Is Electrician trying to pull a fast one?

CCU - Cooker Control Unit.
CU - Consumer Unit.

I would personally want to see new circuits for the appliances. If the oven was with the hob, a single circuit would be OK, but they are not grouped together, so independent circuits seems sensible.

No need for a CU change though, you can add circuits to an existing moulded CU as long as there is no signs of overheating, and the terminations are checked for tightness.

£470 for the work seems reasonable to me, although the CU doesn't require replacing.

 

£470 is quite cheap for a couple new circuits and the CU.

If you deduct the £280 he has allowed, that allows less the £200 for the new circuits. Seems too cheap.

 

Based on what 'Lec says - new CU is not essential - then it's your call whether to have it replaced or not.

However, please bear in mind that the two main 'parts' of this quote - replace the CU and run new circuits - probably won't individually add up to the (very reasonable) £470. What I mean is, to do each job separately would almost certainly add up to significantly more than the current £470 total. This is because the job 'overlaps' in parts. So it's possible if you say "No new CU, thanks" then the bill won't drop by £280 (unless he has made it clear that he is pricing each thing separately and is happy to split the cost evenly.)

I mean, £280 for a new CU sounds darned good to me!

So he could be making it a case of "It costs this much to run your new circuits to your CU and add new MCBs there, but only this much extra to fully replace the CU since I'm already doing work in there..."

Check with the guy first, as his quotes seems very keen.

And, as part of a full kitchen refurb - which is likely to be costing a fair whack - this sounds like good value to get yer hoosie up to spec in the CU department. Typical quotes I've seen on here for a CU upgrade are usually in the £400+ bracket, I think? So if you call someone out in a couple of year's time to update your CU, it's gonna cost virtually £ouble your current quote?

I think I'd be considering this as paying for a new CU - and having the new kitchen circuits thrown in for free! It's a good quote.

 

Too cheap in my opinion. New CU, a decent one, with RCBOs not the usual half-way-house dual RCD, £600.00. Kitchen work another £400. £1000 job. He does not really understand kitchen designs either. The oven and hob can be connected to the same 32A cooker circuit. There is no need to have a microwave oven on its own circuit that's just ridiculous, it gets plugged in to a socket on the kitchen sockets circuit. You get what you pay for. It really makes me annoyed to see the drivvle that so called electricians spout to their customers and the stupid prices they charge.

 

I am 100% in agreement with UP on this. No need for new circuit for hob + oven. That's what a cooker is, isn't it? And diversity applies, so no worries there.

Small point though, re

You didn't mention the power requirements for the microwave. Some of the upmarket ones are rated at more than 13A and need a separate feed. But if its got a UK 13A plug, it can be plugged in to an existing socket, no need for extra circuits.

 

Depending on where the microwave is to be installed, (i.e. it might be "built in"), it might need an isolator of some kind... and it might make sense, depending on layout, for this to be via an independant cct?

I'ma DIY bod so I'll now get me coat and go!

Regards,

Cando

 

If its a plug in appliance it doesn't need a separate isolator.

 

The OP has said

Maybe it is actually easier to supply a new circuit rather than move the existing CCU. If that is the case you have to ask "how the old cooker circuit will be decommissioned"?

 

The sparks prices are very keen indeed - will full certification be produced at the end of the job?

 

If the hob and oven are a distance apart, I would much prefer to see a pair of circuits. If you're running a new one for the microwave (fitted microwaves are usually 16-20 amp), then you may as well run two cables.

 

But if it is "built in" and you can't get to the socket where it's plugged in, don't you need to be able to isolate it via a switch, as you need to be able to de-power it without "unbuilding" it?
Or is that wrong?

Regards,
Cando

 

No its not wrong Can - you are embracing the readily accessible isolation reg without circumvention - its the way I fitted mine. My microwave is in a bridging cabinet and it is plugged in - below it is the isolator above the worktop.

But I suppose just the plug and socket in the cab is enough - but in my regs that is not classed as readily accessible isolation..however this is subject to reg circumvention (reg juggling to be more to the point)

 

Hi Cando. It isn't possible to position a socket behind an integrated appliance, there isn't enough room. It is usual in this instance to place the socket inside an adjacent unit so its just a matter of reaching in and pulling out the plug.

 

There is plenty of room behind my microwave Un - the socket is just below the top underside of bridging cab and there is plenty of room between the microwave back and socket..granted though other types of appliances might be tight..depends on what type of cabs you are using I suppose. I only fit Ikea and this negates that ''awful service void'' where cables hang and get dusty and greasy and stuff. Yuk.

 

I think Lectrician posts are spot on and I agree.

 

Def better on separate circuits I just done kitchen, oven hob microwave on separate circuits he very cheap though but without seeing job it hard to judge