Kitchen Oven - Plug or Hardwired

Caerdyddblue on 28/02/2023 - 14:08

Hi everyone,

The oven has broken in our new place (bought a couple months ago), we were considering changing it at some point in the near future as it looks 10+ years old but now have been forced into it.

The ovens I was looking at are all hard-wired (pyrolytic ovens) as I assumed it was hardwired, although now I've taken the old oven out I can see it is actually a plug connection behind it. My main question is there a benefit over hardwired connections or should I just change my mind about a pyrolytic oven and get a cheaper plug connection oven?

Funds aren't a major issue but as we just bought it as our first home I'd be happy to avoid the installation cost if I can just buy a plug oven and plug it in myself but equally happy to buy a better oven and have it hardwired if there are clear benefits.

Thanks,

Ben

Electrical & Electronics Oven

Comments

  • Muzeeb on 28/02/2023 - 14:10

    Any photos?

    Is it just a normal 240v 10amp plug?

    Hardwired ovens can be more powerful.

    • BewareOfThe Dog on 28/02/2023 - 14:51
      +3

      Is the Earth bigger than normal? IE the Bottom one? If so, it's 15amp. A sparky may have put it on that way for easy of use/resetting etc.

    • GordonD on 28/02/2023 - 15:39

      Hardwired ovens can be more powerful.

      Depends on the plug. Ones that look like ordinary power points go up to single phase 15A - 3.5 kW. But three phase plugs and sockets go up to at least the 32A - 8 kW - that I've used. I don't believe you can hard wire any more than that.

      • Muzeeb on 28/02/2023 - 15:42
        +6

        I'm safely guessing that op does not have 3 phase in his kitchen.

    • Caerdyddblue on 28/02/2023 - 16:21

      Added photos below, cheers

  • altomic on 28/02/2023 - 14:21
    +2

    No benefit or difference between hardwired or plug

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 28/02/2023 - 14:24
    +4

    if the oven you're getting has a plug you can just diy plug in plug out..saves calling in a sparky i guess.

  • Transient on 28/02/2023 - 14:51
    +2

    Haven't looked into it but maybe the pyrolytic function requires more amps and therefore a sparkie and perhaps a new fuse in the meter box. I recall my meter box has a separate fuse but the oven is plug in. Not sure what the amps are though.

    • Jimothy Wongingtons on 28/02/2023 - 15:44
      +2

      iirc the minimum is 20A and on its own circuit - so like 4800W.

      • Transient on 28/02/2023 - 16:29

        cool - thanks. Pretty power hungry.

  • timthetoolman on 28/02/2023 - 14:53
    +2

    Have a look in your switchboard and see if there is a dedicated oven circuit. If so, you may be able to get a sparky to hard wire your new oven without running a new circuit, then you can get an oven up to 20a, instead of a 10a plug in oven

    • ozwog05 on 28/02/2023 - 15:03
      +2

      More power!

      username checks out.

  • Drakesy on 28/02/2023 - 15:44

    Just changed out our hardwired Overn/Grill/microwave combination for a new pyrolitic and surprisingly the pyrolytic combo came with a plug connection.

    Happy days. Mind you if you are uprating in amps from a lower amperage to a higher amperage chances are the wires will have to be uprated in line with the req's, although the electrician should be able to tell you (look at the power draw from your new oven vs the old oven and you should have an answer.

    • Muzeeb on 28/02/2023 - 15:47

      Out of curiosity - 10A or 15A plug?

      • Drakesy on 28/02/2023 - 15:48
        +1

        We're up to 15A, but it already had higher rated (thicker) wires running to it so it could handle the load.

    • hothed on 28/02/2023 - 16:44

      The oven circuit is 16A.
      Your old oven has a 10A plug. Therefore, likely to be a standard 10A powerpoint/GPO, which you did not take a photo of.

      What is the specifications of the new oven?

      Its likely that the circuit is run with a 2.5mm cable, but for some reason they put a 16A breaker on it, instead of a 20 amp breaker.
      If it pulls 16A or less, dont need to bother swapping the breaker.

      16a*230v = 3680watts

      • Muzeeb on 28/02/2023 - 17:11

        10A powerpoint/GPO, which you did not take a photo of.

        What about this photo from op?

        Looks like a 10A to me.

    • Muzeeb on 28/02/2023 - 17:08

      as it looks 10+ years old

      It's possibly nearly 20 years old according to the manufacturers date on the plug.

      • woodwa on 01/03/2023 - 13:13

        Nothing to say that the power cable could have come off an older appliance.. like a kettle…

  • bargaino on 28/02/2023 - 18:11
    -5

    Hardwired simply removes a minor source of resistance and potential failure. Especially as our quaint local laws require a switch on every outlet.

    If you lack the confidence to do trivial electrical work of the sort done by housewives in Europe, then a plug-in oven will save the inconvenience and expense of calling an electrician to plug in a new oven.

    • iDroid on 28/02/2023 - 18:28
      +2

      Hard wired is typically because many require 20 or 30 (or even more) amps - standard GPOs are rated 10 or 15amps. Not sure it really is to removed any additional resistance.

      • bargaino on 28/02/2023 - 18:48
        -4

        I did say "minor". But even 10 or 15A ovens are commonly hard-wired these days. It would make sense except for the burden imposed by peculiarly Australian regulations.
        20A, 25A and 32A outlets exist, but are not commonly used in domestic settings in Australia.
        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AS/NZS_3112#Variants

        What oven uses 30A? You may be thinking of cooktops.

        • Keplaffintech on 28/02/2023 - 20:47

          I have a double oven which draws up to 26A. It's on a 40A circuit

  • akyeeeahdude on 28/02/2023 - 19:05
    +1

    As others have said, many (especially pyrolytic ovens) are 15A these days - some even come with a 15A plug. No issue at all with cutting off the plug and having it hard wired, especially as not many would have a 15A plug already behind the oven space.

  • Caerdyddblue on 28/02/2023 - 19:44
    +1

    This is the oven I’m interested in https://www.billyguyatts.com.au/westinghouse-60cm-multifunct…

    Hoping I can buy this one and have a sparkie upgrade the cable over to a 15amp plug and socket and looking at the circuit it can handle 16amp?

    The above oven is 12.9amp

    • SBOB on 28/02/2023 - 19:49

      your existing circuit is on a 16A breaker, can easily have a plug added to the wiring on that oven and use existing socket.

      • chrisie on 28/02/2023 - 20:13
        +5

        Existing GPO is rated at 10 Amps so needs to upgrade GPO to a 15 Amp unit as Oven is rated at 12.9 Amps to be able to use a 15 Amp Plug.

        • SBOB on 28/02/2023 - 21:31
          +2

          Good point, and agreed. Misread early posts re 15a sockets.

  • mattmel96 on 01/03/2023 - 08:31
    +2

    As others have said, to be in compliance with AS/NZS 3000 Wiring Rules, you will need to get an electrician to either:
    a) replace your power socket with a 15A outlet and they install a fly-lead to the oven, or
    b) remove the current double power point and hard wire the oven.
    The plug option just makes it easy to remove the oven if needed without having to call an electrician again.
    They should also check to see if the other double power point is on the same circuit, as you may need to upgrade that line to cover any cooktop that is plugged in to it.

  • saltypete on 01/03/2023 - 09:34
    +1

    Just been through this with a very similar Westinghouse.
    Old one was hard wired, new one 10amp. required electrician install….
    Installation costs were either standard installation where sparky cuts the plug off and hard wires.
    Extra cost if sparky adds a power point then plugs the 10amp in.
    Such is life…….

    • Muzeeb on 01/03/2023 - 12:24

      Username checks out after having a sparky do some work.

  • SlartiBartFozz on 02/03/2023 - 20:05

    If you are upgrading to a newer appliance, you may find the power draw is higher than the old 10A socket — the most power-hungry domestic appliances are induction cooktops or cooker/range, which usually need 30 to 40 amps to operate.
    An oven/microwave/combi/steam will typically not need more than 10A but you need to confirm that.
    Three-phase can be used to provide higher power needs, but not needed unless you are installing commercial equipment.

  • Caerdyddblue on 15/03/2023 - 23:11
    +1

    Just want to say thanks for the help everybody, oven was delivered and installed with a 15amp plug and socket. Good result!

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