Cable identification from conductor size

[Craig-SM]

Looks like the range cooker is going to have to be replaced as despite recent fixes it is on the blink again. Currently it’s a gas only but when I rewired the kitchen decades ago it had an electric oven so I ripped out the old and dangerous electrics and replaced with new but I can’t remember what with.

Consumer unit has a 32a breaker for the oven and the cables are buried to the isolator switch and again to the connector. I'm not prepared to start pulling plaster off just so I can read the cable so removing the isolator switch I can see the cables are the older black and red, the conductor (multi strand) diameter on them is 3.45mm so would this be 6mm or 10mm twin & earth?

Reason I need to know is the wife wants all electric with conductor hob. I’m happy to stay with gas or at a push go to dual fuel. Advised that 10mm for all electric and 6mm for dual fuel.

 

[angellonewolf]

all electric might be hard induction oven and a full oven single might be all right you might get away with both on a single cable idealy 1 cable per unit is best the induction hobs can be quite power hungery

 

[Craig-SM]

Not wanting to run any extra cables as floors are tiled which it currently goes under and walls just repainted.

 

[drjim]

Our induction hob needed a 10mm cable all to itself. Sadly the spark had put in 6mm which had then had concrete, insulation, screed, and ufh pipes over the top - hob is on an island. Fortunately you can adjust the hob settings so it won't pull more than the 6mm can take. Problem is they can randomly turn all the elements to full whack at the same time, hence need for 10mm.

 

[dave h 2]

You need the diameter of one strand not the twisted multistrand. Then do school maths.

 

[Seadog]

Looks like the range cooker is going to have to be replaced as despite recent fixes it is on the blink again. Currently it’s a gas only but when I rewired the kitchen decades ago it had an electric oven so I ripped out the old and dangerous electrics and replaced with new but I can’t remember what with.

Consumer unit has a 32a breaker for the oven and the cables are buried to the isolator switch and again to the connector. I'm not prepared to start pulling plaster off just so I can read the cable so removing the isolator switch I can see the cables are the older black and red, the conductor (multi strand) diameter on them is 3.45mm so would this be 6mm or 10mm twin & earth?

Reason I need to know is the wife wants all electric with conductor hob. I’m happy to stay with gas or at a push go to dual fuel. Advised that 10mm for all electric and 6mm for dual fuel.

Measure the conductor diameter on an unmolested section, then multiplying the square of the radius by pi will give the csa.

 

[Welderpaul]

Looks like the range cooker is going to have to be replaced as despite recent fixes it is on the blink again. Currently it’s a gas only but when I rewired the kitchen decades ago it had an electric oven so I ripped out the old and dangerous electrics and replaced with new but I can’t remember what with.

Consumer unit has a 32a breaker for the oven and the cables are buried to the isolator switch and again to the connector. I'm not prepared to start pulling plaster off just so I can read the cable so removing the isolator switch I can see the cables are the older black and red, the conductor (multi strand) diameter on them is 3.45mm so would this be 6mm or 10mm twin & earth?

Reason I need to know is the wife wants all electric with conductor hob. I’m happy to stay with gas or at a push go to dual fuel. Advised that 10mm for all electric and 6mm for dual fuel.

Sizes on 6mm T&E

 

[Agroshield]

Sizes on 6mm T&E

That is a bit of a dodgy way to do it. Think of a wire rope with seven strands. Externally it is a hexagon so it measures differently across the points to across the flats.

Better, as suggested above, to measure a single strand (even better, measure all strands and average), then multiply by number of strands.

 

[Welderpaul]

That is a bit of a dodgy way to do it. Think of a wire rope with seven strands. Externally it is a hexagon so it measures differently across the points to across the flats.

Better, as suggested above, to measure a single strand (even better, measure all strands and average), then multiply by number of strands.

It’s near enough to tell the difference between 6mm and 10mm cable

 

[Blobber]

10mm will be obvious, it's massive horrible stuff

 

[dobbslc]

10mm will be obvious, it's massive horrible stuff

Get a yellow crimp lug, they are 6mm
If it don't fit it's 10mm cable.

We have a range cooker that has a double over/grill and 5 induction rings, it's fed from a 32A mcb.
I've had it pretty well flat out for big Christmas dinners and it's never tripped the breaker.
I did fit a 10mm cable as I didn't know what I was going to fit.

 

[Misterg]

would this be 6mm or 10mm twin & earth?

What is the earth (CPC /pedant) conductor like?

AFAIK 6mm^2 has a single, solid CPC; 10mm^2 and above is multiple strands for CPC.

(May not apply to old black and red twin & earth.)

 

[angellonewolf]

Get a yellow crimp lug, they are 6mm
If it don't fit it's 10mm cable.

We have a range cooker that has a double over/grill and 5 induction rings, it's fed from a 32A mcb.
I've had it pretty well flat out for big Christmas dinners and it's never tripped the breaker.
I did fit a 10mm cable as I didn't know what I was going to fit.

cant get much easyer than that

 

[Craig-SM]

What is the earth (CPC /pedant) conductor like?

AFAIK 6mm^2 has a single, solid CPC; 10mm^2 and above is multiple strands for CPC.

(May not apply to old black and red twin & earth.)

I never actually looked at that so will have another gander tomorrow

 

[MetalMonkey]

Keep in mind if its old colours then it may well be imperial sized not metric. Best measuring one strand as stated.

 

[Turbo]

I definitely would not go all electric. If you have a power cut you will have no way of cooking. At least with a gas hob you can still cook and boil a kettle.

Plus you will probably need to buy all new saucepans for the induction hob. A gas hob tends to warp pans slightly rendering them useless on a electric hob.

 

[Turbo]

I have a wire diameter guide for stranded cable I've been using for years and it's accurate enough to id most cable.

BTW twin and earth cable normally doesn't have the cable size marked on the outer sheath.

 

[Craig-SM]

I definitely would not go all electric. If you have a power cut you will have no way of cooking. At least with a gas hob you can still cook and boil a kettle.

Plus you will probably need to buy all new saucepans for the induction hob. A gas hob tends to warp pans slightly rendering them useless on a electric hob.

I want to stick with gas as more controllable and it’s mainly me that does the cooking

Pans are induction hob safe but from the comments it doesn’t look like an option unless I run a new cable and I don’t want to do that.

 

[reb78]

I want to stick with gas as more controllable and it’s mainly me that does the cooking

Pans are induction hob safe but from the comments it doesn’t look like an option unless I run a new cable and I don’t want to do that.

Leave it as not an option and then you get your way! (Which I'd agree, as the main cook also, is also the best way... although induction is almost as co trollable as gas tbh)

 

[xstian]

I want to stick with gas as more controllable and it’s mainly me that does the cooking

Pans are induction hob safe but from the comments it doesn’t look like an option unless I run a new cable and I don’t want to do that.

It might be worth putting a link up for the oven and hob you are interested in. With ovens and hobs, you normally only rate them at 70% of there full load when calculating cable size. I still think you will probable need a 10mm, the lesser powered induction hobs are a bit rubbish.

One big plus induction has over gas, is its very easy to keep clean. Because it heats the pan and not the glass, spills etc don't get burnt on so only needs a wipe with a damp cloth. Induction is also just a easy to control as gas, decent ones maybe more so.