FAQ
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As the name implies, a free standing cooker can be fitted to any free and available space and does not require a cabinet.
Free standing cookers normally incorporate a hob, single or double oven with a built in grill and come in several configurations. Common variations include a glass lid incorporating a gas safety shut off valve to the hob, a metal lid which covers the hob or no lid at all. Some cookers also come with a high level grill and for the sake of this article, we'll include range cookers too. Fuel sources for these types of cookers could be gas, electric or dual fuel (both gas and electric). Reference to a cooker or hob with an FSD (Flame Supervision Device) is also common since January 2008. The FSD automatically shuts of the gas flow in the event of flame failure such as a pot boiling over and extinguishing the flame.
Firstly, always use the manufacturer installation instructions, if available, as many allow closer clearances than British Standards. If you don't have the cooker manual, your gas fitter will work from the British Standard rules.
Unless the manufacturer states otherwise, a free standing gas cooker requires a clearance of 20mm* to the sides, 760mm* above and many manufacturers recommend that at least 1000mm to the front of the oven to aid in cooking, grill removal and servicing. The side clearance may need to be increased if the cooker is to be installed in a corner whereby an extra 150mm must be added to the 20mm to equal a 170mm* gap. Click on the diagram to the right to see a larger image showing clearances. The area above and to the sides of the cooker must not contain flammable items such as sockets, switches, alarm sensors or any other flammable material. Flammable materials include wallpaper, wooden or fabric wall coverings, curtains, shelving, power points, switches, alarm panels, boilers, etc.
Your appliance may not conform to current building regulations which change on a frequent basis and me not be deemed safe according to current building regulations. In all cases we follow the most current published building regulations without exception.
As the name implies, a free standing cooker with high level grill can be fitted to any free and available space and does not require a cabinet.
Free standing cookers with high level grill normally incorporate a hob, single or double oven with a grill mounted above the hob area. We've heard many people refer to these as eye level grills as the grill is roughly at eye level. Fuel sources for these types of cookers could be gas, electric or dual fuel which is both gas and electric. Reference to a cooker or hob with an FSD is also common since January 2008. The Flame Supervision Device shuts of the gas in the event of flame failure such as a pot boiling over and extinguishing the flame. The device will shut off the gas flow automatically.
Firstly, always use the manufacturer installation instructions, if available, as many allow closer clearances than British Standards. If you don't have the cooker manual, your gas fitter will work from the British Standard rules.
Unless the manufacturer states otherwise, a free standing gas cooker with high level grill requires a clearance of 20mm* to the sides, 610mm* above and many manufacturers recommend that at least 1000mm to the front of the oven to aid in cooking, grill removal and servicing. The side clearance may need to be increased if the cooker is to be installed in a corner whereby an extra 150mm must be added to the 20mm to equal a 170mm* gap. Click on the diagram to the right to see a larger image showing clearances. The area above and to the sides of the cooker must not contain flammable items such as sockets, switches, alarm sensors or any other flammable material. Flammable materials include wallpaper, wooden or fabric wall coverings, curtains, shelving, power points, switches, alarm panels, boilers, etc.
If your cooker was installed some time ago, its position may not be deemed safe today according to current building regulations. In all cases the BS 6172:2004 or more current building regulations will be followed.
*BS6172:2004
As the name implies, a free standing range cooker can be fitted to any free and available space and does not require a cabinet.
Free standing range cookers come in many different configurations. One example would be two electric ovens, a triple-ring gas burner, a half-ribbed, half-smooth gas griddle, as well as a separate grilling compartment. Common variations include a glass lid incorporating a gas safety shut off valve to the hob or no lid at all. Fuel sources for these types of cookers could be gas, electric or dual fuel (both gas and electric). Reference to a cooker or hob with an FSD (Flame Supervision Device) is also common since January 2008. The FSD automatically shuts of the gas flow in the event of flame failure such as a pot boiling over and extinguishing the flame.
Unless the manufacturer states otherwise, a free standing gas cooker requires a clearance of 20mm* to the sides, 760mm* above and many manufacturers recommend that at least 1000mm to the front of the oven to aid in cooking, grill removal and servicing. The side clearance may need to be increased if the cooker is to be installed in a corner whereby an extra 150mm* must be added to the 20mm* to equal a 170mm* gap. Click on the diagram to the right to see a larger image showing clearances. The area above and to the sides of the cooker must not contain flammable items such as sockets, switches, alarm sensors or any other flammable material. Flammable materials include wallpaper, wooden or fabric wall coverings, curtains, shelving, power points, switches, alarm panels, boilers, etc.
The most common issue we see with fitting range cookers is when a consumer wants to replace a regular sized cooker of 500mm to 600mm wide with a range cooker of 1100mm wide for example. The clearance above the range cooker MUST be adjusted before the appliance can be hooked up. No exceptions. We've attended many homes where upper cupboards and electric points that were above the old work surface which are now directly above the range cooker once the base units are removed. Any electrical point, upper cupboard or boilers must be moved prior to hooking up and testing the range cooker.
If your cooker was installed some time ago, its position may not be deemed safe today according to current building regulations. In all cases the BS 6172:2004 or more current building regulations will be followed.
*BS6172:2004
There is a difference between a built-in ovens and a built-under oven and it is important not to get mixed up between the two.Built-in double ovens are 900mm high and are meant to be mounted at roughly waist height in to a larder style housing or column. Built-in double ovens cannot be fitted under a worktop. It is vital prior to purchasing a new unit that you check all of the dimensions. Built-in oven = waste high mounting
Built-under ovens can be either a single or double oven style. Either will fit into an modern kitchen base unit aperture of 720mm high. A single oven is approximately 600mm high. As the unit is 720mm high the extra space of approximately 120mm is made up by sitting the oven on a shelf. Once the shelf is in place a decorative panel that matches your existing cabinet doors will be mounted to hide the extra space.
Built-under double ovens can be fitted in various ways dependant upon the manufacturer. A double oven fills the entire base unit aperture of 720mm high. Some models don't require a base unit and are supplied with rails which are mounted to either side of the adjacent base units. The cooker then slides into the opening on the mounted rails. The gap underneath would then be covered by the plinth. Some models come as freestanding units with their own adjustable legs and take the place of a base cabinet. The plinth covers the legs of the cooker just like a base cabinet. If you are choosing a freestanding unit to sit where a base cabinet currently resides do yourself a favour and make sure that there is nothing running under then units along the floor. We've come across many clients who have ordered these units that cannot be installed because central heating pipes, waste pipe work or other obstruction are running underneath the existing units.
If you are replacing a built-under single oven with a built-under double oven some modifications will be required. This is because a single oven sits on a small shelf covered by a decorative panel. This panel and shelf must be removed to allow for the extra height requirements of a double oven.
In general the materials that cabinets are constructed of must withstand a temperature increase of at least 60°C above ambient and proper arrangements must be made of a continuous supply of air to the oven to prevent the oven overheating. It is usually advisable to remove the back panel of the cabinet. Some manufacturers might require an air vent be placed in the plinth area and most will require a small mounting gap be left open near the top of the unit to allow for free air flow. If the required vents are not installed as per the manufacturers installation instructions you may find that the nice finish on your cabinet start to peel away.
It should be also be said that even though your cooker was installed to a certain location many years ago it may not be deemed safe today. In all cases current building regulations will be followed.
A built in gas hob unit gives consumers the freedom of placing the cooking surface in a location other than directly over the oven if they so choose.Gas hobs usually come in a few different layouts those being 4-ring, 5-ring and 6-ring with various layouts. Fuel sources for these types of cookers could be gas or electric but please note that a gas hob will almost always require a connection to the house mains via a 3 amp switched and fused spur for use by the sparker.
A gas hob requires clearance to the front, back, sides and above. The clear area must not contain such items as sockets, switches or alarm sensors or any other flammable material. To clarify; flammable material would be wallpaper, wooden or fabric wall coverings, curtains, shelving, power points, switches, alarm panels, boilers, etc.
There are few things to watch for when installing or replacing a gas hob:
Although similar sized hobs may measure the same on the outside it is not always the case that the new hob will simply drop into the hole left over from the old hob. Sometime the opening needs to be cut out to accommodate the hidden part of the hob. Base cabinets located underneath the work surface may also require cutting or other modifications in order to fit the hob securely once in place.
If you are replacing a traditional 4-ring hob with a wider unit such as a 5-ring hob incorporating a wok burner for example the clearances on all sides and above the new unit must be adjusted to comply. The clearance above the new hob MUST be adjusted before the appliance can be hooked up. We've attended many homes where upper cupboards and electric points that were above the old work surface are now above the hob once the unit has been installed. Any electrical point or upper cupboard or boilers must be moved prior to hooking up and testing the new gas hob.
It should be also be said that even though your hob was installed to a certain location many years ago it may not be deemed safe today. In all cases current building regulations will be followed.
As a rule of thumb a gas hob cannot be connected with a bayonet style flexible gas hose as used on a cooker unless specified specifically by the 'hob' manufacturer. Even if the manufacturer states that a flexible hose connector can be used it is only if the hob is not mounted directly above a built in oven.Gas hobs are usually connected by way of a hard connection such as copper pipe work. The gas pipe work must incorporate a gas isolator within easy reach in order to turn off the gas in case of emergency.
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Gas ovens suffer from a design quirk between manufacturers which sometimes comes back to haunt the consumer and the installer as well. The viewable measurements of built-in and built-under cookers may appear to be the same between your old and new cooker but the measurements behind the scenes vary greatly. Cooker depths are just one issue and many have an area near to the top rear of the oven which is shorter by about 4 or 5 inches.
This sometimes causes problems if the hob pipe work and gas isolator have not been installed tight to the wall and the bottom of the work surface.The placement of the plug socket can also cause an issue with the new cooker. Many sockets are placed in the middle and directly behind the cooker. As already mentioned some cookers are deeper than others which may means that the new cooker may not push back into the housing when it's plugged in.
As many cookers do not have a cut out section near the top ear of the housing and some are deeper than others it may be necessary for the installer to move the hob pipe work as well as the plug socket.
Electric coil hobs are still around and although few and far between can still be purchased new. The electrical coils radiate heat, similar to the old type of electric coil cook top. Some hobs also come with the elements under the smooth surface of a ceramic top.A glass-ceramic stove uses radiant heating coils or infrared halogen lamps as the heating elements. The surface of the glass-ceramic cook top above the burner heats up, but the adjacent surface remains cool because of the low heat conduction coefficient of the material.
Induction hobs only heat the pan and only work with ferrous pans. You can touch the adjacent surface without burning yourself. Rather than the cooking surface heating up, a magnetic field is created between the iron pan and an element underneath the glass top. Because the pan rather than the cooking surface heats up, induction hobs are quicker than other types of hob, and are cheaper to run because they use only the precise amount of energy required. Due to the powerful electromagnetic field, induction may not be suitable if you have a pacemaker fitted, and they can be noisy when more than one cooking zone is in use.
Sealed plate hobs use traditional solid electric plates to heat pots and pans and come in at the lower end of the price range. The solid plate is a modern version of the old fashioned hot plate.
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