recommended or not, They have been recommending flex for years now, few if any take any notice of it!! lol!! About 6X the cost of T&E too...

As for neatness, ....maybe, but who's going to see the cooker connection cable?? lol!!

At first thought id agree but cooker design has come on leaps and bound and especially regarding in built ovens the sometimes have fan assist that can extract very hot gas out of rear and if poorly ventilated the temp can build up quite quickly with a cable under heavy load already so have to disagree here, 30yrs ago agree cookers were cookers all the same really but the manu' recomendations are there for legit reasons, although some are for worse case senerio's.

Engineer54 · Mar 21, 2012

darkwood said:
At first thought id agree but cooker design has come on leaps and bound and especially regarding in built ovens the sometimes have fan assist that can extract very hot gas out of rear and if poorly ventilated the temp can build up quite quickly with a cable under heavy load already so have to disagree here, 30yrs ago agree cookers were cookers all the same really but the manu' recomendations are there for legit reasons, although some are for worse case senerio's.

Never yet seen any heat damage on a T&E connected cable, to cookers/ovens. The vent for fan assisted ovens is normally at the front above the drop down door, not at the back...