Electrician Question

rai5, Aug 11, 4:09pm
Currently we have an electrical cooktop (solid rings) and wall oven right next to it. We are going to renovate the kitchen and move the wall oven elsewhere so yes it will need s new electrical feed.

My question is about changing the current cooktop to an inducation type. Can you use the current wiring or does it need to be upgraded?

vivac, Aug 11, 7:13pm
Will very much depend on the current wiring (should be 32A) and the induction cooktop you choose.
Beware as i had a customer turn up once with an induction cooktop that needed a 63A feed, just to be clear a 63A feed is usually what you have for your whole house from the street.

t_naki, Aug 11, 7:16pm
It will depend on what the wiring is now and how big your induction top is. I have seen hob's at 45A which will almost definitely need a new feed back to the switchboard. However others are lower and may be suited. For a quote you will need to get an electrician involved from the outset, as what wiring you have and what hob you go for will affect the price massively.

I would contact an electrician and ask him to check the wiring and see if you can buy appliances to fit into what you already have. Otherwise allow for all new wiring and go nuts!

t_naki, Aug 11, 7:17pm
Wow, that's ridiculous.

You would need to upgrade the mains to take a hob that big?

ryanm2, Aug 11, 7:41pm
Seriously? I mean you struggle to get a 40 amp domestic isolator ( 63a don’t exist). Obviously you are a sparky but have you ever checked the max demand calculations in the rules? I’ve probably connected 30 odd induction hobs now ( some stating they are 11 kw or more) , I just explain to the customer 32 amp / 6mm is the norm , if you manage to trip a 32 amp mcb you are doing pretty well.

ryanm2, Aug 11, 7:49pm
But like others have said , get a sparky in.

rai5, Aug 11, 8:37pm
Yes we plan to get a sparky, but unfortunately the one we contacted said there was a three week waiting list. We are now at five weeks, so we think we will try for another one. But just curious in the meantime what we might expect. Thanks for all the advice.

vivac, Oct 8, 6:57pm
It got returned in the end because i told them i could connect at 32a or 40a but they wouldnt be able to run it full tilt without dramas, they were are family that cooked and entertained alot and wanted to max it out.