On Thursday, 1 August 2019 21:00:04 UTC+1, alan_m wrote:

A couple of questions to help with someone I know not making some
mistakes with additional costs associated with a partial kitchen reburb
that is being planned.

One of the changes being considered is replacing a narrow oven with an
electric oven that is 0.9 metre or 1 metre wide, with integral 5 burner
gas hob.

In the preferred position it means that the existing cooker (isolating)
switch would be approx 30/40cm above one of the burners. I would think
this is unacceptable with regards regulations and additional costs will
be incurred in employing an qualified electrician to change the wiring.
However perhaps the potential costs could be minimised:

i) could the existing switch be removed and the wires joined in a
acceptable manner in the existing back box which will then be later
tiled over, perhaps with protective cover plate over the back box.?

ii) judging by the difference in plaster work, the feed to the existing
cooker switch comes down vertically from the ceiling. Can a new switch
be fitted much higher up this feed. Here lies another question, how high
up can the switch be fitted as it may need to be a above a cooker hood?
Does it need to be easily accessible?

iii) could the switch be moved horizontally from the existing backbox by
channeling out the wall and running new wire from the is backbox
(connected to the existing wires)? And how near (horizontally) from the
hob could the switch be fitted? There would be approx 45 cm between the
edge of the hob and the architrave for a door.

Some of the channeling etc could be carried out by the householder to
minimise costs but at present little consideration seems to have been
given to the "hidden" consequences of just replacing a cooker, and a few
other items, with something different.

Unless you regularly cater for large numbers of people, do cooking shows or similar, do yourself a favour & don't bother. If you must, inaccessible connections are best made with crimps. They can also be soldered, but many do it wrongly.


NT