How to install and connect an electric hob and oven

Recommendation points

• Insert of the hob into the worktop
• Oven niche: basic requirements
• Resolving the issue with protective grounding
• Power cable line
• Electrical connection
• Protective measures

The connection of high-power household consumers is carried out according to rather strict standards. When installing an electric cooker, correct electrical installation is the main ingredient for success. We will tell you how to install and connect your electric hob and oven correctly and without much difficulty..

Insert of the hob into the worktop

Does the hob stand differ from other sections of the kitchen set? Yes, the main difference is the placement of the housing strip not at the back wall, but in the center of the box. Plus, the location of the strip is horizontal, not vertical, offset from the top edge by 10 mm. The dimensions of the section are quite standard: 600×600, overall depth. And yet, the specific panel model should be known even at the design stage of the headset: some of them have very non-standard dimensions.

We will assume that the tabletop is already aligned and secured, and a plinth is glued under the apron. The overwhelming majority of equipment is supplied with markup schemes or an overlay template. We transfer the markings to the front of the tabletop, check the correspondence of the sizes and indents, then draw the cutting lines with an awl. It will be a mistake to mark on the back of the tabletop – when cutting out in this position, part of the front cover will be pulled out.

We try on the panel in the prepared niche. It does not go under its own weight – we do not make efforts, but we look at which place does not allow it, and we refine it with a rasp. The panel should fit freely, it is desirable that even in a tightly pressed position it retains a little movement for alignment. The trimmed edge must be treated with medium sandpaper and thickly coated with silicone sealant so that the chipboard does not draw moisture.

After complete drying, we glue the sealing tape from the kit around the perimeter. If not, apply a thin transparent silicone flagellum 1–2 mm from the edge. We are waiting for it to dry for about 10 minutes and insert the panel, it must be pressed down with force so that the silicone is deformed as needed. The only thing is small – to align the hob visually along the apron, edge and pattern, then fix it from the wrong side with regular “paws”.

Oven niche: basic requirements

The electric oven requires almost no installation as such; it just needs to be inserted into a prepared box. But here the exact observance of the dimensions is important: the front of the cabinet plays the role of a facade, therefore the gaps from adjacent fronts should be close to nominal. The width and height of the box (not the niche) are determined by the dimensions of the front panel of the cabinet: it is enough to add 5 mm to them.

In most cases, as with the hob, you will receive drawings with the recommended dimensions of cabinet furniture, which already have allowances for the ventilation gaps. As for the back wall of the box – it should not be deaf, the distance between the oven body and the kitchen wall is at least 40 mm. Naturally, there should not be any open communications on the wall.

Ovens are very sensitive to distortion, therefore, the horizontal installation of the module is checked with a bubble level.

Resolving the issue with protective grounding

Any electrical devices with a metal case and controls must be connected using a three-wire circuit. However, only new buildings can boast of the presence of a protective conductor in the sockets, in most apartments, grounding will have to be done independently.

It is necessary to tighten the third wire from the driveway housing into the apartment. Despite the fact that the functions of the neutral and protective conductors are combined in it, a separate core is still necessary to avoid accidental reconnection, for example, when replacing the input machine.

Power cable line

Both the hob and the oven belong to the category of household consumers with increased power. To connect them, separate lines are required, made with a VVGng 3×2.5 cable. It is preferable that they were laid hidden, even before the installation of the apron and the installation of the kitchen unit. Devices with power over 4 kW are recommended to be connected with a cable with a conductor cross-section of at least 4 mm², the lead-in cable must also be reinforced.

As a rule, the lines for the hob and the electric oven are led from the main switchboard, group lines are not designed for such a load. It will be reasonable to connect these lines and protective devices, bypassing the introductory machine.

Electrical connection

The first connection option involves the installation of sockets and the use of standard molded plugs. Unfortunately, even with the stated rating of 16 A, most valves quickly fail due to the weakening of the contact jaws. Therefore, this method of connection is fraught with the fact that the outlet will literally melt after a couple of years of operation..

Really high-quality household sockets for currents from 20 A and above (the operating current of some VPs can reach 30 A) can be difficult to find. In any case, you can use industrial-design plug pairs, because most manufacturers of equipment do not have warranty conditions for the wire and plug..

If you cut the plug completely, you can place a compact junction box where the cable comes out of the wall. In it, the connection is made on a screw terminal block, the contacts of which are much more durable than most outlets. If the cabinet and panel are mounted in the same kitchen section, you will only need one box.

Naturally, you can avoid cable connections and leave a longer end that can be plugged directly into the input terminals. Most manufacturers provide this option and do not place warranty seals on the cover of the desired compartment..

Protective measures

The connection of the lines supplying the hob and the oven must be carried out with the unquestioning installation of a number of protective devices. Currents of 15–35 A for household networks are considered significant, therefore it is better to abandon differential automatic machines and draw up a diagram on two separate devices.

The first is an RCD, preferably of the highest quality possible. Since there are no other consumers on the line, you can choose devices from the category of increased sensitivity – about 10 mA. The permissible current, of course, must correspond to the load.

Since the load of such equipment does not have a reactive component, and no inrush currents are observed when turned on, machines with an “A” disconnection characteristic are optimal as the most sensitive.

Some examples of modern technology have digital controls and a dashboard. Such devices are very sensitive to voltage surges, therefore appropriate protection (in the form of surge protection devices) must be provided..