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Do electric cookers come with plugs? Electric ovens are connected through household wiring via their own dedicated circuits. But the point to understand is there is a fundamental difference between a cooker and oven.
Due to the amount of power that they draw, electric cookers cannot be placed on just any circuit with any other appliance! They are hard wired into the household’s electric supply – and needless to say, depending on the appliance you get, this is more or less a difficult job.
If this electric oven is replacing your previous one of the same power, then the job shouldn’t be difficult and an engineer may be able to make the change quite swiftly and easily.
If, however, this is your first electric cooker, or it is in fact a new one that is more powerful than your previous electric oven, then it will need its own cooker circuit.
Thanks to the intense heat that they produce, no qualified electrician can run the risk of installing a machine that is too powerful for the circuit that is available, into your household wiring. It would undeniably be a major fire risk. Should you be lucky enough for it to not cause a fire, it will still no doubt damage your electric oven, not to mention the wiring in your home.
Even if you’re just going to use your cooker for the hob occasionally – you must make sure your new electric cooker or oven installs properly. Call in an expert!
Can I Put a Plug on a Cooker?
Depending on the cooker, you can put a plug on it. However, again, you should always get in touch with a local engineer for help.
Smaller ovens, even smaller single ovens, run at a low wattage (under 3kW) and some do come ready with a plug. These can, generally speaking, fit straight into a plug socket in your kitchen, but it is vital to check the instructions supplied for more information. Should there be no precise information in the instructions manual, then do call the manufacturer before plugging it in! Better to be safe than sorry!
Freestanding cookers do require a relatively large amount of power and therefore cannot be simply plugged into the wall. You will need a qualified electrician to install your electric oven and it may involve him having to create a whole new dedicated electric circuit for your appliance.
Again – it really is better to be safe than to be sorry. Gas might seem like the safer cooker choice, but there are hazards all around.
Do I Need an Engineer to Help Install My Electric Cooker?
Yes, you do need an engineer to help install your electric cooker.
There are plenty of videos out there telling you that you can install your cooker on your own, that it is not that complicated and that you can easily save yourself a bit of money by not hiring a professional engineer. This of course is not true! Don’t believe the hype.
DIY projects are a great idea. They can be fun and can save you money. If, however, any project that you are thinking about undertaking involves anything as technical as electricity, it’s likely best to avoid the DIY approach.
Electric cookers draw a lot of power due to the intense heat that they produce. Should you hardwire them wrong, or try the put them onto a circuit that simply will not suffice, then you are running a very serious risk of starting a fire!
Not only could you damage your appliance beyond repair, you could very easily cause serious damage to your home and put your family at risk.
Hiring an engineer who knows exactly what they’re doing is always a good idea. Being that there are plenty of engineers specialised in this kind of installation, finding one who can do the job at an affordable price will not be difficult. It may just require phoning around and checking online for quick quotes.
When it comes to your electric cooker, don’t be fooled into thinking that it is as easy as some online tutorials might suggest! They are not providing a tutorial for your home, nor the specificities that it comes with. Be safe, keep your loved ones safe, hire an engineer!
Conclusion
In conclusion, if you are looking at buying a new cooker you will naturally be wondering about the cost and the difficulty of the installation.
Chances are that your new cooker will be a unit designed to perform with extreme heat and that is not something that you want to be carefree about. Taking the time to get advice from different electricians and reading through the instructions is important.
Checking for the answers online is a good first step, but calling and meeting an electrician and having them check out your home before the installation is by far the wisest move. A new cooker is not something that should be installed without checking all of the components beforehand – and for this, you will need a talented professional!
Once you have brought your new cooker you will probably be keen to maintain it to last for years to come. With this in mind we have written an article with tips for maintaining an electric cooker.
