Electricians help – fitting a gridswitch

I know I know – if you don’t know how to do it get a pro in
Fitting a new kitchen from scratch I have discovered that since I last did it there is now a requirement for appliances to be remotely switched so the power can be turned off before the appliance is removed..  there appears to be this thing called a gridswitch – I have actually bought one but cannot see how to wire it up.
I am only doing the first fit now which will be checked by a proper sparky before anything is live but I want all the cables in the right place obviously

I want to hard wire the appliances to avoid PAT testing and also include the boiler but then where is the fuse as each one would be on a spur with the gridswitch being a part of the ring?  does it go ring – gridswitch – fused spur outlet?

Obviously I am missing something – anyone point me in the right direction for a wiring diagramme?

Where are you fitting the kitchen? PAT testing isn’t a requirement although it does fulfil various regs ending …”at work”. This might help your dilemma

If you are the employer, just get stuff PAT tested (or get trained and DIY if the company is big enough). When the kettle blows it’s far easier to unplug and plug a new one in. The remote switch goes in the spur, and you can’t spur off an unfused spur (but check this, I’m one set of regs out of date now)

TJ,

Im not sure where the requirement for the remote switching comes from, it might be advisable or recommended by some people but I dont believe there is a regulation requiring it.

With regards to Portable Appliance Testing, the lack of a plug top wouldn’t in itself rule out the requirement for this, however the whole world seems to have gone PAT mad and means most people test everything with a plug top on. In reality the clue is  in the name, portable, appliances like washing machines are not portable. Most employers do it to show compliance with EAW, if this is a rental then you would still hold the duty of care for the appliances whether they have a plug top on or not. Also a large number  of appliance producers state that removal of the plug top invalidates the guarantee.

If you want to fit the remote switching, this could be to switch a 13 amp single socket that supplies the appliance. with a ring or radial feeding the supply side at the grid switch and a single tail going to the position of the appliance. If you are getting an electrician in to do work on it then it would probably be best to consult with them so that the installation would be how they would expect it if they are signing it off

The kitchen is going to be in a rental flat in Scotland hence the requirements are strict and I want it to be as up to date as possible

The grid switch is in effect 4 two pole 20 amp switches in one enclosure.  So ring into this – presumably then effectively a ring with very short links between the switches and then ring out.

My intention was to also have the central heating off this – that has no plug.  so the tails coming out of the grid switch go to a fused spur outlet?  Then I can hard wire all the appliances. dishwasher, fridge, central heating, extractor fan

The sparky is coming round in two weeks to inspect the first fit.  I hoped to have it all in by then.  More head scratching needed.  😉

My understanding on home kitchens is that any electrical sockets must be fitted to the wallls and not to the kitchen units. Ovens do require a separate cooker switch for installation and isolation as these are directly wired.

Our Scottish rental flat has four individual red isolation switches with fuses for oven, fridge, washing machine and boiler all in kitchen. Each switch I’m fairly sure is on a spur off the main, apart from boiler and oven which iirc are a separate circuit.

TJ

To let you progress, take a single tail of 2.5mm twin and earth from the position you want to have the appliance and the position of the grid switch. Also take a ring to the grid switch location.

If that is in place then all else follows.

If you really want to be as up to date as possible the next edition of the wiring regulations is due to be issued this year.

Ta

~After further pondering I am going to do as turin suggests.  Pattess boxes and wiring in place, nothing else.  get sparky to inspect then wire everything up once he has checked then get it all tested.  Should be enough to keep me occupied for the next couple of days and that would allow me to get all the ( not electrical) insulation in place as well .

TJ,

Are you aware of the zones that cables should be run within?

You mean vertically up and down from switches and sockets – that sort of thing?  almost all the wiring will actually be in the void space in the eaves with a few bits behind skirtings or in void spaces created for services or in studwork walls.  .  the kitchen is going on lath and plaster walls so all I will do is cut holes for the boxes and run the cabling in the eaves along wooden battens.  Nothing is being chased into walls as its almost all lath and plaster.

I’ll leave plenty of length on the wires so if the sparky does not like my routing it can be rerouted

Edit – all I am doing is putting in a single radial for the cooker and a new ring for the kitchen.

fun bits going to be putting a new consumer unit it – the existing one still uses wire fuses!

Yeah that was what I was meaning, sometimes people aren’t aware and do the first fix and only realise when the electrician comes along and it can be too late by then.

As said I don’t think there is a specific reg for the need of remote switching although i think its good practice to be able to isolate the appliance with out having to get behind it.

From the grid switch (which would be supplied from the kitchen ring) you’d run 2.5mm t and e to an unswitched single socket for each appliance. Nb: make sure you fit a nice deep box for your grid switch otherwise they are a **** to second fix

re the pat testing, i don’t do it but i’m sure hardwired ‘portable’ appliances like washing machines still get tested..

Ta folks.  I am going to draw it all out on the walls  to make sure it makes sense.  I keep remembering other bits I need to put in!  bathroom extractor fan ( remotely located in a utility room ) for example!  time to get the crayons out
thanks for the help

since its a rental property, might be worth considering the fan working on the light and also an automatic humidity sensor. Tennants may not be as focused on using the fan as homeowners and this would delay the onset of humidity issues.

Its going to be on a humidity sensor turin.  I can’t stand ones that come on with the light and I cannot get to the lighting circuit to wire it to the light anyway.  I might put the switched spur for it somewhere high up so it can’t be turned off or use and unswitched fused spur for it

Re the fan it will also need a double pole isolator as well as the fcu. For this you could use a key switch if you are worried about people tuning it off

Jeepers!  last time I did this sort of stuff ( 20 years ago! ) it was all much simpler

Looks like my sparky will be earning his money 😉

Ok – I am convinced.  I will do nowt but run the cables untill he has seen it!