UKH

I recently bought a property that's going to be used as a holiday home/Pied à Terre/bolthole i.e not much. Being there at the weekend I noticed that the oven has been very well used is rather grubby which along with being at the economy end of the price scale makes it look a real eyesore ( the grill is also broken). The previous owners where as mean as **** taking all the lightbulbs, bedroom carpets and pretty much everything that wasn't nailed down. I'm concerned that they've skimped on the wiring as well. Anyway.

I've spoken to a dealer and chosen a replacement oven but in an attempt to buy it the question of the electric supply came up. For those that know more about ovens and electrics its a "John Lewis JLBIOS618". I've checked the current oven and its rated at 13amps i.e. you can plug it onto the mains via a normal socket. The replacement oven is rated at 3.4KW 16amps. Dealer reckons that as the property is only 3 years old it will have the correct wiring for the new oven but I'd now like to make sure before going through all the hassle of buying and having to return it if its not compatible.

QUESTION. How can a complete novice tell what the loop/circuit? is rated at?

There is a wall socket with a big red switch called "cooker" (dealer said that's a good sign) and in the fusebox there's a fuse labeled "kitchen sockets" with another separatley labeled "Cooker". All the fuses have symbols on them i.e 2 arrows pointing at each other but nothing obviously saying what the amps are.

My concern comes from schoolboy physics which says plugging a 13amp oven into a say 16amp+ circuit would be dangerous because any fault wouldn't trigger the higher rated fuse to blow so the circuit must? only be rated at 13amps.
Cheers

In reply to Indy:
Although I am qualified, electrically speaking, I was more of an industrial electrical technician than a domestic electrician who would be up to date with regs and in any case it is many years since I practiced but for what it's worth:

You have it the wrong way round with regard to amps and circuits. Plugging a device that could draw 16 amps into a 13 amp circuit is what could cause the problems and blow fuses/breakers etc. If the property is 3 years old the cooker is almost certainly on it's own circuit rated at 30 amps which is how it should be. Other sockets are on what is called a Ring Main which comprises of 13 amp outlets for domestic appliances with 13 amp plugs that should not draw anything like that sort of current. Note however that many appliances should only have 3 amp fuses and NOT 13 amp fuses. This is quite possibly a greater concern and more likely to be the case.

Al

In reply to Indy:

Can you post a photo at some point?

In reply to Indy:

I'm not qualified in any way but having recently jut done pretty much exactly what you want to do I can advise from a non technical point of view what you need to check.

It should be a big thick cable, much thicker than the normal cable that connects your plug sockets .

That cable should go to a cooker switch, then to your main consumer unit.

The consumer unit should have a 30Amp or more fuse in it.

If all those are present, you'll be fine. If the house is only 3 years old it'll almost certainly be done correctly. The one I've just brought is from the 70's and that is fine too. Although I could do with new consumer unit.

In reply to Lord_ash2000:

It could be a 16 amp breaker.

In reply to Indy:


You're happy to pay £799 for an oven, but not prepared to pay a professional electrician to come and install it for you?!
I wouldn't believe a word the dealer says, they won't have clue.

I'd need to see the manufacturers installation instructions and the site to comment further.

In reply to Indy:

3.4kw cooker is perfectly safe on 16amp cooker circuit...

In reply to Lusk:

Thanks for the reply.... yes I will be having the oven professionally installed but I don't want to buy it pay for installation wait for it to be delivered turn up at the property only to be told on the day that the wiring isn't suitable. If the place was here then it would be easy to get someone to go and have a look but its a 250 mile round trip away.

Thanks for the replies from what I remember I think I'm going to be O.K. I'll be up there this weekend so will be able to check for certain then. As I said it was the current 13amp oven that was worrying me.
Cheers