Wiring Regulations for Electric Oven

M

mercon

We are in the process of renovating a 1970's style kitchen and currently have an ageing gas hob and oven combo, we would like to install an electric oven. However currently there is no circuit for the oven to plug in to, the maximum current the oven will draw is 11.5amp and I work that out to be approx 2.8kW so will this require a dedicated cooker circuit or can it be simply plugged in to a socket on the ring main. The (SMEG) oven technical specs states that 'The oven is wired with a 1.5 metre power cord with connected 15 amp rated 3-pin
insulated plug. Suitable for direct plugging to a 15 amp power socket'. The cabling on the ring main is 2.5mm and hence rated to 20amps so more than enough, any electricians out there who know the latest regs and where we stand your assistance is much appreciated.
 
Hi Mercon,

Ring mains don't exist in Australia. The UK websites mention it. I think they have a circuit connected at both end to the switchboard and assume that the current carrying capacity is doubled. The problem arises if someone breaks the ring and then all the load is connected on one side of the circuit.

All that aside, you will need a new circuit. You can't put 15A GPOs on the same circuit as 10A ones. Get a sparky to wire up a new circuit with a 15A GPO.

Cheers
Pulse
 
You're on the ball Pulse. We dont have ring mains in Australia, we have what some people call stub circuits with the beginning at the circuit breker and the end at a GPO.

As Pulse says, you need a dedicated circuit for your stove with a 20 amp circuit brekaer at the switchboard and a 15 amp single GPO for the oven.

This can be wired in 2.5mm TPS cable twin & earth cable with nothing else connected to it.
 
Thanks for the response Pulse, and yes I hail from the UK so excuse the incorrect use of terminology, which brings me to my next question, what does GPO stand for?
Due to the age and access within the Unit, to get an electrician to put in a new 15A GPO circuit would be quite costly, so much so that we even considered replacing the existing Electric Hot Water system with a Gas one so that we could use the 20A supply to the Electric Heater for the Oven.

Cheers
Mercon
 
OK found out it stands for General Purpose Outlet, thanks for the replies. So ruling out the possibility of fitting an Electric Oven, how about modern Gas Ovens, these are generally Fan Assisted with Igniters, both electric and require an electrical supply, does this need to be on a dedicated circuit or can you just plug them in to a 10A GPO?

Thanks

Mercon
 
I'm not sure if an isolation switch is required also, that can be reached from the stove. The rule keeps changing on that one.
 
Isolating switch used to be mandatory for all new electric OVENS for a few short years.

This is no longer the case. Reasoning behind the change is that if an oven fire occurs, you can simply shut the oven door to isolate the fire.

They have now instead made the isolating switch mandatory for all new COOKTOPS, to safely isolate power to the cooktop in the event of fire etc. It must be located in close proximity to the cooktop (within 2m i think) and must not be in a cupboard, or in a position where you have to lean over the cooktop to switch it.

Isolating switch rule does not apply to a direct changeover (like for like) of electric cooktop or to gas cooktops.

Most electric ovens require a minimum 2.5mm2 16/20 amp circuit back to switchboard.
 
It must be different in SA then. We had a new electric oven installed in January this year and we had to have an isolating switch for the oven; the cooktop is gas.
 
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