Replacing built in oven - seeking advice

[ministe2003]

Hi all.
Amateur but competent DIYer here. Looking to replace our built in single oven but our current one must be older than it looks because I can't find anything online that'll tell me what amperage it is. It's a Rangemaster PRSOESS 6013 if that means anything to anyone. 2950 watt. Some of the new ones I've been looking at are similar, some are around the 3500w mark, not sure what that means in terms or wiring it up? Some are 13 amp, many are 16 amp.

So far as I can tell it's wired straight into a switch, but similarly I can't find anything on or inside it which tells me what sort of power it's working on.

One thing I do know is that it's wired into a 30 amp circuit.

Since some ovens require 13 or 16 amps and some are higher in wattage I want to make sure I don't fit one that overloads anything; but I'd rather not pay £100 for a sparky if it's just a case of disconnecting the wires in the switch and wiring the new ones in! I'll happily do wiring as simple as that myself, I can follow instructions no problem but I don't know enough about amps and watts to do this job without seeking advice.

So really I need to know, could I buy a 16 amp, 3500 watt oven and just wire it into the existing switch and job's done? Should I stick to a similar wattage as I already have, 3000w ish; and if so does the amperage matter?

If necessary, please let me know what information I can give on this post which will help clear anything up.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Hi all.
Amateur but competent DIYer here. Looking to replace our built in single oven but our current one must be older than it looks because I can't find anything online that'll tell me what amperage it is. It's a Rangemaster PRSOESS 6013 if that means anything to anyone. 2950 watt.

Assuming that (as was the norm) that's at 240V, then the current would be 2950/240.

I can't find anything on or inside it which tells me what sort of power it's working on.

Ummm....

One thing I do know is that it's wired into a 30 amp circuit.

Since some ovens require 13 or 16 amps and some are higher in wattage I want to make sure I don't fit one that overloads anything

You'd need more of a commercial pottery kiln than a domestic oven to overload a 30A supply.

I don't know enough about amps and watts to do this job without seeking advice.

W = V x A.

So really I need to know, could I buy a 16 amp, 3500 watt oven and just wire it into the existing switch and job's done?

Yes.

 

[ministe2003]

Thanks for the quick response! Must seem obvious that the switch is working at 30 amps; I didnt realise that's how simple it was, thought it could maybe be as low as the oven requires (eg 13). Yes the oven is 240v, it does say that inside. Also thanks for the tip on calculating amps! Good to know that I have a wide choice on what I can buy; I just feared that with my current oven being 13 amps (so it turns out!) and < 3kw that buying a 16 amp 3.5w might overload something. Thanks!

 

[EFLImpudence]

As your present oven is 13A you might find someone has fitted a socket on the cooker circuit.

Do you know how it is connected?

It doesn't matter but it would be easier not to have to alter the connector.

 

[ministe2003]

No I don't know how it's connected; it was all in before we bought the house. I could plug stuff into wall sockets and turn off the breaker to see what loses power. If things other than the oven are on the same circuit, what does that mean in this case? Would it mean a 16 amp oven could trip it since it'll push it close to 30 amps? Anything else?

 

[JohnD]

When you say "oven" you do mean oven? Not cooker?

 

[EFLImpudence]

No I don't know how it's connected; it was all in before we bought the house. I could plug stuff into wall sockets and turn off the breaker to see what loses power. If things other than the oven are on the same circuit, what does that mean in this case? Would it mean a 16 amp oven could trip it since it'll push it close to 30 amps? Anything else?

No, I meant there might be a socket on the cooker circuit for the oven to plug into.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Do you think so?

 

[ministe2003]

When you say "oven" you do mean oven? Not cooker?

Yes a single built in oven, under worktop

 

[ministe2003]

No, I meant there might be a socket on the cooker circuit for the oven to plug into.

Oh I see what you mean. I don't think so, there's a socket on the switch so it'd just go into there if it had a plug on it; you'd presume! I suppose there could be a socket hidden behind the cupboard but it seems unlikely. The wire comes out of the oven and exits the back of the cupboard right next to the switch in the cupboard next door, so I expect it's wired straight in. Presume that's ok?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I suppose there could be a socket hidden behind the cupboard but it seems unlikely.

Actually, .....

The wire comes out of the oven and exits the back of the cupboard right next to the switch in the cupboard next door, so I expect it's wired straight in. Presume that's ok?

Can't see anything connected to the switch.

Are you planning to use the existing cable, and just connect it to the new oven?

 

[EFLImpudence]

The wire comes out of the oven

No, it goes into the oven.

and exits the back of the cupboard right next to the switch in the cupboard next door, so I expect it's wired straight in. Presume that's ok?

Oh. ok. Yes that's ok.

 

[ministe2003]

Can't see anything connected to the switch.

They're there, just behind it

Are you planning to use the existing cable, and just connect it to the new oven?

it'd be easier to use the same one, but if I buy a higher wattage/amperage oven than is currently in there, would it need replacing? Presumably the one that's in there now probably came with the oven and so matches it's rating? Maybe!?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

it'd be easier to use the same one, but if I buy a higher wattage/amperage oven than is currently in there, would it need replacing?

The chances are vanishingly small.

To do due diligence, what size is it?

Presumably the one that's in there now probably came with the oven

It probably didn't.

 

[ministe2003]

To do due diligence, what size is it?

You mean the thickness of the cable? I'll have to measure it tonight. I did look at the cable to see if it had information stamped into it but I couldn't find any. I was balancing the oven on my knees at the time though, so I could've missed it!