Installing of electrical cooker switch

By

How to install Electric Cooker.

Installing or fitting an electric cooker must be done on its own circuit. An electric cooker cannot be spurred of any other circuit and must be controlled by its own fuse at the consumer unit.

For this reason, if this is a new installation it counts as installing a new circuit and is forbidden by anyone other than a Part P qualified electrician. Please see our project on part P if you do not understand this.

Connecting a cooker cable to the mains is the last part of this project. If connecting a cooker - the appropriate fuse should be withdrawn.
What Type of Switch is Needed for a Cooker?

Electric cookers draw huge amounts of current because of the heat they need to produce so a larger fuse is required as is thicker cable and a double pole isolating switch.

Usually, when a switch is installed, it interrupts the live wire of the circuit - the switch breaks the connection in the live wire. With a double pole switch the connection to the live and the neutral is broken so there is no fear of any residual current causing a shock when the switch is off.
What Type of Circuit does an Electric Cooker use?

Because the cooker is on its own circuit the cable comes from the consumer unit, via a switch, to the cooker. Because of the current the cooker draws the cable is not run back to the consumer unit as in a ring main, so the cooker circuit is on a radial circuit.
Cooker control switch

Cooker control switch
Cooker Control Unit

The cooker must be connected to a cooker control unit, above. It must be connected via the correct size cable and this may vary but is directly related to the power of the cooker. See our table on cable sizes and check the rating of your cooker.

The cooker control unit fits to a patress box, just like a socket outlet or switch and may be flush or surface mounted. Some cooker control units offer simple switching facilities but others include a socket.

If a 13amp socket is included an additional demand of 5 amps is placed on the circuit and your cable and switches must reflect this increse.

Cooker control units also come with neon lights to signify that the unit and/or switch is turned on and the current is reaching the unit.
Terminal outlet cover plate

Terminal outlet cover plate
Wiring up an Electric Cooker

The incoming mains is wired into the cooker control switch which ideally will be sited to one side of the cooker (so you do not have to lean over the cooker to turn on and off) and about 300mm above the worktop.

Feed the circuit cable into the control unit and then strip and prepare the ends of the cable. The cooker control unit has two separate sets of connectors and terminals.

The incoming mains goes into the terminals marked mains and the outgoing cable is connected to the load terminals. The load cable then runs to the terminal outlet box (or cooker outlet box) which is simply a junction box in the wall where the cooker cable is connected to the mains cable you have just installed.

The terminal outlet box is covered with a plate which allows easy, but safe access for connection. It is usual to place this terminal outlet behind the cooker itself about midway up its height.

When all other connections are made, connect your cable to the mains and fit the correct sized fuse...

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Home electrical wiring and connections, what you need to know

By
Image
It's time to tackle some wiring projects in your home, but where do you begin? It's important that you know what you're dealing with before you start, so a little lesson in 'Wiring 101' is in order. From understanding the different types of wires you'll find to installing switches, outlets, and a few major appliances, let's look at the basics of home wiring.     01 of 09     The Common Wires in Your Home     Before you begin your first DIY electrical project, you should learn a little about the wires you'll be working with. Wires vary greatly and each is designed for a purpose.     The wiring in your home is chosen to accommodate the load it must carry as well as the conditions it will be exposed to. Some are designed for indoor use while others can be buried. Some are for your panel while others hook up your lights and outlets.     It may be confusing at first, but you will probably deal with only a few types of wire in your home.     02 of 09   
Read more

HOW TO REPLACE A CIRCUIT BREAKER

By
Image
.     If you have tried to reset a tripped circuit breaker and the breaker continues to stay in the "OFF" position or is otherwise broken, it will need to be replaced.     Replacing rail/recess can be a simple process if you use the correct circuit breaker or a frustrating experience involving several trips to the hardware store if you inadvertently try to use the wrong breaker.     In this tutorial, I'll explain how to easily replace a broken breaker. If you want to make short work of this, here's the simple secret. Buy the right circuit breaker manufacturer for your electrical panel!     Yes, like so many things that should be easy, circuit breakers come in non-interchangeable versions depending on the manufacturer. The circuit breaker must match the electrical panel into which it is being installed.     And to make things more fun, some panel/breaker manufacturers have gone out of business or have merged with other companies. For example, an old I-T-E brand pan
Read more

Outdoor lighting receptacle, and wiring

By
Image
With the warm weather on the way, it's time to take a look at some of our outdoor lighting, receptacles, and wiring. With rainy days to come, wiring and devices need to be checked for safety and functionality. Here are some great articles to address these topics.     01 of 09     Outdoor Lighting and Receptacle Codes     Alexander Hafemann/Getty Images     With any electrical installation, there are some electrical codes that must be followed and outdoor electrical installations are no different. Here are a few outdoor lighting and receptacle codes that you will need to know before wiring your home or making room additions.     02 of 09     Outdoor Motion-sensor Security Lighting     Every home has dark spots around the outside of their home. The areas that need special attention are the entry points, mainly the entrance doors. You may choose an outdoor light that requires that you manually turn it on and off. These type, however, don't provide lighting on your trip into
Read more