My parents have just purchased a cooktop to replace their existing old cooktop.
Was just wondering how much is a reasonable price to pay for installation? They are located in Sydney.
I am currently at work and don't have the time to call and get individual quotes till tomorrow. But knowing my dad and his impatience, he will likely just call 1 or 2 and get them to come out today if I don't find out soon.
Install is just plugging it in and perhaps some very basic wiring (attaching a plug).
Check the peak draw on the new unit. If you have to increase the wattage, it is going to cost a bit. These old units are typically in <25A circuits. My recent install is 60A.
That's a frestanding oven with cooktop, not just a cooktop. So only price is electrician to hook it up (no cutting benchtops or anything like that).
I agree 150 to 200 or so to get an electrician to come out.
(It's honestly an easy DIY if you know what you are doing, screw some wires into place. But technically that's illegal, and potentially dangerous if you don't know what you are doing).
At my last house, I redid the electrician's work. Had a cooktop that needed 45A at peak draw. The electrician had the good sense of wiring directly as we couldn't source a 45A plug but he used cable rated for 15A (independant circuit was 45A) because he couldn't get the stock cable (provided by manufacturer) to work.
But it is still illegal to DIY. Just make sure the electrician uses the manufacturer's cable or something equally rated. Don't take the electrician's word for it and check the connections behind the junction box.
I had an electrician at my house a few months ago doing some other work and I asked him how much it would cost to move a cooktop from one side of the kitchen to the other and he said $120 ex GST.
if it is replacing an existing oven with the one linked then you must get an electrician to connect these up.
because it is really complicated.
really really really complicated.
what the electrician would do is
(1) turn off the power at the RCD/switchboard.
(2) turn on the oven to see that it is not live (I don't mean "turn on" by rubbing it seductively)
(3) if oven is off then - pull the old oven away from the cavity. the power cable should be long enough to do this.
(4) remove the backing sheet or power connection cover from the old oven.
(5) release/turn counter clockwise the screws holding the 3 power colour coded wires to the back of the oven.
(6) remove oven, put new oven in place.
(7) connect wires (as colour coded).
(8) replace cover/backingsheet)
(9) slide new connected stove into place
(9) turn on power at RCD/Switchboard
you need a post-doctoral degree to that.
call an electrician.
or airtasker.
or put an add up on facebook market place.
if you have everything in place then it is a 10 minute job.
Hahaha yeah. As with a lot of these things, you're not so much paying for labour (or even expertise), but rather the confidence that they know what they're doing, and freedom from liability just in case they actually don't (the piece of paper saying they do is important).
The day I stuff up a household electrical install is the day I give up surgery. If I'm not of sucifiently sound mind to connect L-L, N-N and G-G, I shouldn't be cutting.
My sarcasm radar is broken because I can see someone stuffing that up.
I use a current tester (that thing that looks like a pen, whatever it is called). An oven that is to be replaced may be because it is faulty. I wouldn't assume an oven that doesn't turn on = mains off.
And check peak draw. The new stuff has seriously high draw.
It's fine and straight forward to do, until you stuff something easy up and burn your house down, or worse yet kill a family member. $150-$250 doesn't seem like that much to pay then for piece of mind.
I better not change a tyre on my car in case I stuff that up and cause my car to crash. getting RACQ membership doesn't seem like that much to pay then for piece of mind.
Whilst I see your point, changing a tyre isn't a licenced trade and illegal to do on your own. More out of curiosity than anything else, what electrical work do you do on your own?
@timthetoolman: work that only requires reattaching wires.
eg. swapping out power points.
never mains stuff.
basic stuff that requires half a brain cell and common sense to undertake.
I did do electronics course at TAFE. it was more circuitry however some were high voltage so it taught me how not to electrocute myself.
(I don't mean "turn on" by rubbing it seductively)
Thanks for clarifying
Many years ago, when I had a stove replaced I found a guy off…. some site….. and it cost I think around $170-$250 ish? I think even that was expensive at the time, so use that as an upper limit I guess.