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New fuse for kitchen appliances?

12 replies

Cicera · 12/04/2018 15:22

I've been told by B&Q who may be (depends how frustrated I get) installing my kitchen, that I need to have a new fuse in my fuse box for 'kitchen appliances'.

I already have one for 'kitchen lights', 'kitchen sockets' and 'oven' so I do not get why I need another one. Surely if something goes wrong with an appliance it'll trip the 'kitchen sockets' fuse and that'll be that?

I'm fairly handy, but not done a lot with electrics. If they insist I think I'll just install the appliances myself. I'm at my wits end with this bloody kitchen!

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Chickencellar · 12/04/2018 15:40

Hope you don't mind me being frank.i would run away from b and q. If they are this bad now imagine when they have your money and the sub contractors they use have disappeared and b and q pass you on to some call center when you have a problem.

Cicera · 12/04/2018 15:44

I know, I've heard mixed things about them, but I can't afford anywhere more posh, and Ikea (who were my first choice) basically can't do a kitchen in the space we have because they 'only do things in 200mms', so I'm a bit stuck.

This isn't a huge issue (yet), but it was mentioned at the survey and I've since been trying to research it!

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OctoberOctober · 12/04/2018 17:57

I think it can depend on the power of your appliances. The electrician wanted to know exactly which appliances we were having so he could wire accordingly. Likewise, we parents were told they would need to upgrade their electrics if they wanted an induction hob, so they stuck with gas.

llangennith · 12/04/2018 18:14

I have an IKEA induction hob and I didn’t need to change anything electric. It’s just plugged or wired into an ordinary socket.

Chickencellar · 12/04/2018 18:14

Have a look at benchmarx , DIY kitchens or Howdens . None of these should be at the expensive end of kitchens.
What appliances are you having , if your kitchen already has is own ring for sockets to which the appliances are on then that should be fine.

PigletJohn · 12/04/2018 19:08

If "kitchen sockets" is a 32Amp circuit, it will probably be sufficient for all your appliances except the cooker(s).

It's usual to have a separate cooker circuit (though if you are rewiring, consider a cooker outlet on each side of the kitchen, in case you decide to remodel and change things round)

Some kitchen circuits are only 20A, which is rather low.

During their heating cycle, washers, driers, dishwashers, kettles and toasters each take between 10A and 13A, so you can see how they add up. But a kettle or a toaster only heat up for about 3 minutes; a washer for 10 to 15 minutes; a dishwasher for 10 to 15 minutes for the hot wash and again for the hot rinse; but a tumble drier (unless a heat-pump model) may take 13A for two hours continuously. If you have electric heaters (which are very expensive to run) they may also take a high current, especially when first turned on, before the room comes up to temperature and the thermostat starts to click off and on. A combi microwave, when heating the oven, takes around 10A, but a simple microwave, less.

Lights, fans, TVs, phone chargers, computers use so little you can ignore them.

When churning or spinning, after reaching temperature, washers and dishwashers use far less current. But if you have a separate laundry room, it's preferable to have that on a circuit separate from the kitchen.

Electricians use the principle of diversity to calculate how likely it is that several appliances will all be drawing high power at the same time. It's surprisingly rare for a 32A breaker to be overloaded and trip.

Cicera · 12/04/2018 21:36

Thankyou! (and a @PigletJohn reply!)

What appliances are you having , if your kitchen already has is own ring for sockets to which the appliances are on then that should be fine.

The oven is on it's own circuit.

In addition there will be:

  • fridge/freezer
  • dishwasher
  • hob
-extractor fan
  • washer/dryer

and counter-top microwave, kettle and occasional mixer or whatever. The boiler is on this circuit too, I think, but is gas so not using much hopefully.

Nothing is moving, and it's all appliance-types we have already - no extras being added. I've put pictures of the fuse box if that helps.

I've not signed on the dotted line yet, Chickencellar, and won't unless I'm happy!

New fuse for kitchen appliances?
New fuse for kitchen appliances?
OP posts:
PigletJohn · 12/04/2018 21:53

the kitchen sockets circuit appears to be 32A

Is that a dedicated consumer unit for the kitchen? It doesn't seem to have anything else showing in your pics.

PigletJohn · 12/04/2018 21:54

the 40A cooker circuit should supply both oven and hob, assuming it is an electric hob.

Cicera · 12/04/2018 21:59

it's not a decicated consumer unit, it's just a small flat! The only circuits are the three for the kitchen (lights, sockets and oven), and two for the rest of the flat (sockets and lights).

The hob is gas, sorry I should have said. I assume it needs only a tiny bit of lekky to spark?

OP posts:
PigletJohn · 13/04/2018 09:45

Yes.

Cicera · 13/04/2018 11:52

Thanks everyone for your replies - I'm going in to see the guy today so I will come armed with lots of questions!

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