Gas Hob Electric Igniter Isolation / Switching

Going to sound daft but here goes...............electric igniter on a GAS hob...................how are these usually wired? (I hate anything gas tbh and grew up where there wasn't any). I've posted this pic before (one of many "to sort" jobs on a buy to let. Previously both the single leccy oven and gas hob were wired like this:



Nice eh? Looks like someone's 110 lead's a bit short! How that 1G socket was fed is a whole other story. Anyway, all gone now. Oven will be off 20A neon DP switch above worktop and un-switched 1G socket below. But the supply for the igniter........I COULD just plug it in to a socket accessible through the back of a cupboard. Just wondered what was usual. Seems a bit overkill to have it on a switch above the worktop. As I said not come across a gas igniter before! Thanks in advance.

Why do you think the isolation for the ignition should be any different from the oven ?

SLIPSHOD AND SLAPDASH said:

Why do you think the isolation for the ignition should be any different from the oven ?

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I don't really think it any different as in it has the same potential (as the oven) / needs isolation. I've just NEVER seen say an FCU or 20A DP for instance solely for an igniter. I ASSUME there are a lot out there lashed up like photo. Thinking out loud here but in terms of accessibility you DON'T want to be hauling tins out of a cupboard and leaning through to get to the socket behind for servicing / in the event of a fault...................I'll fit an FCU off the ring above the worktop fused down to suit. Thanks.

Change the 1g unswitched socket for a 2g and plug it in with the oven, both then isolated by the 20a switch

In a lot of cases a hob will have an extractor hood above it. If the hood has a reasonably positioned FCU to isolate the light & the fan, it may be just as easy to spur off the fused hood supply for the gas ignition. Also sometimes ovens and hobs are not always close together, but by their very nature, hobs and hoods tend to be adjacent. Of course if it was a kitchen fitter who installed the hood and either put no FCU or stuffed an FCU inside the hood chimney, then thats not much help.

Doc H.

Doc Hudson said:

In a lot of cases a hob will have an extractor hood above it. If the hood has a reasonably positioned FCU to isolate the light & the fan, it may be just as easy to spur off the fused hood supply for the gas ignition. Also sometimes ovens and hobs are not always close together, but by their very nature, hobs and hoods tend to be adjacent. Of course if it was a kitchen fitter who installed the hood and either put no FCU or stuffed an FCU inside the hood chimney, then thats not much help.

Doc H.

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I was considering the suggestion in post #4 to use a single 20A DP above to feed a 2G un-switched socket below the worktop. Wasn't sure if they really needed separate isolation though? Now for the extractor, again I have posted some of these pics before but worth a laugh:

2G socket to the right on downstairs/kitchen ring:



Take piece of twin brown 1.5mm off of back of socket:



Feed FCU is cupboard above, note FCU is for switching under cupboard light. From un-switched side of FCU take more 1.5mm twin brown up somewhere behind tiles.......guess they haven't heard of safe zones:



And bring it out here:



Lets get closer:



So, join extractor flex to twin brown T&E:



Wrap in large amounts of duct tape and hang over screw:



Put hood cover back on, job's a good'un! :Applaud

Seriously though it's all coming out & being done properly. So sad to see good materials abused like this and every element ill considered and basically unsafe. No wonder kitchen fitters have a bad name. All done post Part P, no certs etc, etc.

Ah, yes I recall seeing those pictures now, no wonder they do the job in half the time and half the cost of a competent professional.

Doc H.

Doc Hudson said:

Ah, yes I recall seeing those pictures now, no wonder they do the job in half the time and half the cost of a competent professional.

Doc H.

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Yep, hence my post elsewhere about dual / 2+1 boxes with designer face plates. I'll be using them to try where possible site site FCU's / 20A DP's to avoid ripping the tiles off etc. Every single item here needs attention.

Last night I was struggling with some VERY short wires trying to remove a socket here and couldn't get in to look over the top as it must have been done BEFORE the cupboards went in. No way could I get my screwdriver to "engage" in the brass screw slot that I couldn't see. Spent ages squeezed under the cupboard trying to "feel" it. Turns out that there wasn't a screw in there at all, they had lost it and just stuffed the earth wires in loose! I was "turning" thin air! :coat