No ring main in kitchen - help!

[Wilska]

Hi, I havent done much electrics, I am putting in a new kitchen in our 3 bed semi.

The end of the kitchen where the units are going presently has one double socket on a spur, and one oven control (with socket). There are some other sockets elswhere in the kitchen, but none appear to be on a ring main.
There are 2 consumer units, one is the old wire fuse type with 2 fuses, and the other is a single fuse MCB unit which appears to have been installed just for the newish boiler.

I need to install on one wall:
4 double sockets,
oven hood (fan/light)
oven (and although its a gas hob it'll presumably need power for ignition)
Fan for under-unit radiator
under-unit LED lights.

It sounds unlikely, but if I put fused switches at the start of the spurs, could I run all this off my spur and cooker cable ?

If not , what are my alternatives?

P.S. although theres this thick cooker cable, theres no sign of it coming out of the consumer unit, I thought they had to have their own radial ? - odd/worrying.

Thanks in advance.

 

[securespark]

Need pictures, but it sounds like you need some serious updating/ rewiring carrying out.

 

[Wilska]

I thought so, I dont mind spending up to £400 on an electrician, would that get me a new consumer unit and ring to the kitchen ? The 'under the stairs' area with the fuse boxes etc is adjacent to the kitchen.
I'd say its all a mix of original wiring (that'd be 1964 !) and some from around 1990. I'll try take a picture of the old consumer unit with the cover off, but someone boxed it in and I havent yet been able to get the cover off yet...

 

[Wilska]

 

[RF Lighting]

You're going to need a new consumer unit for starters.

 

[flyingsparks]

I thought so, I dont mind spending up to £400 on an electrician, would that get me a new consumer unit and ring to the kitchen ? The 'under the stairs' area with the fuse boxes etc is adjacent to the kitchen.
I'd say its all a mix of original wiring (that'd be 1964 !) and some from around 1990. I'll try take a picture of the old consumer unit with the cover off, but someone boxed it in and I havent yet been able to get the cover off yet...

I think you need a bit more than £400. Replacing a fuseboard requires a test and inspection and anything non compliant will need doing. Average cost if fuseboard change and test alone is probably nearly £400.

 

[flameport]

I thought so, I dont mind spending up to £400 on an electrician, would that get me a new consumer unit and ring to the kitchen ?

No. Possibly £400 for the consumer unit, but could easily be a lot more depending on the condition of the wiring elsewhere in the house.

Perhaps same again for the kitchen wiring, depends on what exactly you want and access to the kitchen. Cheapest option would be for you to totally empty the kitchen before any electrical work was started. If this can be done, it would be sensible to put all new wiring in the kitchen, as you won't have an opportunity to do this until another new kitchen is fitted years in the future.

The new kitchen circuits can't be connected to that old fusebox, so one is not possible without the other. A separate CU could be installed just for the kitchen - but this won't cost much less than replacing the old one and space looks to be an issue in that cupboard, so little point in considering that.

 

[Wilska]

Ah I see. £400 would have been nice but if its a lot more then its still worth it as its intended as our final home now until at least retirement in 25 years time...

So, could all these run off the same new ring? I read that there is no limit to the number of outlets on a ring?:

built in fridge
built in freezer
fan for under unit radiator
hood
gas hob ignition
under-unit LED lights
4 twin sockets

with the cooker on its own radial circuit.
Or is it better to have more rings?
Thanks for your responses btw

 

[flyingsparks]

One ring for the kitchen sockets and the loading you have is fine. Like you say a 6mm radial for the cooker too.

 

[Wilska]

The kitchen is now completely stripped apart from i just tiled the floor. I used a qualified gas man to disconect the old cooker from the 1960's (the cooker, not the gas man).
I have a week off work last week in October, and have all the new kitchen units and appliances in the lounge (got at cost as my brother-in-law works in a builders merchants).
So ideally I'd like the wiring in place by then. I can get hold of good electricians through my bro-in-law, but someone like british gas would i suppose guarantee the work...

 

[flyingsparks]

Any good electrician would guarantee their work. The schemes (napit etc) guarantee their operatives work anyway for 7 yrs(I think!)
Personally I think a company like British gas is more likely to charge more and so a shoddier job.
Go to competantperson.co.uk to find someone or best of all get recommendations from friends and family.

 

[flameport]

So ideally I'd like the wiring in place by then. I can get hold of good electricians through my bro-in-law, but someone like british gas would i suppose guarantee the work...

So would most decent electricians.

Using BG doesn't guarantee the work will be done decently. It probably will.
However it will certainly mean you will pay far too much.

 

[flyingsparks]

So ideally I'd like the wiring in place by then. I can get hold of good electricians through my bro-in-law, but someone like british gas would i suppose guarantee the work...

So would most decent electricians.

Using BG doesn't guarantee the work will be done decently. It probably will.
However it will certainly mean you will pay far too much.

Beat you to it flame port!

 

[Wilska]

Ok I'll avoid the corporations for the main job, but wont they, e-on in this case, have to disconnect their bit into the consumer unit? Is that expensive?

 

[flyingsparks]

That is why is suppose to happen. You make an appointment to have it disconnected. The electrician does the job. And then arrange re-connection. Yes it will cost something. In the real world however most ELECTRICIANS (I don't advocate a diyer doing this) will cut the tails and connect new ones using Henley blocks. No extortionate fees. No non-shows by the eon guy. No wasted time. Simples.