Restaurant kitchen circuit

[Malcolm]

Thanks for all the replies. Very helpful.
I wasn't sure if you were allowed to go surface mounted. All I can do is let him know what needs to be done and how. If it has to be S/S then so be it.
At the moment he has been able to temporarily plug in elsewhere.
Will defo have a word with envio health though.
Thanks again.

 

[Sparkgap]

Hi all.
I hope someone provide some help on this.
I have a mate who has a restaurant and he has got a couple more hot plate type things, when he has had them going for a while the RCBO trips. So he asked me to take a look.
It turns out the extra load is overloading the circuit, so he wants me to install a new circuit to spread the load.
The walls are clad with stainless steel and all the existing wiring is behind.
I've never installed in a commercial kitchen before so I was wondering if there was anyone had experience of installing a circuit like this, and what would be the best way with the correct materials?
Thanks
for any help

Just replaced a canopy in a large commercial kitchen. Walls clad in white plastic. Some sockets flush mounted, other wiring surface in white PVC conduit and trunking. Even some black SWA!!!
If it's only a couple of circuits you could go surface in PVC if it's a lot of hassle to conceal it.

 

[Malcolm]

Just been in touch with Enviro Health, they should be calling me back within a week!
PVC? that would keep the cost right down Ill see what they say on that.
Thanks for all the replies, all helpful info.

 

[Darren@cseme]

The issues of tripping after several hours will be caused by the stainless steel wall cladding heating up with the amount of cooking equipment, as underneath the circuits are possibly wired in T&E with metal capping.i have seen this numerous times when a domestic spark works on a commercial kitchen with little knowledge of the effects of the extreme heat.
Normally a low level trunking would be installed then conduit up the wall to isolator, cable selection is important as the heat factor, especially if metallic conduit is used.
Heat rises !! So keep the main bulk of wiring at low level, use heat resistant cable @ 90 degrees , calculate correctly also.

The comment in post 2 is fair comment if you are not experienced in commercial kitchen installation, we work in many and advise of poor installations we see, which normally are not listened to, but this year we have reported 6 dangerous installations, 2 of which have since caught fire and shut the business down for months, we also get involved with the Fire Brigade and Insurance assessor to determine cause of fire.

Hope this helps

 

[Malcolm]

Darren. Yes all that is very helpful. Thanks.
It is wired in T&E but we don't know what is behind the cladding. The building used to be a restaurant before it was taken over by the present guy.
I spoke to Enviro health today and he said that as long as things are able to be kept clean easy enough, then they are not concerned what type of conduit/trunking it is installed in.
I have to arrange to go and check all loadings and possible routing of cables.

I am inexperienced in this kind of installation, that is why I have come on here to ask those that have that experience to make sure I do the correct thing with the correct materials and get that experience.
But I don't like being called incompetent.
Thanks for all the replies.

 

[Darren@cseme]

Inexperienced is a great difference from incompetent .
Maybe the people that make comments but offer no actual advice simply do not know about the topic but just like to post criticism.
Another thing if there is 3 phase try to find out what's items are used when and if together and spread load across all phases.
Also watch stainless conduit if using for vertical drops/ risers as heat will get conducted and have been known to melt cable insulation, butryl or silicone cables are the best.
Any other information or guidance feel free to message me directly
Darren

 

[Malcolm]

It's all single phase.
Thanks Darren. I will.