O/T: electrics advice please

Been a while since I did one of these....


I've just installed a kitchen. The electrics were pretty straightforward and pretty much like for like, but when I tore out the old kitchen I learned that the cables for the kitchen circuit had been left loose, lying on the floor under the units as they ran horizontally. Anyway, as I was not altering the electrics I just installed my new kitchen units, leaving the cables on the floor between the legs. I'm now worried that I'm just covering up a bodge.

So, quick questions are:

1) is it OK to leave cables lying on the floor under kitchen units?
2) If not and they need to be fixed to something, is it OK to clip them to the underside of the units (or put them in mini trunking on the underside of the units)?

I suspect the answer to both questions is "no", but hoping not! Fixing them to the wall will be a right pain as I've installed the kitchen units (worktops arrive tomorrow).

Another more technical question:

The electrician put in a new circuit for an oven and induction hob. It's 40A with 6mm cable, which he's put in trunking. The run from the CU to the cooker control switch is only about 1.5m. Is this OK? I don't pretend to know much about these things but a bit of research suggests that 6mm cable in trunking on a 40A circuit is a bit light, and 10mm would be better. Combined demand for the cooker and hob is about 12kw. I'd normally trust the electrician, but he's also put an extractor fan on 1mm cable.

Thanks!

Less than 15kw = 32a MCB on 6mm T+E

1mm T+E is fine for an extractor (1mm will carry up to around 15A).

You'll be fine mate, as long as you save the fire brigade as 1 in your speed dial. http://www.ccmb.co.uk/images/smiley_icons/thumbup.gif

Ideally you could of clipped cables to the wall in the void behind the unit but that option has gone, I would recommend if possible to put in trunking under the units to lift off the floor, that would be my preference but as long as the cables are safe ie once the bottom board is fitted shouldn't be an issue. Another option would be to rest the cables on wood so they are not in direct contact with the floor.
The 6 mm cable should be on a 32 amp circuit breaker ideally your electrician should of used 10 mm. The cable capacity used for the extractor is fine did he use a fused spur or a new circuit if latter should be protected with 6 amp breaker or the fused spur put a 5 amp rated fuse in, remove the 13 amp one. http://www.ccmb.co.uk/images/smiley_icons/ayatollah.gif http://www.ccmb.co.uk/images/smiley_icons/ayatollah.gif

I'll give me you number if you want? Free, helpful and correct advice.

step aside everyone, just fit the plinth and hope you don't get a flood. job done. out of sight , out of mind I say http://www.ccmb.co.uk/images/smiley_icons/homer.gif

Arent there local regs from the council that say only qualified electricians can make those sort of changes. Same goes for adding in a spur on a ring main etc.

Still out of sight out mind http://www.ccmb.co.uk/images/smiley_icons/thumbup.gif , until the insurance say they aint paying out http://www.ccmb.co.uk/images/smiley_icons/shrug.gif

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Jimmy wrote on Tue, 21 April 2015 10:12

Arent there local regs from the council that say only qualified electricians can make those sort of changes. Same goes for adding in a spur on a ring main etc.

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The question regards the cooker circuit is designed to find out if I need to change the MCB, the cable, or both. If this is the case I will obviously get an electrician to do it.

Thanks for the comments, all. The consensus seems to be that a 32A MCB for the cooker is correct, which I assume means that my 40A MCB is incorrect.