New double oven

Mikebravo · Mar 10, 2020

Hey there

So I've recently bought a new double oven and a separate gas hob.

Where the old oven was, there is a 45a cooker switch that has 6mm cable which goes to the fuse box under a 40a breaker, the cooker switch feeds a double socket under the counter that is also wired with 6mm.

The oven doesn't have a cable attached, so I assume that it would need to be hard wired.

The oven manual says that total power consumption is 4kW, and the cable type should be minimum H05W-FG 3 x 2.5mm or equivalent.

The gas hob manual says fuse:3a, cable type min. H05V2V2-F 3 x 0.75mm or equivalent.

My question is what would the correct way to wire them both in be?

pc1966 · Mar 10, 2020

The gas hob is trivial, power is small as it is just the ignition and auto-shut off so it could be a 13A plug with 3A fuse to anywhere convenient, or perhaps better still wired in to a fused spur & flex outlet (also with 3A fuse, of course).

The oven, however, is going to need just over 17A so will have to be hard wired, and as you have a 40A breaker then it ought to be at least 6mm cable as well.

You can get an 'unswitched cooker outlet plate' that occupies a normal switch/socket location and simply provides a termination point for such a sized cable, that would allow your cooker switch to feed the oven directly (via this junction). It could also feed the hob in parallel (via a fused spur attached to the 6mm cable as well) but then you need the oven to be switched on to use the gas. Maybe not an issue if you plan on leaving it on for any clock, etc.

You would need a different back-box arrangement as two singles do not fit a 'double' box, and although you do get twin-single boxes, some accessories stick out too far sideways to fit them properly.

Again, if in any doubt get a qualified electrician to do it!

pc1966 · Mar 10, 2020

The suggested cable for the hob is heat resistant stuff so you might need to get that type if the hob is not pre-wired with a flex (e.g. Toolstation part 59522).

Secondly I have heard that some ovens struggle to take 6mm cable, you might want to check yours. On a 40A breaker you should be OK for 4mm cable that is rated to 90C (such as 6242B type, e.g. Screwfix 26413) but it is easier to get short lengths of the 6mm (e.g. Toolstation 77927) which is much cheaper great if it fits!