Kitchen renovations cost money, but if you do things right the first time, you won’t end up spending more than you need too. If you plan well and trust the professionals, you’ll have a safe and functional kitchen, complete with proper lighting and ventilation.
Kitchen Electrical Work
When you’re renovating the kitchen, the first thing to do is to get in touch with a licensed electrician. There are standard requirements for the placement and wires and sockets in your home and that’s not something you can do yourself. In fact, when it goes beyond changing a light bulb, the law usually requires that turn to a professional electrician.
Adding Sub-Panels
You’ll need more power in your kitchen than anywhere else in the home. Just think of all the appliances you’ll need to run.
You might have to install a sub-panel to handle your increased power consumption needs. You could either place the sub-panel close to the main panel or install it elsewhere in the room and connect it with a sub-feed cable. The most important thing that a professional will ensure is that the area around the sub-panel is clear of the floor and the ceiling. The installation of a subpanel doesn’t allow you to draw more power. It only gives you the option of having extra circuits for your appliances.
Planning the Requirements for Circuits
It’s a good idea to place one socket for every 4 feet of counter space in the kitchen. Measure your countertop to determine the number of sockets you need. Every area that measures more than 12 inches x 24 inches should ideally have one socket.
You have to also equip your home with circuit breakers or fuses to prevent electric shock. The circuit breaker will stop the flow of electricity in case there’s an overload. Most homes have a rewireable fuse, a cartridge fuse or a plug-in circuit breaker on the switchboard. If you want to replace the fuse with a circuit breaker, you’ll need the help of an electrician.
Electrical Installations in the Kitchen
Since the kitchen is a moist environment, there should be some distance between electrical sockets and the kitchen sink. The distance varies depending on the capacity of the sink. If the sink holds less than 45 litres, don’t install the fittings within 0.4 m from the top of the sink or within 0.15 m from the sides of the sink. If the sink holds more than 45 litres, install the fitting either 1 meter away from the top of the sink or 0.5 meters away from the side edges of the sink.
Domestic Electrical Services
If you need help renovating your kitchen, contact the experts at Laser Electrical Yarraville. Our 24 hour electricians in Melbourne have years of experience and we come equipped with all the necessary tools for home remodelling projects.
Whether you want to install wires for an electric cooktop, add circuits, or change the kitchen layout, talk to one of our residential electricians. We will help you install the right wires and outlets that meet the electrical requirements of your area.
If you need ideas to renovate your kitchen, call us on 1300 761 024. We’ll be happy to discuss your requirements. You could also visit us online to fill out an enquiry.
