Thread: Electric oven switch 10A,13A, or something else

gotta check on this, but the ones i've been installing recently have been 15-20A

Generally no - time to visit Turks ( or whatever your local electrical trades outlet is). Either that or a regular sparkie - if you look at your fusebox there should be a circuit breaker just for the oven and or cook top if it is electric. The rating of the circuit breaker will guide you to what rating the switch must be. This is one of those jobs where you do not want to invite Lucas, the Prince of Darkness, into your home.

My fuse box says 20A for the oven.

Localised cooker isolators (switches) are normally minimum of 15 amp, but it depends on the cooker.

You should be able to find a label which tells you the w/h rating (ie the max watts that the cooker draws when everything is running, oven grill, hotplates etc., It may be shown in Kw/hr - but a Kw is a 1000 watts

So when you have the total divide that by the volts 220 and you end up with the running current in AMPs - the switch you should chose is the next size up from what your max amps draw is.

For example if your local voltage = 220

If your total watts = 2,200 (2.2 kw) then the amps = 10 amps

So use a 15 amp switch

If your total watts = 4,000 (4kw) then the amps = 18.12 amps

So use a 20 amp switch

Sorry its a over complicated answer to a simple question -

thanks for all the replies.
I have a vague idea of watts amps etc, (very vague) but when the bloke in Bunnings gave me a 10A switch it just didn't sound right.

I mean just what the hell was he thinking?
He could of given that to someone who had less of an idea than me and they could have installed it!

Yes I know, if you don't know get a sparkie it's their job.

I'll try to find out the draw from the oven or maybe it'll say the rating on the old switch somewhere?

Either way I'll not change the switch until I'm sure.

Thanks again
Steve

The easiest way would be to look in your power box it will have a separate circuit for the oven and marked accordingly (oven) what ever the circuit breaker is rated at that is the size switch you will need.

P.S. I hate to sound like my mum but you should only play with electrical stuff if you are qualified. I know anyone can buy electrical components but only a suitably qualified person can install it. It's a bit like buying a car anyone can buy it but only a licensed person can drive it.

Cheers Blythe

I'm not sure about WA, but I guess it's generally the same all over. Recent changes to the wiring code are the reason, as I was told, behind the requirement for the stove to be able to be isolated by switch at the adjacent wall.
It's big motha so I would reckon 20A min.

Cheers

i don't usually advrtise this, but i am a sparky. and it looks like you are about to be ripped off.
turn the power off and take the switch plate off the wall. if the mech (the middle bit) has pushed into the wall and that is the source of your woes, it is meant to clip back in to the plate. if there are broken bits, go down to your local electrical wholesaler, turks , l&h, TLE or whatever, and get an oven isolation switch, dont know the part number and it would vary for different brands anyway. the switch they will give you will have oven written on it, like the one you already have, and will be rated somewhere around 25 to 35 amps.
it's not a fuse, it's not there to protect the oven, it's there to protect you if something goes wrong and your sparky if he's working on it. so rating is not important, as long as it will handle the load of your oven.
i hope this helps