Distance from back of hob to wall issue

[Carole Young]

Hi guys, I'm wanting to replace my hob. However I had an acrylic splashback installed several years ago with a glass heat proof panel behind the hob and this has reduced the required 50mm gap from back of hob to wall to now 35mm. I've been looking at the installation guide for several hobs and they all state a 50mm gap is required. Help, do I need to remove glass and get acrylic cut either side and then reinstate glass panel (which is going to look very strange) or am I worrying unnecessarily? Just want to keep myself right. The worktop is 600mm and the current hob is correctly sitting at 50mm from worktop edge. Thanks for your help folks, head pickled here!

 

[Herbs]

Hi guys, I'm wanting to replace my hob. However I had an acrylic splashback installed several years ago with a glass heat proof panel behind the hob and this has reduced the required 50mm gap from back of hob to wall to now 35mm. I've been looking at the installation guide for several hobs and they all state a 50mm gap is required. Help, do I need to remove glass and get acrylic cut either side and then reinstate glass panel (which is going to look very strange) or am I worrying unnecessarily? Just want to keep myself right. The worktop is 600mm and the current hob is correctly sitting at 50mm from worktop edge. Thanks for your help folks, head pickled here!

Could you add a pic Carole? Just to make it clearer what it all looks like

 

[Carole Young]

Sure Herbs, a couple of photos.... Thanks for taking a look at this

 

[terrymac]

Looks a lot less than 35 mm between hob and wall ??
I assume your pic is the current set up and has been ok without any issues ,if using the burners nearest the wall ?

 

[Herbs]

It does look quite close. As terry says, has it been issue free before now? The gap is to protect the wall from heat really, but your heat proof glass might be doing that

How thick is the acrylic? Like you say I think it might look a bit strange having a raw edge of the acrylic either side with the glass set back

 

[Carole Young]

The acrylic appears to be one centimetre as the worktop as the rest of the splashback away from hob measures 590mm. No problems the past couple of years with cooking and it's very well used for searing steaks etc. at high temp. The hob I'm hoping to get is one where the burners are in a diamond set up with the fastest burners at the sides which would mean standard at the back and the wok and fast burners at sides of the diamond (pic below). Just don't want to purchase one for a gas installer to look at the instructions and refuse to fit because of lack of depth from hob to glass. Don't know if it's an issue as the glass is heat resistant. Just remeasured distance from back of hob again and its 35mm although I agree photo looks deceptive. Surely this is a common problem now with splashbacks being so popular. Geez I hope I haven't wasted my money getting the splashback etc. It does look good though for a 25yr old kitchen. Perhaps I should have upped my budget and got heat resistant splashback all along although don't even know if that would have worked because of the multiple sockets which I guess in today's kitchens are situated in a row. Appreciate your comments folks.

 

[Carole Young]

The acrylic appears to be one centimetre as the worktop as the rest of the splashback away from hob measures 590mm. No problems the past couple of years with cooking and it's very well used for searing steaks etc. at high temp. The hob I'm hoping to get is one where the burners are in a diamond set up with the fastest burners at the sides which would mean standard at the back and the wok and fast burners at sides of the diamond (pic below). Just don't want to purchase one for a gas installer to look at the instructions and refuse to fit because of lack of depth from hob to glass. Don't know if it's an issue as the glass is heat resistant. Just remeasured distance from back of hob again and its 35mm although I agree photo looks deceptive. Surely this is a common problem now with splashbacks being so popular. Geez I hope I haven't wasted my money getting the splashback etc. It does look good though for a 25yr old kitchen. Perhaps I should have upped my budget and got heat resistant splashback all along although don't even know if that would have worked because of the multiple sockets which I guess in today's kitchens are situated in a row. Appreciate your comments folks.

LOL meant "perhaps I should have upped my budgetand got heat resistant GLASS splashback".

 

[Herbs]

It’s good news that you’ve been fine for so long, so I don’t see any issues myself. The glass being heat resistant surely does help.

In practice, 15mm will make little, if any, difference. If you were to measure from the wall to the edge of the heat source, that would be more than 50mm. Plus the layout of your new hob is even better.

Personally don’t think the fitter will have an issue

 

[Carole Young]

Thanks for that, I guess I should run that past the fitter before I purchase.. just in case. You guys are great. Thanks for sharing your knowledge, really appreciated x. Have a great weekend, flippin windy here but not raining .

 

[ginger tuffs]

you can always cut front of worktop to bring oven closer to front and still give you cover at rear

 

[RobJamesHeating]

I had a job a little while ago similar situation but in a new kitchen. Kitchen fitter cut the hole wrong and left the back upstand off with no mention of it on plans just tiles. I had 55mm then he came back fitted the upstand and customer had a nice little fire when making a stir fry... No major damage and no injuries but the worktop was replaced with the kitchen fitter also footing my bill to refit the hob.

 

[Carole Young]

you can always cut front of worktop to bring oven closer to front and still give you cover at rear

Unfortunately I need the 50mm from worktop edge to hob and that seems to be the standard. If I had a wider worktop it would have been an option although the recess has already been cut but thanks.

 

[Carole Young]

I had a job a little while ago similar situation but in a new kitchen. Kitchen fitter cut the hole wrong and left the back upstand off with no mention of it on plans just tiles. I had 55mm then he came back fitted the upstand and customer had a nice little fire when making a stir fry... No major damage and no injuries but the worktop was replaced with the kitchen fitter also footing my bill to refit the hob.

Oh my, at least you got sorted. Thankfully no scorch marks here. Just wondering if people who get splashbacks only have electric hobs and therefore this isn't an issue ?

 

[RobJamesHeating]

It should be fine in reality, very rare to see issues but it all depends on the installer taking on the job.
Everything we do should meet regs and MI's. like my recent situation if it was put in first and then the splash back added it wouldn't meet MI's once the kitchen fitter had finished but did when I commissioned the hob. If it was the other way around I would of been refering to MI's and the worktop changed or different engineer willing to do otherwise before I started. You get lots of splashbacks behind gas hobs it's nothing unusual.

 

[Carole Young]

It should be fine in reality, very rare to see issues but it all depends on the installer taking on the job.
Everything we do should meet regs and MI's. like my recent situation if it was put in first and then the splash back added it wouldn't meet MI's once the kitchen fitter had finished but did when I commissioned the hob. If it was the other way around I would of been refering to MI's and the worktop changed or different engineer willing to do otherwise before I started. You get lots of splashbacks behind gas hobs it's nothing unusual.

Crikey, so wish I had changed the hob prior to refurb. Tbh my current hob is working great but it's not 'legal' as it's more than 600mm in width (just a little lol). Just wanting to get things legit and hopefully last another 10+ yrs. Thanks for replying, really appreciated