Replacing oven - from single 2.9kw to double 4.9kw

[thomaspassmore]

Just wanted some advice - sorry if this is a stupid question

My single oven has broken and we want to replace it with a double built under oven (not a full double)

The old oven has a 2.9kw connection and the wire out of the back of the oven goes to a plug which is plugged into a socket which itself is connected to a plate on the wall with a big red on off switch.

The new oven will be 4.9kw. Am I ok to put a plug onto the power cable and plug it in?

Thanks a lot

Old oven is similar to Bosch HBA13B150B
New oven Neff U17M42N3GB
Switch is similar to this : http://www.mas-uk.com/images/Click Deco Polished Chrome 45amp Switch & Socket cooker.jpg

 

[flameport]

The new oven will need to be hardwired to the connection plate - a plug cannot be used, and the oven won't be supplied with a cable either.

 

[JohnW2]

The old oven has a 2.9kw connection and the wire out of the back of the oven goes to a plug which is plugged into a socket which itself is connected to a plate on the wall with a big red on off switch. ... The new oven will be 4.9kw. Am I ok to put a plug onto the power cable and plug it in?

No. The maximum sized oven that can be used with a 13A plug is about 3 kW. That was (just) OK for your old oven, but your new one would be far too large to be used with a plug.

The new oven will have to be directly wired to an adequate electricity supply. Depending on how the existing 'cooker socket' was installed (what size cable, whether a circuit on its own etc.), you may have to have a new circuit installed for the new bigger oven. You will probably need an electrician to examine the situation and advise.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Robin0577]

As John says, this may or may not be simple, depending on how the "big red switch" is presently connected.

IF that switch is wired on it's own dedicated circuit with the correct size cable and correct fuse or MCB, then it's a simple job to change the socket for a cooker outlet plate and wire the oven in that way. In this case it's a half hour job and under £20 worth of materials.

IF, on the other hand, the switch is not on it's own circuit and is somehow wired in with the kitchen sockets, or if the cable supplying it is not of adequate size, then it's a much bigger and notifiable job involving running an entirely new cable from the fusebox/consumer unit. In addition, if it's an older style of fusebox, an upgrade or addition may be required as any new circuit must be installed to the latest standards. It is impossible to say how long this could take or how much it could cost.

A good quality photo of your fusebox or consumer unit would allow us to give an indication of the likely outcome but a definitive answer would need somebody to go on site to take a closer look and do some tests. 5 minutes on site should be all that is needed to tell one way or the other.

 

[thomaspassmore]

Thanks for the help

Annoyingly we're getting our kitchen redone in August and I didnt want to pay for someone to fit it now when its all getting redone in August.

Maybe we'll have to do without a cooker for a while as I cant seem to work out what's wrong with the old one!

 

[thomaspassmore]

Untitled

• thomaspassmore
• 14 May 2014
• 1

This is a pic of my fusebox if that helps...

 

[JohnW2]

This is a pic of my fusebox if that helps...

That looks 'promising', and suggests the situation in which an electrician could probably rapidly confirm that the supply is OK for the new cooker and fairly quickly/cheaply connect it for you. We obviously cannot say that with certainty without being there to inspect and do tests - but it does look as if you may well be 'lucky'.

Kind Regards, John

 

[thomaspassmore]

I presume its not something I can do myself?

 

[JohnW2]

I presume its not something I can do myself?

The main bit that you would probably not really able to do yourself would be confirming that the circuit is suitable for the new oven.

Could we perhaps have a photo of the 'big red switch' etc. where the existing cooker has been plugged in?

Kind Regards, John

 

[thomaspassmore]

Ok, so I took some pics. The order goes from oven to plug to white plug socket to red switch socket to fuse box

Thanks a lot for your help.

Tom

White plug socket

Untitled

• thomaspassmore
• 14 May 2014
• 1

Untitled

• thomaspassmore
• 14 May 2014
• 1

Red switch socket

Untitled

• thomaspassmore
• 14 May 2014
• 1

Untitled

• thomaspassmore
• 14 May 2014
• 1

Untitled

• thomaspassmore
• 14 May 2014
• 1

 

[Robin0577]

Does the red switch also control an electric hob?

 

[thomaspassmore]

Nope
Have a gas hob.
The plug that comes out of the red switched socket is just a normal plug going to the toaster

 

[JohnW2]

The plug that comes out of the red switched socket is just a normal plug going to the toaster

So ...the big red switch controls the electricity supply to the white socket, into which the oven has been plugged? Is that correct?
[comments about the unsleeved bare 'earth' wires will probably follow!]

Kind Regards, John

 

[thomaspassmore]

The plug that comes out of the red switched socket is just a normal plug going to the toaster

So ...the big red switch controls the electricity supply to the white socket, into which the oven has been plugged?

Exactly

 

[EFLImpudence]

Was the oven plugged into a socket above the worktop?