Cooker isolators and the like

To the OP,  there was a requirement of sorts for emergency switching  By whom or what, I cannot recall, but it is why the rocker switch is RED.  Some new switches are still red, but others are plain. I suppose it depends if you decide its emergency switching or not if you fit one. If it is RED and it is hidden, then that is technically pants IRO  it being accessible. The RED colour thing is still there in the regs somewhere.


Edit to add  537.3.3.5 is the somewhere

We don't have a cooker supply, but I'm with ebee on this one.


My preferred approach with not only the cooker, but also other white goods, is to have a labelled isolator above the work-surface in line with the sockets. Then a cooker outlet or unswitched single 13 A socket.


If your washing machine suddenly started emitting smoke, how would you expect an ordinary person to isolate it? (In some households, it may be normal for the cooker to emit smoke! ? )

A friend of mine actually had a washing machine set on fire once. Later in her new house, she was most insistent that the washing machine socket would have a separate isolator switch and that it wouldn't be above the washing machine!

Do not throw water onto an oil fire.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=yotube+cooker+fire&view=detail&mid=E78FB7C332AC6308D225E78FB7C332AC6308D225&FORM=VIRE


Z.

Men of a certain age? Chip pans?


I am surprised you have lived so long with a diet of fry ups.

Well I haven`t had a chip pan for many years. I do not have chips very often. But folk do have `em. To me a cooker switch with a red rocker, easy and clear as to its function (no socket though, a big no to that) and yes for appliances such as washer/dryer an easy to get at quick means of isolation like above worktop for instance is pref too. I am alone in this?

Normcall‍ Had he been NICEIC, he'd have freaked out at 7/.044, said 'i can't find that in the dropdown list on the certificate page' and dissolved into jelly.


Had a similar situation today. Doing a cert for a client, (only minor works, so not notifiable or legally required)... adding one point to an existing ring. Which by the way tested out perfectly.   7/.029 with 3/.029 earth, pvc/pvc t&e, suspect late 60s/early 70s. Cable is better than ANY modern cable. But is it in the list, can we add it manually? No and No. :\\   So we issued a certificate using MS word.

ebee, I like the convenience of a socket not on the general appliance circuit (ring or radial) for the kettle... but I admit I am getting old. It's down to client wishes these days.  If true emergency isolation is required, I'd actually look into a  red button with a shunt trip on all circuits (other than lighting/heat alarms) feeding the kitchen. (no not kidding, it can be done and is preferable in many ways.)

'if anything goes wrong with an appliance in this area, whack this switch'

Hi MHR,

yes I can see the attraction of having a socket on a different circuit as adding resiliance and that`s good.

My problem with having a socket on a cooker circuit is this:-

It was intended to be for occasional use of a kettle. No problem.

It is a throwback to the days of when folk had almost no sockets (one upstairs and one downstairs was not uncommon) and if adding a cooker circuit then adding a socket to that good be a good thing in itself.

My problem is not with kettle, fridges, freezers, lawnmower , power tools etc being used.

It is, all too often I have seen it in use for washers, dryers and such "heavier loads" on a permanent basis (by  heavier I`m not just thinking of the load itself but the duration too). 

Traditional cooker circuits have stood the test of time having diversity applied and I`ve no problem with that but I don`t think adding such loads is a good idea and my pref is "you need a extra socket or two" . Indeed I have often seen extensions running more than one such load and again some are plugged in to the cooker socket.

Also I have witnessed in some installtions, sockets RCD protected an Cooker no RCD protected and which one gets used to power a power tool/lawnmover outside? Yes the cooker socket!

With anything in life though.

The more you try to protect people from their own slillyness the more they tend to rely on that protection rather than avoiding the risks. If you go back thru common practices (not just our regs but motor cars and buildings etc etc ) you might expect that in the past we used to have piles of dead bodies lining the streets!


The "Thwack" of a 32A MCB tripping does not leave as much impression in the minds of mere mortals as does the "BANG" of a 30A BS3036