When installing a 13A socket lowdown for a kichen appliance , is it a requirement that this socket should go through a switch above the worktop? If so, what switch would you recommend ? Many Thanks
Hi acwizard There is no requiremnt for it to go through a switch. I can only assume you are referring to a spur on a switched fcu? If say you have a kitchen ring circuit then you are allowed to have one spur off it per number of existing sockets. (Dont really want to go down this route it gets drawn out.) If you are installing a socket as you describe then either continue the ring to it, install it on a spur or install it on a fcu (switched for convenience or unswitched). Does this answer your qu m8? Roy
Roy Thanks for your reply. No, I didn't mean a fused spur. I have it in my mind that if you have a socket for an appliance behind the machine (ie you cant reach it with the m/c in position), then it is good practice to have the socket controlled by a switch so that when the m/c is not in use, the socket can be made 'dead'. Perhaps I'm wrong in this. Thanks for your help.
you only need to do this if the socket is in a place where it would not provide accessible isolation (e.g. behind the appliance) use a switched fused connection like
usual way i do it is for example single unswitched socket below w/top fed from 20amp double pole switch with neon above w/top,incoming side of switch wired on ring,then a single drop of 2.5 to socket.
A FCU feeding a socket below is not counted as a spur, and you may have as many as you wish. UNswitched spurs are limited by the number of outlets you have.
yes so in a kitchin with lots of sockets under the worktop and switched from above the fcu is the way to go also i have heared some suggestion to use 15A sockets on fcus so that the only fuse is accessible
Thanks for all of this. I now intend to fit an FSU for each inaccessible appliance socket. Thanks to one and all for the support given.
Don't forget the alternative, which can look neater, but does involve more wall bashing, of using a grid plate with labelled switches and fuse modules, feeding all of the appliance outlets.
Kitchen alterations largely consist of cables run around clipped to wall below work top, rising in a short chase to the sunken socket. I think it is probably less chasing involved??