Kitchen Wiring

[EvilDrPorkChop]

Hi All, i'm pretty new to this forum and hope this is posted in the correct section.

We're having our kitchen refurbished and wanted some advice on what wiring we require. The kitchen company have put a rough spec but nothing telling me what I require. I will be getting someone to do the work but wanted a rough idea on what I need to be asking for and what breakers I need to buy for my existing consumer unit.

We're having 3 stand alone ovens (yes the wife likes to cook!) and a microwave. The ovens are all rated at 3.5Kw each. The run to the ovens is 10meters (7m clipped, then 3m through a uninsulated ceiling void) So I thought these would require 4mm2 and 20amp mcb each? Or is this over doing it, and could it be done on 2.5mm2 on 16amp mcb?

The kitchen isn't currently on it's own ring main - so I wanted this putting on it's own - so obviously 2.5mm2 on a 32mcb. A built in microwave, boiling tap and dishwasher will be on this circuit.

Then there is the induction hob which i'm struggling with. This is rated at 11kw. The run to the hob is 14meters (7m clipped, then 7m through a uninsulated ceiling void and down a uninsulated stud). I thought this would require 10mm2. The manufacture recommends a 50a fuse, however wouldn't this be pushing it on a 10mm cable? I thought a 45amp would be better however one isn't available. So the question is that, is 10mm2 enough and would a 40amp breaker do the job?

Thanks.

 

[Spoon]

Hi OP: Nice name by the way.
Why do you want to get the equipment? Your electrician will be able to get it cheaper than you.
It sounds like you do know a bit about electrics, like mentioning uninsulated ceilings but you question the manufacturers recommendations for fuse sizes. It just all seems odd.
Anyhow, best thing you can do is to give your electrician all the details of the equipment, like you have in the post, and he/she will sort out all the rest.

 

[Pete999]

If you let any decent Electrician know what you require with regards to electrical appliances he will be able to design the wiring before installing, preferably before the kitchen fitters arrive, don;t let Kev the Kitchen fitter do it for 99% he wont be an electrician, I know they tried to screw me over when I had my new kitchen fitted, on instance springs to mind, one of the cabinet side was shown to land right over a double switch socket. How are you going to get over that I asked, simple Sir I'll put the ends in chock block and plaster over them. Needless to say I did my own wiring, bl--ding cowboys

 

[EvilDrPorkChop]

Thanks for both the responses.

The reason I ask is that I wanted a better idea of what I require so that when I do get someone round I know what they are telling me is right - for instance I didn't want a 6mm2 cable put in to find that I needed 10mm2. I was just trying to cover myself from anyone trying to save costs on materials/ or cowboys.

I questioned the fuse from the manufacture because in our old house our electric shower was 10.8kw and was on a 45amp fuse. 50amp seemed rather large?

I don't plan to buy any stuff myself apart from the breakers - last time I had a new circuit added the wrong make of breaker was used as he couldn't source the correct one locally. I can get these online so thought it would be better to have them.

Buy yes, I'll leave it up to the electrician and hope he's a good one!

 

[Pete999]

11mm2???????? no such animal

 

[EvilDrPorkChop]

Sorry meant 10mm2! Been a long day at work.

 

[Octopus]

Thanks for both the responses.

The reason I ask is that I wanted a better idea of what I require so that when I do get someone round I know what they are telling me is right - for instance I didn't want a 6mm2 cable put in to find that I needed 10mm2. I was just trying to cover myself from anyone trying to save costs on materials/ or cowboys.

I questioned the fuse from the manufacture because in our old house our electric shower was 10.8kw and was on a 45amp fuse. 50amp seemed rather large?

I don't plan to buy any stuff myself apart from the breakers - last time I had a new circuit added the wrong make of breaker was used as he couldn't source the correct one locally. I can get these online so thought it would be better to have them.

Buy yes, I'll leave it up to the electrician and hope he's a good one!

hum.... sniff, sniff

 

[EvilDrPorkChop]

hum.... sniff, sniff

There isn't any benefit for me buying the stuff myself, why would I want to buy a 50m roll of 6/10mm2 when I only need 14m most?

 

[Spoon]

What make of CU do you have?
If you have a kitchen company doing it then get a detailed description off them on what they are doing. If they don't want to give you one then get a proper electrician in to do the job. He/she will happily buy all the correct sized cable, breakers and all the other stuff.
What some people may think is that you want to do this yourself. You know that you can buy breakers online. People also sell cable online, by the meter.

 

[EvilDrPorkChop]

It's a Wylex consumer unit, so what I thought was a common/good make. So I assumed you'd get these breakers easily in the trade but it was a performance last time (This was a few years ago like, and the electrician at the time could have been making this up)

The kitchen people aren't doing the wiring they just given a rough spec of what the ovens/hob for then me to source my own electrician - which is what I shall be doing.