adding cooker switch for an oven

[jacktar]

(Trying again, as picture didn't post first time)

Hi, I'd be very grateful if anyone could help me here. Below, I've pasted a sketch showing how my oven is currently wired up, followed by 3 potential solutions, but of course I'd be more than happy to see alternative propositions. But let me explain first. Currently, we have a double oven against one wall, and the cooker switch on the wall directly opposite, above and behind a gas hob. The cable for this is chased into the plasterwork and behind the tilework. Clearly someone moved the oven at some point, probably shifted the hob position (or more likely went from freestanding cooker to built in), but ducked re-wiring the cooker switch. That existing switch has to come out, it's position is plain dangerous. I plan to remedy this with a sunken wagobox, though admit I am uncomfortable that there would be no indication, for future owners, of a cable running down within the wall.

Back on the oven side, the supply cable comes down from a false ceiling and is chased into the wall until it emerges from the plasterwork behind the oven. There's no cooker switch, no junction box. I want to add both of these (switch, junction box) but am unsure a) if I'm allowed to go with solution 1, which is very straightforward; b) whether solution 2 is a permissible alternative, or c) if 1 & 2 are not allowed, is solution 3 correct? My concern here is having a switch directly above the heat source. For the switch to be readily accessible it could only go about 200 mm above the ovens as the top of these is already at around 1500mm. I don't want to move the cable unless I have to (but will if necessary) as this means taking down parts of the panelled false ceiling and that will become a bit expensive to repair. I should add that I know the regs don't require a cooker switch, but I don't like the idea of no immediately accessible means of isolating the ovens. It just feels wrong.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[SJD]

Re an oven isolator, you don't say exactly what is above the oven, but presumably the double oven is built into a tall carcase, with a cupboard above, and maybe also below? Plus space behind the carcase where you can run cables? In which case, often the isolator would be mounted in one of the cupboards, but ideally near the front where it can be easily accessed, rather than in a back corner behind all the kitchen junk that gets stuffed in such cupboards.

Re a hob isolator, the ideal would be to chase a cable in a new position in the wall to a new isolator away from the hob. If you really can't, as a pragmatic solution, rather than tile/plaster over a Wago box, can you not fit a metal blanking plate? And make sure the connections are well behind the plate, not anywhere near touching it, so any heat from the hob doesn't transfer through the plate and melt the cables?

 

[jacktar]

Re an oven isolator, you don't say exactly what is above the oven, but presumably the double oven is built into a tall carcase, with a cupboard above, and maybe also below? Plus space behind the carcase where you can run cables? In which case, often the isolator would be mounted in one of the cupboards, but ideally near the front where it can be easily accessed, rather than in a back corner behind all the kitchen junk that gets stuffed in such cupboards.

Re a hob isolator, the ideal would be to chase a cable in a new position in the wall to a new isolator away from the hob. If you really can't, as a pragmatic solution, rather than tile/plaster over a Wago box, can you not fit a metal blanking plate? And make sure the connections are well behind the plate, not anywhere near touching it, so any heat from the hob doesn't transfer through the plate and melt the cables?

Thanks for replying, SJD. Theres nothing above the oven, it’s housed in a kind of three quarters height cabinet that has a worktop on top. I probably haven’t explained this that well. The cabling running down to the existing cooker switch is most likely redundant. It only isolates the oven, and there’s a separate, safe switch for the gas hob. I’m looking to add a new cooker switch over on the oven side, what I’m not clear about is whether it’s permissible for this to be directly above the oven or does it need to be off to one side?

 

[SJD]

Its not clear how high then this worktop is above the oven, and how easy it would be to reach a switch above it. You mention 1500mm, in which case I'm inclined to think a switch at (say) 1700mm is getting a bit high to reach, when also you have to reach over the front of the oven, and moving to the side would be better. On the other hand, it is not like a hob where you might have to reach through the burning flames of a chip pan fire! A photo might be helpful.

 

[mainline]

If you're not reaching over a hob to isolate, it's fine.

You need to avoid using any buried junction boxes..

 

[jacktar]

If you're not reaching over a hob to isolate, it's fine.

You need to avoid using any buried junction boxes..

Many thanks, that's helpful. I think it might be possible to make permanently dead the cabling running to the existing cooker switch, so on reflection, I think I will first remove part of the ceiling on the oven side to see if that's possible and, if so, go that way. Even though I wouldn't appreciate finding redundant buried cables myself if I was the next owner, they'll be safe and you're right, buried junction boxes are not good. Otherwise I think I'll just bite the bullet and take them out.

Here are photo's: I can't believe I didn't clock the dodgy positioning when we bought the house, but there it is. The funny thing is that the kitchen looks like it was professionally fitted (albeit quite a while ago) and you'd think the electrics would have been part of the job.

The cooker cable is chased in more or less in line with the roll of kitchen paper, I think I'll probably move the microwave somewhere else and put a new cooker switch back there, in line with the cable.

.