How far should a switch or socket be from a hob? - Electricians' Q&A
Electrical installations within kitchens throw up lots of questions related to the wiring regulations. One of the most common is how far should an isolator or electrical socket be from a hob or cooker?
Joe Robinson delves in to BS7671 for the answer (or perhaps not)
🕐 TIME STAMPS 🕕
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00:00 How far from a hob can i install a socket outlet or electrical switch
00:13 Linea wiring accessories form Hamilton Litestat
00:43 BS 7671
01:14 Electrical Safety First
01:25 Electricians Guide to the Building Regulations
01:40 And the answer is...
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#efixx #electricalinstallation #bs7671
So well researched and love the detail of looking into these guidelines as it helps us determine answers to other questions. “Teach a man to fish…” and all. Thank you!
Our pleasure, we always learn things when we research these. 😊
Really glad I found this channel last year, so many helpful little tips and advice, and a great source for new products and techniques
Thanks Alan for commenting and watching 👍🏻
The amount of nights sleep I've lost over this question. It's finally been answered!
😴 💤 sweet dreams 🛌
Thank you!! Nicely explained, clear and concise!!!
Never stop learning!
Minimum 100mm from hob, 300mm from sink bowl, i normally count the sink drainer as the edge rather than the bowl simply because it's designed to be wet so wouldn't be a good idea to use the 300mm from the sink only
"300mm from the edge of kitchen sinks and draining boards to reduce the risk of being splashed" from the guid to buildong regs book 👍
Good work. 👍
I would always do 150mm had a gas cooker few weeks ago and hot zone spread was 150mm each side of hob. This is the largest I have seen and I fit alot of cookers. And if switches above hob are over 750mm high with no socket out let so cable can hang over hotplate would be fine to fit cooker
Excellent joe I was told at college that the 100mm was acceptable but thround apon my opinion if in doubt always refer to the book . Brilliant video as always Joe 👍👍👍👍👍👍❤️⚡️
Cheers Sean. 😊
Aww Thank you Community guide line. It help.
Because i like how the BS is so precise for some crucial things, i keep my rule from abroad.. 60cm away from the centre of the cooker or any water point.
Noice, should end up about 300mm away in most cases. 150mm for a 900mm hob. 👍
Useful to know. I'd have plumbed for 300mm and will aim for that anyway. Also just ordered one of those books too!
Thanks👍
Using 300mm so useful bit of info 👍
The previous occupants moved the cooker so it was directly below a double socket. I had to put a spur in t o move it to a safer place. Temporary fix until the kitchen is replaced, then it'll be rewired properly.
🤦♂️ Nightmare!
By far best person on channel
That's kind, we're a team that all bring something different. 😊
"Should" not "must" so smells of finger in the air engineering, what test methods and criteria were used to establish these distances? As for leaning over and getting burnt don't people lean over the front rings of a hob to get to the back rings? Also where do you measure from? The edge of the hob surround? The edge of the nearest burner?
Damn, wish i watched this video a few years ago - i cut a hole in the middle of my gas hob and installed the isolator there.....guess I need to revisit that job now.
I'm guessing this couldn't be coded in an EICR as it's not a specific regulation in BS7671?
What if the socket/switch is already in place when you are replacing like for like such as a hob? can the work be undertaken but the customer informed they may want to get it moved at their earliest convenience? (can they afford ot have it moved etc)
And for a Bonus Point how far should the Hob and Switch be from the sink?
Is it not considered safe if it's closer and you have a socket cover that completely protects the sockets? My hob is heated by magnetic technology it's not gas heated so no flames. I only use the front hobs never the rear that's near the plug.
Had a boiler installer remove a socket because within boiler manufacturer's zone. Electrician said it was fine by his regs, but had to move it for gas boiler's regs. Common plumber vs electrician tension!
I'm due to be fitting a new kitchen and having problems with the oven switch (red oven only, no socket) I don't have 300 mm on each side due to a window and a door of the oven. Should I just got as far as possible?
Is there any reg to say how far a fcu should be from a drsinpoint which will only be used less frequently I.e once a year.
I have always maintained 200mm from the bowl or cooker units
300mm from the sink and 100mm from a cooker. 300 from cooker used to be the requirement and the dp cooker isolater no more then 2m from the fitted appliance.
Can I Put 13 amp sockets in a bathroom and if not what is the reason?
That reg has been unchanged for years, It's just that most electricians rely on what the NIC tell them.
So the book showing me 300mm is now out of date could that come up in the 18th exam
100mm is the minimum people we should all strive for more than the minimum. If the kitchen is really tiny and we are pushed for wall space then you know how close you can go.
Good point. 👍
People should always remember building regulations are the miniumum standard to achieve, not the gold standard. Where you can go better go better.
How would you code it on a ECR if you found the cooker point above a hob but there was no thermal damage? C3?
It's a good question that Dan. A highly debatable one, be interesting to see what efixx have to say. I'd be in the same boat as to say it's a c3 if it's not experiencing any external influence damage nor presenting immediate danger. I've found Napits Codebreakers book to be great for when I'm doing eicrs, if you've not got it, its definitely worth the purchase.
@@adamhill24 yeah i have napits book its excellent i think they have it down as a c3? But i know a few lads who work for different firms and one of there supervisor’s wants them to mark it down as a c2, hard to code it seems to be subjective 🤷♂️
Thanks Joe Doesn't really seem far enough to me. You could still stretch over the hob to get to it and the heat from the hob could still increase the ambient room temp significantly.
Seems a rather low number. An old property I loved in had the switch and socket 12 inches away from the cooker, and it still felt a little close.
I have a freestanding gas cooker with gas hob with a glass lid that stays up (always!) particularly when cooking and I am now told (needing to replace the cooker) the socket that is 25cm above the cooker being behind the glass lid is not allowed. The socket that has serviced my old gas cooker has been being the glass lid for 19 years and was installed by Curry's. If moved a new socket will be more dangerous as it will have to be placed to the left around the corner where it can be interfered with at any time. Please help?
Blank plate and wago maintenence free connectors inside. The correct thing to do would be have an electrician move it but hey.
Hi guys, what about the height of the socket from the worktop? 150mm ? Many thanks
That's fine min required clearance is just that.
What about the distance the isolator for the cooker, how far away or how near should it be to the cooker and how accessible should it be? Is there anything that states it needs to be accessible or within a certain distance? 👍
It needs to accessible for practical reasons more than any regulations. As for distance same as sockets it is a switch after all.
Watch this space! 😊
I get fed up with people wanting all isolators in cupboards so they cant see them.
Is it obligatory to have a Hob switch?
Try for 300mm.But was taught 100mm for Electric hob and 150mm for Gas hob.
Top work.
What's the maximum? (I guess the min is set by physics and the max by psychology.)
Minimum of 100mm if not stated in the hob manufacturers installation guide. Manufacturers info should always be adhered to as BS7671 is a minimum standard.
So what do you do if you install a new Hob that recommends the distance for sockets should be 350m horizontally but the existing sockets are 300m away? Move the sockets or ignore the manual and stick to the regs?
@@stevoc9930 well, the regs tell you that you must follow manufacturers instructions anyway, so there's no getting around it... You'd be left with a choice: a) choose to fit a different appliance instead, one which allows the already installed sockets. b) move the sockets and issue a minor works c) install the appliance, but note a departure away from BS7671 - something like “unable to follow manufacturers instructions regarding minimum distance from socket outlets of 350mm as existing sockets are fitted at 300mm”
Good points in this thread. 👍
@@TheMattSturgeon A, is a hard sell to a customer who's just bought a shiny new Hob. B, is also a hard sell to a customer when you tell them you have to chase their wall, break tiles etc. to moves boxes. So C, it is I'd imagine in 99.9% of cases.
@@TheMattSturgeon To be precise, the regs don't tell us to follow manufacturers' instructions, only that we should take them into account.
That is on new builds not retrospectively. If you did an eicr report & the installation was done before that as long as the point is not over the hob you would C3 it at the worst case. I personally would not even put it on report.
I prefer to check hob manual and go for that distance, average is about 300mm but varies from model to model
Good point.👍
eFIXX Manufacturers may be applying recommendations for other countries. BS or EN is vital
@@rossmurdoch1886 Thing is, the "Good Book" will usually give you the measurements that they say you should be following, but then they have some reference to follow the manufacturers guidelines anyhow. lol
Sockets and sinks is 300mm and hobs are 100mm from hob according to the NHBC.
Keyword here is Shouldn't not shall. It's a tiny point but important
These are only guidelines and not in part p paperwork. It used to be when part p was brought in as I remember. Could be wrong as nearly 15 years have passed
Good to work to published guidelines. 👍
I thought 120mm but I haven’t done house bashing for 20 years.
Thanks for commenting. 👍
Is this still the case? 100mm from the edge.
I do 150mm from the hob
You sound like me👍 mines just above my hob rougly 150 mm but ive got protection around the plug socks via a double socket cover.
And within 2000mm
Damn, set mine at 98.5mm.
🤦🏻♂️🤣👍🏻
So if it is ok to have a socket 300mm from a sink bowl in a kitchen and 100mm from a pan of water why on earth is it so strict on bathrooms. I have never understood this?
Probably because people are not usually wet and naked in the kitchen (at least not in my house).
200ml if poss from hob 600ml if poss by any sink i was taught many moons ago..... if sockets all ready there....thats were they must go loool
How can they say electricians guide to the building regs then ignore them completely . It’s clearly states in the building regs it needs to be 300 away from sinks and heat equipment.
But this is still “guidance” ?
There is an outlet directly over my electric hob…
That building regs book has errors in it that the IET are not aware of...
Spill the beans.
@@markrainford1219 ok. What is the height of a socket-outlet in a new build domestic dwelling (above floor level)?
@@asp217 450mm
@@markrainford1219 to which part of the socket?
@@asp217 Bottom
Should be within arm’s length without having to drape your polyester apron across the hob.
150mm minimum I was taught
Thanks for commenting!
150mm
Always nice to go beyond the minimum! 👍
10cm is naff all
100mm part p.
Thanks for commenting!
Not far enough
Put them further then, I've always done 300mm and probably always will unless there's literally not enough space to do so.
Always good to go beyond the minimum eh? 😊
@@efixx Indeed.
Sounds too close