Does a 13A plug in oven need to be wired into a cooker switch in rental properties ?

[PAUL BERRY]

Hi, a landlord got in touch this weekend as they wanted to change an old gas oven for an electric one in their rental property.
It would be a small single oven, under 1.5 kwh, and comes supplied and fitted with a plug from the manufacturer. The plan was simply to plug this into an available existing socket on the kitchen ring, as per manufacturer guidelines, and accessible for isolation.

BUT - Somewhere between the letting agency and tenant, this was blocked and they were told that as it's a rental property, it needs to be hard wired with a cooker switch.

I appreciate there are things to consider when taking this approach, particularly with regard to demand if it is already heavily loaded, but for simplicity let's say that there is ample capacity for the oven.

I can't see anything in the regs or Part P which supports the claim from the letting agency. Am I missing anything that I should be considering for rental properties ?

Cutting the 13A plug and wiring into a switch on the ring with a 32A OCPD is not an approach I plan to take, but again I'd appreciate any thoughts on this if I'm dismissing it incorrectly.


ALSO.... last one !
Would the answer be different if the existing ring was an old Wylex 3036 30A non-RCD, rather than 32A RCD protected ?

Thanks in anticipation

 

[Spoon]

BUT - Somewhere between the letting agency and tenant, this was blocked and they were told that as it's a rental property, it needs to be hard wired with a cooker switch.

Who blocked this?
I'd question whoever made this decision. Ask for a regulation number.
I can't see a reason why it can't be plugged into a standard socket, like it's been manufactured to.

 

[davesparks]

It sounds like somebody in an office has heard from their mate about a Regulation that existed 20 years ago and is now spouting it as gospel truth.

 

[PAUL BERRY]

Who blocked this?
I'd question whoever made this decision. Ask for a regulation number.
I can't see a reason why it can't be plugged into a standard socket, like it's been manufactured to.

Thanks Spoon, the landlord is a friend, and I suspect the letting agency has their own electrician who has said this.
I fully intend to push for the alleged regulation stopping the approach, but I wanted to make sure I'm not missing anything first.

 

[ferg]

Perhaps they just mean it needs to have an accessible isolator marked cooker / oven?.

 

[Andy78]

Probably more likely to do with a letting agent policy/insurance requirement of not providing plug in appliances for tenants, and they'd like it to be fixed in ?

 

[PAUL BERRY]

It sounds like somebody in an office has heard from their mate about a Regulation that existed 20 years ago and is now spouting it as gospel truth.

Thanks davesparks, I suspect the same the same but I wanted to make sure I'm not missing anything first, particularly about any additional requirements for rentals.

 

[davesparks]

Thanks davesparks, I suspect the same the same but I wanted to make sure I'm not missing anything first, particularly about any additional requirements for rentals.

As far as I know there are no laws or regulation specific to electrical installations in rentals.
As mentioned earlier in the thread there may be a requirement from an insurance company or the lettings agency but I find this pretty unlikely.
My experience of lettings agencies as both a tenant and a contractor is that all they care about is getting their money, and don't like missing out from not using their preferred contractor.

 

[PAUL BERRY]

Perhaps they just mean it needs to have an accessible isolator marked cooker / oven?.

Hi ferg, I don't think so in this particular case. The agents (or their electrician) have said "Regulations do not permit a plug in oven, and needs to be hardwired with an RCD".
This may well have been a genuine comment based on whatever question they were asked by the agent in the first place, so I'm not trying to trip up the source of this statement but I do want to know for when I come across this again in future.
....I'm sure they wouldn't give misleading regulation information to get extra work, ...would they !?!? (oh a whole new thread needed there!)

 

[Andy78]

Hi ferg, I don't think so in this particular case. The agents (or their electrician) have said "Regulations do not permit a plug in oven, and needs to be hardwired with an RCD".
This may well have been a genuine comment based on whatever question they were asked by the agent in the first place, so I'm not trying to trip up the source of this statement but I do want to know for when I come across this again in future.
....I'm sure they wouldn't give misleading regulation information to get extra work, ...would they !?!? (oh a whole new thread needed there!)

Ask which regulation requires an RCD for ovens or oven outlets, and which regulation prohibits the use of a plug in oven in rented accommodation.

I don't think you're getting the work but should be good for a laugh, and if you can expose the agent's pet sparky as a bullshitter it might make them think.

 

[PAUL BERRY]

Probably more likely to do with a letting agent policy/insurance requirement of not providing plug in appliances for tenants, and they'd like it to be fixed in ?

Thanks Andy78, that could well be part of it yes, I'll also enquire on that path. PAT testing was another thought I had but it hasn't been mentioned by the agency yet.

 

[PAUL BERRY]

Ask which regulation requires an RCD for ovens or oven outlets, and which regulation prohibits the use of a plug in oven in rented accommodation.

I don't think you're getting the work but should be good for a laugh, and if you can expose the agent's pet sparky as a bullshitter it might make them think.

I won't be getting the work, but nor will their pet. The landlord has gone for a direct gas replacement instead as they were up against it time wise. So the poor guidance has cost the landlord quite a bit extra which I'm sure they will want to follow up on.

 

[PAUL BERRY]

As far as I know there are no laws or regulation specific to electrical installations in rentals.
As mentioned earlier in the thread there may be a requirement from an insurance company or the lettings agency but I find this pretty unlikely.
My experience of lettings agencies as both a tenant and a contractor is that all they care about is getting their money, and don't like missing out from not using their preferred contractor.

Thanks again for sharing that davesparks, useful to know

 

[davesparks]

Hi ferg, I don't think so in this particular case. The agents (or their electrician) have said "Regulations do not permit a plug in oven, and needs to be hardwired with an RCD".

Wow, they'd have a fit if they saw a non-domestic kitchen where its quite common to see most appliances plugged in for ease of maintainence or swapping out!

 

[Wilko]

Hi - if it comes with a plug I’d stick with it. It could be changed out for an FCU, but if the circuit has no RCD and you need to extend it to add the FCU ...