Home DIY

What kind of person for an integrated oven installation? Electrician I guess...

John Lewis only install if they deliver themselves, they don't fit the ones (including Zanussi which we'd go for as like-for-like replacement) that come direct from the supplier.

Current oven might be on a 13A plug but the new one might need to be directly wired in to the circuit. Can they do this into an existing socket or does it require more work (might be an arse because of fitted kitchen).

Yes and I do think I could but I'm running out of time and me taking time off is less efficient than getting a guy in.

The plumbers come down from Norfolk and is a great guy and friend of my mum's. He's really helping me out.

Hopeful that by the 10th bathroom, kitchen and master bedroom will be done(ish)

Just isolate it at the consumer unit and undo it.

You can calculate the requirement of the oven by finding out how many watts it's rated for and using maths (it's roughly 3000w max for 13amp). If you wait until it arrives and it doesn't have a 13 amp plug you will need a cooker circuit installed that can handle the power. Could mean a new cable run and socket which should be installed by an electrician. Otherwise just plug it into the existing 13amp socket.

You can buy jigs for a router to do it. If you are in control of your ocd side then just drill some holes in a board. I went for the metal style, there were some good deals on eBay for them with little dents or scratches.

Hopeful that by the 10th bathroom, kitchen and master bedroom will be done(ish)

How many bathrooms?

I'm currently also struggling with the time off v getting someone in. Need an earth wire leading back from the consumer unit to the boiler, undecided if me doing it is worth it compared to the electrician charging for it.

I don't remember my central heating installer fitting an earth strap to the pipework..... Maybe I will need to add one myself. But then I do have plastic pipes.

What model are you replacing and what one are you buying?

Yes, it's not too difficult in principle but needs to go through a few walls, up some stairs, round a few door frames ...

It seems it's a relatively recent requirement but I can't have my consumer unit updated without doing it.

Underlay...

I've abandoned my electric underfloor heating plans as they don't play too well with hive/nest/evohome stuff.

So in a 1920-ish house with wooden [floorboards] subfloor, having 18mm T&G engineered wood floating floor fitted to replace the old laminate.

Should the underlay have a vapour barrier / DPM? Seen a few bits of advice saying this is a bad thing with wood subfloor, and a few saying it's fine.
Something like this...
http://www.ukflooringdirect.co.uk/accessories/cushion-acoustic-gold-underlay

Decent stuff, bit of soundproofing?

Or should it be fibreboard instead

I've abandoned my electric underfloor heating plans as they don't play too well with hive/nest/evohome stuff.

Shit! Really? that sucks .. I was hoping to use it in the bathroom as radiator will use up space ..

It seems that way. Most plays well with wet underfloor heating, but not so much with electric.

Unless someone else knows different...

that looks good...

qny reason its not boundary wall to boundary wall?

Earthing for the boiler would be supplementary earthing so could be linked to the rest of the supplementary earthing in the property, it doesn't need to come all the way back to the MET (cu earthing connector).

Main bonding is required close to the entry of the water pipe and the entry of the gas pipe to the property. Do you need this long run because you have no other supplementary bonding or because the boiler is close to the entry of the gas/water pipe?

Some older installations have very little supplementary bonding and now it's stopped being a requirement in bathrooms so I can see how you might need a long run but normally the boiler is earthed by the gas and water pipes and bonded by the 100cwt of steel they are connected to.

Try searching for "requirement for supplementary bonding on boiler". The recent IET forum threads are very useful. I can't remember boilers being mentioned in the regs so it's possible you need to check the source of your information about it being required, hopefully it's not your plumber!

Current model is a Zanussi ZOB660X (it was in the house when we bought it) but it's showing its age. Grill element has gone, the springs in the buttons have gone (which makes setting the timer a pain some times) and now the clock/timer just disappears randomly. Time to replace.

Replacement will be anything that's roughly the same size from John Lewis. Not specifically tied to Zanussi but it's done well for 10+ years. Don't need a steam oven, just a normal single oven with a grill.

These are apparently not so fun when little bits fly off and embed themselves into your arm. Who knew?

Also, how do you stop the tingly hands after using an angle grinder for a few hours?

employ someone else to do it

Also, how do you stop the tingly hands after using an angle grinder for a few hours?

Do it long enough and the tingly feeling goes away: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vibration_white_finger

It will be very easy to see how your oven is connected. If you don't know if it's plugged or hard wired, knock the mains off completely, open the door and there will likely be a screw on either side holding the oven into the unit. Take those out and the oven should pull out easily. It's not that heavy and there are usually handles on the side. The cable should be long enough for you to put it on the floor, if not, have a stool or chair handy. Take a look at the connection and say what you see.

Mine looked like it was hard wired but then I found out that the cable went around the back of the cabinet next to it to a double socket in the back of one of the lower cupboards. Explained some of the labeling on my consumer unit.

The boiler is close to the entry for the gas pipes (in fact I think the only gas pipes are in the kitchen where the boiler is). This is what I got from the electrician.

Install main earth bonding conductor.
It is not uncommon this conductor missing, as it was not required in older versions of the wiring regulations, or was not fitted during conversion work or re plumbing not supervised by an electrician. It's purpose is to connect together the incoming main earth with all the other conducting services entering the flat, in this case the gas, water and electricity. This will prevent any dangerous differences in voltage between pipework and electrical systems in the event of a fault. These connections are essential before any other new electrical installation can be done. Supplementary earth bonding will be fitted to the hot water and heating systems at or near the boiler if not already fitted. The new earth wire will run from the consumer unit to the boiler where it can pick up all services in one place.
The new cable will be surface wired most likely as discussed by running a cable along the staircase and hallway skirting board and then into the kitchen.

Have you looked at ThermaSkirt?
http://www.discreteheat.com/

Could be a better option, but in a bathroom you really want a heated towel rail anyway.

If it's a small bathroom, avoid putting the heated towel rail close to the loo, it leads to burn knees.

And a sweaty poo.

Or the radiator leads to burnt bum...