Electrical – Hob wiring 5 core cable to 3 terminals

electrical

I've wired a new induction hob in and looking for confirmation on cabling.

Instructions state you can wire it as follows:

A)3 x 4 mm² three-core L1 N G (bridge L1,L2,L3 inside on hob terminal if using 3 core cable)
or
B)5 x 2.5 mm² five-core L1 L2 L3 N G
http://productdocs.smeg.it/st/PI964X/userManual/GB

It came pre wired with a 5 core cable. I have 3 terminals available on a 45A outlet.

I have connected L1 L2 L3 into L terminal on the 45A outlet. All appears to work well. Is this ok?

Alternatively I have a 3 core cable from old hob I could use but would prefer not to unscrew terminal box on the new hob. Not sure if there are bridge connectors for L1 L2 L3 which I would need with a 3 core cable, as it already has a pre wired 5 core cable.

Thanks

Best Answer

The L1, L2 and L3 terminals are separate for a specific reason: many countries in Europe (and some homes in the UK) have access to two-phase or 3-phase power, and 16A is a common breaker size on the continent. So in a larger home in Germany, for instance, this same hob would be connected to all three phases via a 3-phase, 16A breaker. In that case 5-wire cable would supply all three phases, neutral and ground, that would hook up in the obvious manner.

If your home has 3-phase, you too can split load like that, with appropriate breakers. It really doesn't matter which of the 3 is connected to which phase, as long as the wire size and breaker is correct.

Or in a 1-phase home, you can connect all 3 terminals to your one supply phase. You will need to use a 45, 48 or 50A breaker, of course.

Related Topic