Electrical design for kitchens

Kitchens are often the busiest and most hardworking part the home. Good lighting and well placed sockets can transform kitchens from a functional space into a room where people can gather and socialise with ease.

If you are you having a new kitchen fitted then it will almost certainly require some alterations to the electrics.

There are many things to consider when designing electrics for kitchens, including:

• what type of cooking appliances will be installed? These vary widely and as such will need different types of supply. For example, a free standing cooker, electric hob or double oven will need an independent circuit to supply them, whereas some single ovens can just be plugged into a socket outlet

• cooker hoods will need a fused spur or socket outlet installed in close proximity

• lighting arrangements: this is an opportunity to tailor the lighting to meet your tastes and requirements. Under cabinet lights, plinth lighting, downlights or low hanging pendant fittings above an island are effective ways to add character and style to kitchens

• the location of worktop appliances including: kettles, microwaves and toasters, needs to be given some thought as it will determine the position of new socket outlets

• under worktop appliances including: washing machines, dishwashers, fridges and freezers, will require a socket outlet behind them, unless they are integrated, in which case a socket outlet will need to be installed in an adjacent base unit.

What is involved?

Before any work can begin, we will conduct a survey on the property.

When installing sockets in a kitchen there are two options, either extend the existing circuit or install a new kitchen ring or radial circuit.

Due to the potentially large number of appliances used in a kitchen it is usually better to have a new kitchen circuit installed. This avoids the possibility of overloading an existing circuit. If a new circuit is to be wired, the existing sockets will be disconnected.  

Care will be taken to ensure continuity is maintained by joining all cables in a ceiling or floor void. A full test of the existing circuit will then be carried out to ensure it remains healthy.

If new circuits are required – either for sockets or cooking appliances – then cables will need to be run from the fuse board to the kitchen, potentially leading to disruption in other parts of the property.

Arc Electrical make every effort to ensure that the process goes as smoothly as possible – see our Customer Promise.

As with many other types of electrical work, a kitchen renovation will be split into two stages: First and Second Fix.

Upon completion of the work all appropriate certification and notification will be taken care of by us.