Heat Resistant Oven Cable

[Jim2]

Hello there, i'm after a bit of advice.

I have a single electric built under oven which I am installing into my new kitchen.

I have run 6 sq mm cable from the consumer unit to the kitchen and have terminated the cable in a cooker switch on the wall.

After detailed inspection of the oven and the installation guide that came with it, there is no mention of what cable should run from the cooker switch to the oven and there was no cable supplied with the oven.

On the back of the oven there is a gromet for holding a cable and a removable pannel, behind which there is a connector to connect the supply cable.

I'm thinking that the oven should have been supplied with the appropriate cable to connect it to the cooker switch, but after the ball ache i had just getting hold of the damn oven off MFI i'm just going to go and buy a cable to connect it myself. Which leads me to my question.

What sort of cable should I buy, does it have to be a heat restistant one and if so what Temperature rating does it need to have?

Had a look at screw fix, they have a few on there but don't really know which one would be suitable.

Thanks

Jim

 

[breezer]

here the upsetting bit.

most ovens just plug into a 13a socket

what rating is your oven?

 

[plugwash]

note: you normally use a cooker connection plate after the cooker switch which provides a cord grip and a convininant place behind the cooker to connect.

as for the run to the cooker itself most just use T&E the same as the rest of the cuircuit generally the terminal boxes are in a relatively cool part of the oven so its not a problem.

 

[baldelectrician]

I generally use 2.5mm sq flex for ovens (single compartment size)
if oven less than 3kw i usually use plugtop and socket- ease of removal for maintenance
(the socket is fed from cooker circuit)



For hobs i use 4mm sq flex- had to order it specially on drum as wholesaler doesn't usually carry it.

 

[Jim2]

Thanks for all the replies.

From your answers am I correct in thinking that I do not need any special heat resistant cables and would be alright using a piece of standard 2.5 mm or even a spare piece of the offcut I have left over from the 6mm cable?

here the upsetting bit.

most ovens just plug into a 13a socket

what rating is your oven?

My oven is just under 3kW.

I could probably have got away with just putting a plug on it with a 13A fuse, but after considering the rest of the equipment that could be running at the same time as the oven on the same ring main, kettle, washing machine, dishwasher, fridge, toaster etc. I decided that it would be best to run a separate 6mm cable. Although it is unlikely that all of them would be on at the same time, considering worst case scenario, I thought it would be better to run a separate cable and avoid overloading the ring main.

Also by running the separate cable of 6mm if i decide, or more likely the mrs decides, that in future that she wants a more powerful oven, it will be easy to upgrade without having to hack off tiles and bash holes running the 6mm after the kitchen is installed.

Thanks again chaps.

Jim

 

[plugwash]

hmm if its a single oven thats got a rating that low i wouldn't put it on a large breaker with no other protection.

in your case use 1.5mm flex to connect the oven to the cooker outlet plate and fit a 16A breaker at the CU. alternatively if you have a socket on the cooker control unit and wan't a full 13A availible there use a unswitched FCU instead of the cooker outlet plate and put a 32A breaker in the CU.

 

[Jim2]

Thanks again for all the replies.

I have a spare 16A breaker in the consumer unit that was previously used for the immersion heater, i was planning on using that to protect the cable.

One other question.

Under the new regs do I have to have this wiring inspected by a qualified sparky?

 

[JayS]

I've just done a very similar job fitting a single built in oven rated at 2.8kW. In the manual for the oven it stated to use butyl heat resistant 2.5mm2 cable. I'd suggest you have a look in the manual for your oven to see if the manufacturer specify a cable size/type.

If they don't you should really use heat resistant butyl. A spur off the ring main with a 13A FCU is the neatest solution I think, but we are all different...

Under the new regs do I have to have this wiring inspected by a qualified sparky?

Yes.

You can find butyl cable here

If you're doing a buil in electrical hob above the oven I'd suggest 4mm2 (assuming it's not buried in the wall!) butyl to wire it in.