Plug point on edge of hood chimney safe?

[DundeeDancer]

The electrician who the build contractor got in to do my renovation electrics has fitted the fuse/plug point for the hob fan just at the top of the hood chimney and I don’t know how safe or unsafe that is?

 

I guess there won’t be much dampness or grease getting through the hood filters but I have no idea if this configuration is contrary to any building regulations or just me being nervous about not a lot.

 

I have suggested that the main grey leads should be extended with crimps so the plug point could be taken a foot out to the right hand side but the build contractor is no too keen to get the electrician in just for this little job.

 

So I’m trying to judge how important it is.

 

Comments appreciated.

 

Thanks, DD 

 

Hood area:-

 

Looking down into chimney hood:-

 

[Onoff]

It's a sh!t job that. Aside from the socket on its side. The guides to the building regs state any switches sockets should be 300mm away from the edge of a hob. So if you need to isolate you don't have to lean over the possibly on fire hob.

 

In your case you'll have to stand on a chair.....if you can see for smoke! The switch for the extractor should be off to one side above the worktop within easy reach.

[Dee J]

Other than being a messy job with a tatty sideways socket theres probably not a lot wrong with it. If there's significant steam and grease exiting the hood then you'll have other problems beyond the socket. But you could always fit a short piece of ducting past the socket if it worries you.

[Onoff]

Steam and grease are the least of the worries. Have a hob fire and that extractor will be sucking it up with no immediate safe way of switching it off. I'll say no more. 

Edited January 16, 2018 by Onoff

[ProDave]

1 hour ago, Onoff said:

It's a sh!t job that. Aside from the socket on its side. The guides to the building regs state any switches sockets should be 300mm away from the edge of a hob. So if you need to isolate you don't have to lean over the possibly on fire hob.

 

In your case you'll have to stand on a chair.....if you can see for smoke! The switch for the extractor should be off to one side above the worktop within easy reach.

Point me to a reg that says the isolator for a cooker hood has to be accessible in the same way as the isolator for an under unit dishwasher.

 

99.9% of cooker hood isolators I find are above the wall units off to one side.  Most customers don't want switch clutter. They moan enough about having a DW switch, a hood switch joining the row would go down like a lead balloon.

 

My question is where does that hood extract to?

[Declan52]

If that is not a duct for the extractor what is it for, tumble dryer???

Why did he not put the plug over to the left to hide the hole the wires come out of the wall.

[Nickfromwales]

The duct looks narrower than the socket so < 75mm, so shouldn't be the extractor vent imo. 

Ive put loads up like that, but not if recirculating. Fwiw I duct almost every one I do so they all get either hidden on top with a fused spur laying flat, or exactly as it is in that photo.

If I want to not have to remove a full height chimney, to change the fuse / isolate, then I extend the supply cable and run it down to a plug or spur up high in the back of a base unit. 

 

[Onoff]

1 hour ago, ProDave said:

Point me to a reg that says the isolator for a cooker hood has to be accessible in the same way as the isolator for an under unit dishwasher.

 

99.9% of cooker hood isolators I find are above the wall units off to one side.  Most customers don't want switch clutter. They moan enough about having a DW switch, a hood switch joining the row would go down like a lead balloon.

 

My question is where does that hood extract to?

 

Flex outlet where the socket is and isolation (switched fcu suitably fused) off to the side but at worktop level I favour. L shaped chase.

 

It's in BS6172 not 7671. No I don't have it to hand. I may be able to access it tomorrow. There's something in there I'm sure about fittings not being exposed to products of combustion. That then refers to the Building Regs and the guides there come up with the 300mm rule. Now we argue I'm sure as to whether if a chip pan went up it could threaten that socket and stop you switching it off!

[Jeremy Harris]

Regardless of the regs, it's both a poorly executed job and done by someone who lacks a bit of common sense.  Being able to safely isolate anything without having to climb on chairs etc is just good practice, let alone what's stipulated in the regs.  It just makes sense that you don't put a fitting like this where it's hard to get to and will probably be subjected to conditions that fall outside its design parameters, be they products of combustion, water vapour concentration, oils and fats or whatever.

 

I don't like switch clutter either, but it isn't hard to locate switches and sockets in easily accessible, yet out of view, places.  For example, the DP isolator for our boiling water tap in inside a cupboard at the top front, where it's protected from water, steam etc, far enough away from taps, yet very easy to reach. 

[le-cerveau]

I originally planned all the isolators near the devices, meaning 13/14 DP isolators around the kitchen:

• 4 x Oven
• 2 x Hob
• 2 x Extractor
• 2 x Boiling Taps
• Fridge
• Freezer
• Dishwasher (scope for second slimline)

Representation of the kitchen below.

 

 

In the end I decided to put them all on one wall behind the hall door so out of the way but accessible:

Picture below shows the bank of isolators (first fit), including Fire Alarm test point and a double socket below:

These all run to unswitched outlets/connector plates for 3 of the ovens and hobs.

 

Planning is everything, but either way that is an amateur job at best and not worthy of a "professional".

 

 

[DundeeDancer]

13 hours ago, Onoff said:

Steam and grease are the least of the worries. Have a hob fire and that extractor will be sucking it up with no immediate safe way of switching it off. I'll say no more. 

If a hob fire did occur and it was so bad that flames where going up inside the chimney hood, then it is probably time to get out the flat and in the panic if the person can remembered to switch off all the electrics by the main switch in the hall cupboard next to the front door that would be a bonus for the firefighters.

 

I'm more worried about down the line the fan in the hood might give up and need to be replaced and then someone will need to use that plug point that by that time may be well greased up and damp.  The problem can be easily fixed by extending the 2 grey wires by 2 foot each to take that socket well out the way.  What would that cost to cramp on two small 2 foot extensions, 30 minutes of an electricians time. £40 in total maybe?

 

12 hours ago, ProDave said:

My question is where does that hood extract to?

11 hours ago, Declan52 said:

If that is not a duct for the extractor what is it for, tumble dryer???

 

The hood over the hob extracts just into the general kitchen but the kitchen fan is just 3 feet to the left of the top of the chimney hood.

 

The kitchen fan has 2 uses, it takes 77% of the air from the surrounding area and 33% from a duct, the silver duct runs along the kitchen wall to the hall cupboard where the washing machine and a little clothes drying area are placed.  So I'll set the nuaire CYFAN to trickle mode to keep both the kitchen and washing machine cupboard hopefully fairly moisture free.

 

Having the aluminium flexi-ducting replaced with 50mm pvc pipe as someone bound to put a finer nail or tea tray through that flexi-ducting.