Kitchen Electrics Isolators/Circuits/Grid Switches Plan

[edpgc]

Hi all

I'm remodeling my house at the moment and we're at the point where I want to a) understand how I want my kitchen wired, b) provide a pretty definitive brief to an electrician and c) do whatever enabling works I can now to make the job quicker/cheaper.

So I've put some thought itno it and don't want to end up with the nasty FCU's all over the worktop, nor do I want the switched sockets in the cabinet adjacent approach either. I'd like to go for the clean lines grid switch isolator approach.

Could you have a look at what I'm proposing to do and let me know of any screw-ups. Hopefully it makes some sense! Please see the link below

PDF http://db.tt/kEQ3SOOR
Excel http://db.tt/SHquqhOr

Thanks!

Ed

 

[Taylortwocities]

So, where are you planning to fuse the various appliances?
Plugs into wall sockets, or as part of the grid arrangement?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I want to

a) understand how I want my kitchen wired,

The only person here who knows how you want it wired is you.

b) provide a pretty definitive brief to an electrician

Tell him what appliances you are having where and where you want the grid switch.

and c) do whatever enabling works I can now to make the job quicker/cheaper.

You cannot, must not, do anything without agreeing it with your electrician. You can only do what he tells you, not us.

 

[Chri5]

Grids are nice, but they are hassle in bigger combos unless you have singles.

My six way has hood, wall fan, washer, 2 ovens and hob on it. Adding in a supply 10mm for the ovens, a ring for the rest and then running out to fuse spurs and finally the end item was a pain.

A work of art, but still a pain to cable and (nicely) terminate. A six way box suffers with 3 x 1.5, 5 x 2.5, 1 x 10.0 te's and loops for the ring and oven circuits.

Earth stud wasn't big enough, etc..

Might be best to think about groups of 4, and also consider where the fuse will be, with the grid or at the termination point between appliance and supply?

 

[Taylortwocities]

Where did you find a 45A grid switch?

 

[Chri5]

Ovens x 2 were split. 10 mm in to back box and via mounted terminal blocks fed on to 20 amp switches in 2.5 mm.

The ovens were rated at 3kw each, so switch size was fine with fs at 13 amp between switch and oven.

 

[1john]

Sounds like you needed a 300mm deep back box

 

[kdLeeds]

I'm remodeling my house at the moment and we're at the point where I want to a) understand how I want my kitchen wired, b) provide a pretty definitive brief to an electrician and c) do whatever enabling works I can now to make the job quicker/cheaper.

So I've put some thought itno it and don't want to end up with the nasty FCU's all over the worktop, nor do I want the switched sockets in the cabinet adjacent approach either. I'd like to go for the clean lines grid switch isolator approach.
Ed

I'm just starting a similar project and asking the same questions, but I am coming to the conclusion that for me, the best way is to connect the new appliances to the existing 13amp sockets that were in adjacent cupboards. Not my original plan, but looking at the alternatives, I don't want grid switches or FCU's on display, so if they were to be tucked away in a cupboard, then they may as well be 13a sockets after all what could be safer than pulling a plug. I will however get an electrician to split off the kitchen from the downstairs ring main, and site the 13amp sockets high inside the new cabinets to avoid pots & pans covering them.

Let us know what you decide

 

[edpgc]

I'm just starting a similar project and asking the same questions, but I am coming to the conclusion that for me, the best way is to connect the new appliances to the existing 13amp sockets that were in adjacent cupboards. Not my original plan, but looking at the alternatives, I don't want grid switches or FCU's on display, so if they were to be tucked away in a cupboard, then they may as well be 13a sockets after all what could be safer than pulling a plug. I will however get an electrician to split off the kitchen from the downstairs ring main, and site the 13amp sockets high inside the new cabinets to avoid pots & pans covering them.

Let us know what you decide

Hi kd, the reasons I'm not a fan of that is that if there is a problem it's not exactly obvious how you're going to isolate that appliance, also surface mounted sockets in the back of my cupboards take up a bit of a space in a tight for space kitchen.

I'm personally reconsidering at the moment as the only simple place (ie avoiding digging out tons of brick) to put the grid switch is on the partition wall, and there isn't any work surface there so people could end up leaning against it and switching stuff on/off.

I might look at taking the fridge and boiler off the grid, but I will still need a method of isolation for the built in fridge.

Cheers

 

[kdLeeds]

I made a similar comment in an earlier post about accidentally switching off one of the grid switches and it was suggested that key switches could be used (still not for me though but I could have changed my mind again by this time tomorrow??)

 

[edpgc]

The only person here who knows how you want it wired is you.

True, thats the process I'm trying to get through...

Tell him what appliances you are having where and where you want the grid switch.

True, but I want to understand what is involved in coming to that solution, so I can find the right combination of cost effective and tidy. That way I can get comparable quotes against what is a sensible way of doing it, rather than 4 quotes against 4 different solutions.

You cannot, must not, do anything without agreeing it with your electrician. You can only do what he tells you, not us.

What do you mean by cannot? As far as I'm aware no ones written a law that says I can't pull up floor-boards and prepare routes for the electrician. OK so I've pulled a bit of 1.5 for the lighting circuit but really as an engineer thats not beyond my capabilities - and I will not be doing anything that isn't entirely "inspectable" or any termination beause I understand it would be a waste of my time and a waste of his.

A quick question, if you're running 20A DP switches off a 32A ring, what rating should the tails from the switches to the U/S sockets be. I can see an argument that 2.5mm is ok as this is allowed for ring final spurs?

Thanks guys.

 

[davelx]

What do you mean by cannot? As far as I'm aware no ones written a law that says I can't pull up floor-boards and prepare routes for the electrician.

You need to agree the routes with the electrician first - they can affect the cables' current carrying capacity and thefore the design of the circuits.

 

[edpgc]

You need to agree the routes with the electrician first - they can affect the cables' current carrying capacity and thefore the design of the circuits.

In my case there's really no sane alternative than under the floor to the nearby consumer unit. Anything else would just be crazy. However I guess in many other situations there are a numebr of ways and methods.

Anyway I'm readying a route for the electricains so they can have a proper look at the job. The hosue is almost just a shell downstairs at the moment so it's no big deal.