Is A Standard Office Electricity Supply Sufficient?

[mooders]

Hi there,

I am setting up a cookery school and have found a barn conversion office in which to set it up. I want to run 5 freestanding electric cookers with induction hobs, plus various food processors, a fridge and a freezer. All of the equipment will be as you would find in a residential setting - there won't be any commercial grade equipment.

My question is whether a standard electricity supply and wiring set-up will have enough 'bandwidth' to run that equipment, or whether I need to upgrade it to be able to cope. If the answer is 'it depends' could you suggest the appropriate questions I ought to ask of the estate agent dealing with the negotiations please?

Many thanks in advance for your help,

Neil

 

[Marvo]

Welcome to the forum.

Can you tell us what the existing supply is? Is it single or 3 phase and how many Amps? The size of supply can vary from office to office.

The landlord or owner should be able to give you this info.

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

Hello Neil, to be quite blunt  your question is about as vague as you can get....

There is no such thing as a standard supply to anything....

An illustration could be me asking you....

I need a standard car for my family & personal use..

Will a standard car be good enough for doing holidays as well???

What questions should I ask at the car showroom?

Immediately we need to know... size of family average annual mileage, any special requirements transporting pets, luggage, roof boxes, ski's caravan etc.. ect... 

With your application.. need to know

total quantity of applainces,...

power rating....

how many will by in simulations use....

for what duration during the day / evening..

What is the actual rating of the existing supply..

how many circuits...

etc..

etc..

the estate agent will not know what appliances you are considering...

Nor will the estate agent have the slightest clue about how much power the circuits can supply....

You are best to get an electrician to do a site survey visit and discuss the options you are looking at..

if you have some tech spec print outs of the appliances you are considering it will be a great help..

my gut feeling...

you will probably need some significant alterations to the circuits and/or incoming supply..

p.s.

The office may have only been intended to use low power communications and computer equipment + a kettle & heater..

Guinness

 

[mooders]

Excellent responses - thank you both. Most educational! I shall find out more details from the agent about the incoming supply. So a follow up question then, if I may. If the incoming supply has a rating of X Amps and the combined Amps rating of all the appliances are, let's say, 10% less than that, does that then mean the supply is sufficient?

Again, many thanks in advance.

 

[Technician]

The guys will talk about diversity which is an assessment

of maximum demand and this is based upon a central

assumption that not all loads are connected at the same

time.  The diversity calculations applied change according

to the business and premises type.

I think a good suggestion has been made with regard to

a site inspection.

 

[ProDave]

Well just some VERY rough estimates.

A typical 4 plate induction hob is likely to be rated at 5KVA

So five of those is going to be 25KVA

And that's before you consider the load of the ovens as well.

Obviously diversity has to be applied to that, but I would say that's pushing it a bit for a single phase supply.  A "typical" domestic supply might be rated at 16 or 21 KVA

The diversity bit might be up for debate. I can forsee a situation when you tell them what to do, then so "off you go and cook" and all the hobs get turned on at the same time. I bit like the surge of kettles going on at the end of a popular tv programme.

You need to find out what supply the office has (single or 3 phase) and it's rating in KVA.

Also the type of heating is important.  If it's heated by a load of panel heaters that has to be accounted for

 

[mooders]

Thanks ProDave - much appreciated!

 

[kerching]

Don't rely on the estate agent giving you the correct info.....they will more than likely tell you what you want to hear. After all they are trying to sell the place.

Get an electrician to have a look for you...may even 'pick up' on other potential issues

 

[wozz]

Supply might be ok, lots of barns around here have three phase in them, you will need to check. Internal wiring not a chance, that will need to be sorted out, you should get some quotes.

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

Some teaching establishments, education boards etc want an master  electrical emergency off circuit fitted.

 

[benji]

recently fitted a  induction hob, very nice but woudn,t  think they were upto heavy catering usage

 

[Sidewinder]

Some teaching establishments, education boards etc want an master  electrical emergency off circuit fitted.

Quite Slips,

It may well be necessary to consider in depth the requirements of BS4163 in addition to any other statute guidance etc.

As this is a "teaching" establishment.

 

[binky]

use gas hobs and electric oven if possible, better for cooking, and at a wild stab in the dark, the current supply would suffice 5 ovens aswell as all the other appliances you have running.