Can You Wire Your Gas Hob Yourself?

Gas and electric ranges are the convenient cooking options for most homes, with gas ranges being chosen by professional kitchens for their response time and controllability.

Gas hobs are purchased as natural gas hobs or LPG gas hobs. You must buy the correct stove to match your type of gas, it is very dangerous to mix them up.

The valve (or control dial) controls the amount of gas allowed through the injector, which provides high, medium, or low heat. Next to the injector, under the burner ring, you'll find the igniter, this is what ignites the gas.

If you want to install a gas cooker yourself it is important to remember that you must not connect the gas cooker unless you are a Gas Safe Registered Engineer.

Under the Gas Safety Regulations 1998, you must be qualified to operate gas appliances. Regulation 3 states that anyone who receives an award for gas work (whether fit or not) shall be registered with Gas Safe. While many unqualified/DIYers debate the meaning of "competence" under the code, we believe that you must have the knowledge and experience to install a gas appliance before installing your own.

This regulation protects the public and customers from hazardous activities. If your work leads to some disaster, you could very well face legal action or even jail time.

When looking at the instructions for installing a gas hob, it may seem straightforward. However, this four-step process requires meeting different standards that your installation manual may not mention. A Gas Safety Registered Engineer typically conducts many inspections before, during, and after work. Although tedious, this process is necessary. Before undertaking any gas work, it is important to know and understand the regulations and standards for all aspects of the task.

A good compromise we recommend is to call up registered fitters and work together in a mentor-student fashion. Fitters can act as your advisors as you work through the details of regulations, approving final plans before starting and checking the work after completion. While you may have a hard time finding a registered fitter willing to do this, it's still a much better way to install your new gas range without breaking the law.

Before you start installing a gas hob, you should be aware of the following:

Distance: The installation instructions for the gas cooker must always be followed, which detail in the manufacturer's instructions that you must keep a safe distance from anything that may present a fire risk. For this reason, consult a gas engineer for specific regulations.

Ventilation: While you are keeping a safe distance from any fire risk, make sure the room you are in is also ventilated. If a gas leak occurs before or after installation, it is best to place the gas appliance near a window or door. With this in mind, there are also some guidelines when placing your stove:

If the hob is placed under a window, the window should have a distance of at least 500 mm.

If next to a door, a distance of at least 500mm should be maintained.

The hob should always be positioned against a wall and at the end of the worktop.

Hot Zones: When installing a cooker or range, pay attention to the hot spots on the top and sides of the appliance. Make sure there are no fixed objects within 760mm above it, including range hoods. On the sides, the thermal zone is located at 150 mm, with nothing placed within a height of 460 mm. Once you've laid out your hot zone, it should not be where plugs, kitchen utensils, or appliances that could burn or melt can be placed.

Gas and Electricity Supply: Your gas and electricity supply should be placed within 1.5 meters of the appliance location. Check which feed your stove needs. Typically, most gas appliances only need 13A. However, in some cases, you will need a 32A fused spur.

Installing a gas hob in your home is not as easy as it sounds. While you may not be aware of these regulations and standards, we still recommend that you engage an expert. If you want to buy a new gas hob, please contact us.

Greidea is a professional custom gas hob manufacturer with more than 20 years of experience. Greidea has its own two production bases with more than 500 employees and covers an area of 100,000 square meters. We are equipped with a professional quality inspection system and a complete management service team to provide users with one-stop shopping services in place.