Kitchen on own circuit

[uksparks]

Am I being thick or are kitchens supposed to be on their own circuit, I'm talking of a brand spanking new house.

 

[CharlieW]

I'm a newbie, re-wiring a flat tomorrow and the kitchen will be on it's own circuit, as will the cooker outlet.

 

[123]

I have one of those little energy monitoring devices I got as a freebie. The peak usage in the household in 2015 at anyone time, a massive 17.7A. (Gas Hob, combi boiler and combi for shower helps).

 

[7029 dave]

I'm a newbie, re-wiring a flat tomorrow and the kitchen will be on it's own circuit, as will the cooker outlet.

Well of course the cooker circuit will be on its own circuit.!!

 

[Geordie Spark]

Oi. I done my apprenticeship on new builds!!!!

Insert joke here................

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=runBptNy7_8

 

[Knobhead]

I have one of those little energy monitoring devices I got as a freebie. The peak usage in the household in 2015 at anyone time, a massive 17.7A. (Gas Hob, combi boiler and combi for shower helps).

As an experiment I played about with the CU in my flat so that the entire supply went through a 16A MCB.
It never tripped in the 4 months it was like that. To be honest I think I could have managed on a 6A MCB.

If you look at the UKPN distribution design guide you would be amazed how low the allowance per household is. They take diversity to a whole new level.

 

[atm84]

As an experiment I played about with the CU in my flat so that the entire supply went through a 16A MCB.
It never tripped in the 4 months it was like that. To be honest I think I could have managed on a 6A MCB.

If you look at the UKPN distribution design guide you would be amazed how low the allowance per household is. They take diversity to a whole new level.

Yeah I believe the DNOs allow 2kW per house.

 

[Knobhead]

Not much is it when you compare it to the IET’s diversity figures.

 

[Knobhead]

Unless some numpty has installed an upfront RCD!

Eeerrm, not that many years ago an up front RCCD was considered extravagant and unnecessary. But it was the only way one could be fitted.

By using the Bank of England inflation tables the cost of just one of the two RCCD’s I fitted in my house would be £500+ at today’s prices.

 

[Engineer54]

After the seventies until the eighties the whole house single ring became the usual with downstairs spurs and cables mostly buckle clipped to the walls

Well again, when i was was working with my uncle after school and weekends, he used to have a contract with the local and county councils to rewire the older housing stock between between tenants. All old wiring needed to be removed completely from the property and all circuit wiring needed to be concealed. Some of those old houses even needed to have a roof loft access cut into landing ceiling. There was none of this surface installation lark using PVC mini trunking and pipe you see today. Only the sockets and switches etc, were all surface mounted.

It was very much the same much later on too, when i made the mistake of helping a friend out that had broken his leg in a motorcycle accident, while i was on a 3 week vacation from an overseas contract. The only difference being that wall chase drops replaced by PVC pipe from ceilings and floors. The majority of the circuit wiring still being run between the floor joists etc.. They were the last 16 houses on the Tilbury Riverside Estate, that no-body else wanted to touch!! Now that's another story altogether, and one i've told parts of here in the past... lol!!

 

[turnitonagain]

Yes, and at least 3 radials, not sure if ring circuit is enough any more.

 

[Engineer54]

Yes, and at least 3 radials, not sure if ring circuit is enough any more.

Jesus, A ring circuit and 3 radial circuits, ....just how much load do you expect a typical kitchen to be pulling on these 4 outlet circuits??

 

[turnitonagain]

I ment 3 radials only. Sorry for confusion

 

[Engineer54]

I ment 3 radials only. Sorry for confusion

OK, but same question, what's going to be in a typical kitchen that is going to require over 32A? I'm not suggesting that a ring should be run at, or even near it's full load capacity. Very little of the connected appliances are going to be realistically all running at the same time, and certainly i wouldn't of thought anywhere near 32A.

I do support and always in favour of installing a separate 16/20A radial to supply a fridge/freezer and/or chest freezer, but that's not so much because of a loading consideration....

 

[turnitonagain]

hi there, problem with 32a ring is that in the future someone else might take a radial supply to say a socket, and not use a fused spur to control the 2.5 cable, the radial would be fused at 32 a which is too high for 2.5, better to keep radials and not to exceed the loop impedance and volt drop for that circut. which in a normal size 2000 sq.foot should have no problems there.

 

[turnitonagain]

as regard loads, kettle 12a, dishwasher 10 heating,wash mc, etc etc remember a safe working for 2.5 is about 15 amps a max load is about 20 amps, also i find it easier to install radial circuts.