TECHNICAL GUIDANCE
ELECTRICAL FITTINGS NEAR COOKERS AND SINKS
8.1/22 – December 2012
(First issue)
QUESTION
How far should electrical fittings be located from a gas or electric cooker, hob or grill, kitchen sink or drainer?
CONSIDERATIONS
BS 6172 ‘Specification for installation, servicing and maintenance of domestic gas cooking
appliances’ says ‘the cable, plug, socket, switched fused spur, double pole switch or control unit
shall not be in contact with hot surfaces or directly exposed to products of combustion’.
BS 6172 refers to ‘Electrician’s Guide to the Building Regulations Part P’ by P. Cook which gives
guidance on location of electrical fittings in kitchens.
The NICEIC provides guidance on the location of electrical fittings next to kitchen sinks and
drainers.
ANS WER
In the absence of any advice in the appliance manufacturer’s installation instructions, an electrical
fitting such as a socket outlet, switch, control unit etc. should be positioned to enable safe
operation and to avoid the harmful effects of heat and steam from cooking activities.
A standard electrical fitting, (which is not splash resistant), should not be located next to a sink or
drainer where it could be affected by splashing.
A minimum distance of 300mm, measured horizontally from an electrical fitting to the edge of a
high level grill, free standing cooker, individual hob, sink or drainer, is considered acceptable for
the purposes of avoiding adverse effects from using a cooker, sink or drainer.
NHBC
NHBC House, Davy Avenue, Knowlhill, Milton Keynes, Bucks
Tel: 0844 633 1000 Fax: 0844 633 0022
www.nhbc.co.uk
MK5 8FP
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HB1674 06/11