Jack asks this question, which is about recommended distances between electrical accessories and a heat source. It has been answered by the NICEIC (Theme – Distribution Equipment including Cable Management)
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Question: We are being advised by a gas fitter that electrical accessories should not be installed closer than 300mm to gas hobs. Could you please share your thoughts on this is advice, as is the similar distance recommended from sinks or a 'gas' regulation something that electricians need to know about?
Answer: BS 7671 does not specify a minimum distance between an accessory and a heat source, such as a hob.
However, indent (ii) of Regulation 522.2.1 recognises placing sufficiently far from the source of heat as one method that may be used to protect a wiring system.
When considering what constitutes a suitable distance, it is worth remembering that the sources of heat on a cooker top are usually somewhat inboard from the edge of the appliance. Another point to remember is that the integral control dials on a cooker are in some cases significantly closer to the source of heat than any accessory affixed to the building fabric, and they do not suffer significant heat damage.
An accessory installed at least 100mm horizontally from the edge of the hob is likely to meet the requirements of BS 7671. If an accessory is encountered closer to a hob than this during a periodic inspection, engineering judgment will need to be applied to determine whether this is safe. An accessory so located for a considerable time that had not suffered any perceptible heat damage would not warrant a classification code or comment on the Electrical Installation Condition Report. (EICR)
Any manufacturer’s recommendations should be taken into account.
An accessory should not be located immediately above an electric oven or hob due to the possibility of people reaching over suffering burns or the flexible cable of connected equipment being damaged.
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