Should Cooker Isolator switch always be left ON??

Swift66

Hello,

Should I leave my cooker isolator switch ( big red switch on wall) on all the time - I've got into the habit of turning it off all the time , but notice that the cooker fan ( or something) runs after cooking, and wonder if turing it off after cooking may stop a full cooling going down after cooking.

I know some people just turn cooker off and leave isolator on at all times and others , like me, turn it off.

Which is better Sparks???

Cheers

M cebee

don't use the isolator for switching(control) of cooker anyhow

i was taught to switch everything off when not in use-so that's what i do

meercat

my advice is to let the over run fan to keep going until it turns off automatically
there will be different views on your cooker switch though
personally i would leave it on all the time
this will enable your timer(clock)to stay at the correct time
my opinion would be that the cooker switch is an isolator to turn power off during emergency or when maintaining it

Bruthal

Leave it on id say anyway.

meercat

3 quick replies here lads
any more?

Bruthal

All 3 at the same time as well.

M cebee

and only 1 right answer:pac:

Bruthal

Not at all, meercat got it right as well:pac:

meercat

robbie7730 wrote: »

Not at all, meecat got it right as well:pac:

cheers robbie

M cebee

2011 will be along shortly to make it 2-2(not:pac:)

stimpson

I've always thought it was there if a repairman needed to work on the oven. If the oven is off it's drawing a tiny amount of current - why bother turning it off at the switch?

My mother turns off everything with a light and unplugs whatever she can and it drives me mad.

Bruthal

M cebee wrote: »

2011 will be along shortly to make it 2-2(not:pac:)

I was just thinking that myself. Maybe send him a PM bribe:D

meercat

3-1 i think

Bruthal

stimpson wrote: »

I've always though it was there if a repairman needed to work on the oven. If the oven is off it's drawing a tiny amount of current - why bother turning it off at the switch?

The only current the oven should draw when its off at its own controls is what the clock uses, which will be tiny. The clock will reset if switched off at the wall isolator.

Solair

Ireland and the UK are the only countries I've come across in Europe where cooker isolator switches are used. So, the ovens are clearly designed to be safe just fully switched off.

Just bear in mind that ovens are often very hot after use, and they rely on fans to keep the control systems cool.

If you are switching off the isolator, listen to your oven and make sure that there are no cooling fans running before you cut the power.

It's safe enough to cut the power if the oven is cool/cold.

If it's still hot, it's generally a bad idea as there's a slight possibility that you could damage the controls due to residual heat.

I always switch off the cooker and oven isolators before I go to bed. It's probably a better idea to do so. At least there's no risk of accidentally leaving the oven on!

meemeep

I went through a phase of "turn everything off at source". So I started turning off the oven at the wall switch also - oven broke down in a couple of weeks and had to buy a new one - un-repairable. Co-incidence? maybe, but the cost on the electricity bill would have been miniscule compared with the cost of a new oven:)

Solair

meemeep wrote: »

I went through a phase of "turn everything off at source". So I started turning off the oven at the wall switch also - oven broke down in a couple of weeks and had to buy a new one - un-repairable. Co-incidence? maybe, but the cost on the electricity bill would have been miniscule compared with the cost of a new oven:)

It's possible you overheated it by turning it off when it was still in cooling mode. They can take anything from 30 mins to an hour to be fully cooled. There are thermostatically controlled fans, usually in the top of the oven that blow air out across the control circuits.

Older ovens were a lot less fussy about being shut off as they didn't have any electronics on board at all.

Bruthal

Solair wrote: »

It's possible you overheated it by turning it off when it was still in cooling mode. They can take anything from 30 mins to an hour to be fully cooled. There are thermostatically controlled fans, usually in the top of the oven that blow air out across the control circuits.

Older ovens were a lot less fussy about being shut off as they didn't have any electronics on board at all.

Id say there is a good chance thats exactly what happened here.

2011

robbie7730 wrote: »

M cebee wrote: »

2011 will be along shortly to make it 2-2(not:pac:)

I was just thinking that myself. Maybe send him a PM bribe:D

LOL

There are arguements to switch appliances off at the isolator when not in use. Personally I don't agree with them. I feel the isolator is for maintenance purposes only, so I leave them switched on.

This also saves setting the time on the oven clock repeatedly.

.G.

stimpson wrote: »

I've always thought it was there if a repairman needed to work on the oven. If the oven is off it's drawing a tiny amount of current - why bother turning it off at the switch?

My mother turns off everything with a light and unplugs whatever she can and it drives me mad.

I do the same,little bit of OCD on my part:D

anything that draws current is costing me money so off it goes:)

slave1

Oven controls accessible to little people, switch therefore never left on unless in use

paddy147

I prefer to look at low energy usage bills.

So,If its not needed or in use,then its allways switched off in my house.

Bruthal

Having the oven switched off for the entire 2 month billing period, versus having it on at the wall isolator but never actually using the oven will cost around 95 cent every 2 months. There may be better places to make energy savings for a household.

paddy147

robbie7730 wrote: »

Having the oven switched off for the entire 2 month billing period, versus having it on at the wall isolator but never actually using the oven will cost around 95 cent every 2 months. There may be better places to make energy savings for a household.

As a well known supermarket and their saying goes..................."every little helps".


I was refering to anything that is electrical related in my house,not just an oven.If it doesnt need to be on,then its switched off.

2011

robbie7730 wrote: »

Having the oven switched off for the entire 2 month billing period, versus having it on at the wall isolator but never actually using the oven will cost around 95 cent every 2 months. There may be better places to make energy savings for a household.

€0.95 is about 5 units
Obviously this running cost will depend on the type of oven that you have.

In my case I would be very surprised if my oven would cost €0.95 a year (oven not used, and isolator on). The only item being powered in my case is the clock.

paddy147

As a well known supermarket and their saying goes..................."every little helps".

That could be argued, however constantly switching isolators can dramatically reduce their lifespan. What you save in electricity bills may well be offset by the cost of replacing cooker switches!

In the greater scheme of things I don't any saving could possibly be noticed by anyone (with the exception of the odd anorak :D).

Bruthal

2011 wrote: »

€0.95 is about 5 units
Obviously this running cost will depend on the type of oven that you have.

In my case I would be very surprised if my oven would cost €0.95 a year (oven not used, and isolator on). The only item being powered in my case is the clock.

The clocks use about 3.5 watts from measurements i have done on a couple of ovens with isolator on, and nothing but the clock going, thats about 5 units per bill. I was surprised it was that much myself. It could well be lower on other ovens. But its still very small. The hand manual button pressed in where you hear the click made little difference either.

Bruthal

paddy147 wrote: »

As a well known supermarket and their saying goes..................."every little helps".

The predictable answer there:pac:. If you saved 45 cent a month shopping with them, would it be worth it?:D

I was refering to anything that is electrical related in my house,not just an oven.If it doesnt need to be on,then its switched off.

This thread is about ovens though. Any ovens i seen need their clock reset every time its switched on, and while this does not matter to many, it would indicate the ovens are designed to be left on. The isolator is then needed to isolate the appliance to allow safe maintenance etc.

Id say 2011 is right as well, i did real actual tests of an oven or 2, and i was surprised they were using between 3 and 4 watts(17ma load), and its likely newer or different ovens use a fair bit less for their clocks.

Maybe the 17ma is a fair bit out of phase 2011, and so its not registering on the meter:D:D. Or there was a bit of earth leakage..... I would of thought the same as yourself about using practically nothing, and this is likely the case on most ovens. Get your ameter out there and test, i put the probes of the meter into each terminal of the cooker MCB then switched MCB off the last time i did it.

DublinDilbert

Yea many of them clocks use a capacitor / resistor to drop the voltage, so it would be mostly out of phase.

Bruthal

DublinDilbert wrote: »

Yea many of them clocks use a capacitor / resistor to drop the voltage, so it would be mostly out of phase.

Yes indeed, so in reality there is 17ma i measured alright, which in phase would be 4 watts, but probably less than 1 watt of power used and metered.

2011

DublinDilbert wrote: »

Yea many of them clocks use a capacitor / resistor to drop the voltage, so it would be mostly out of phase.

....and the customer is charged for units which means they pay for kilowatt hours rather than KVA hours (which in practice is always the lesser of the two).

DublinDilbert

2011 wrote: »

....and the customer is charged for units which means they pay for kilowatt hours rather than KVA hours (which in practice is always the lesser of the two).

Yep, until smart maters come in :-)

2011

DublinDilbert wrote: »

Yep, until smart maters come in :-)

Are smart meters going to charge domestic customers a rate for poor power factor ??

Even if this is the case appliances such as the one you describe (with a larger capacitive than inductive component) will improve power factor (albeit marginally).

Bruthal

2011 wrote: »

....and the customer is charged for units which means they pay for kilowatt hours rather than KVA hours (which in practice is always the lesser of the two).

Items such as heating elements would have KVAh practically = KWh though. But obviously the KW wont ever be higher than the KVA.

2011 wrote: »

Are smart meters going to charge domestic customers a rate for poor power factor ??

Even if this is the case appliances such as the one you describe (with a larger capacitive than inductive component) will improve power factor (albeit marginally).

The correctional value of that item would be practically nothing in reality. The capacitors are likely to be after rectifier circuit diodes anyway so would have no effect then.

M cebee

i normally switch off appliances as a fire safety measure


not as much of an issue with cookers but still

2011

robbie7730 wrote: »

The correctional value of that item would be practically nothing in reality.

+1

That is why I said......

will improve power factor (albeit marginally).

2011

M cebee wrote: »

i normally switch off appliances as a fire safety measure

In case of cookers (and many other appliances) I would not agree. I think Robbie made a very good point:

Any ovens i seen need their clock reset every time its switched on, and while this does not matter to many, it would indicate the ovens are designed to be left on

Whereas items such computers are designed to "remember" the time and date when unplugged should not be left switched on.

A very experienced and well extremely qualified electrical engineer I know would agree 100% with you on this. My point is if you are going to switch off/power down appliances like that, where does it end??
Should you then switch off/unplug:

1) The boiler
2) Sky box
3) Alarm panel
4) Microwave
5) Washing machine
6) Distribution board

It simply is not practical. Increased wear on contacts from frequent unplugging or switching off may be more lightly to cause a fire IMHO.

There are strong arguments both ways.
Each to their own I guess.

paddy147

robbie7730 wrote: »

The predictable answer there:pac:. If you saved 45 cent a month shopping with them, would it be worth it?:D




This thread is about ovens though. Any ovens i seen need their clock reset every time its switched on, and while this does not matter to many, it would indicate the ovens are designed to be left on. The isolator is then needed to isolate the appliance to allow safe maintenance etc.

Id say 2011 is right as well, i did real actual tests of an oven or 2, and i was surprised they were using between 3 and 4 watts(17ma load), and its likely newer or different ovens use a fair bit less for their clocks.

Maybe the 17ma is a fair bit out of phase 2011, and so its not registering on the meter:D:D. Or there was a bit of earth leakage..... I would of thought the same as yourself about using practically nothing, and this is likely the case on most ovens. Get your ameter out there and test, i put the probes of the meter into each terminal of the cooker MCB then switched MCB off the last time i did it.

Every little helps,no matter how big or small a saving.

2011

paddy147 wrote: »

Every little helps,no matter how big or small a saving.

True, but perhaps the real saving is to be made from not frequently switching off/unplugging as this can wear out sockets and isolators far quicker ?

Replacement of these items may cost far more than the units saved.

Bruthal

paddy147 wrote: »

Every little helps,no matter how big or small a saving.

Is it for a saving you do it, or compulsion/habit? Do you switch the shower one off as well? There will probably always be an arguement for and against anyway.

stimpson

The surges when you switch your appliances on may shorten the life of the appliance, nevermind the switch. I'm all for saving a few bob but it may be a false economy.

I do take the point about having small children though.

2011

stimpson wrote: »

I do take the point about having small children though.

+1

Yes, that I would agree with.
There are lots of things that I do differently when there are small children around, such as keeping tools out of reach.

.G.

2011 wrote: »

+1

Yes, that I would agree with.
There are lots of things that I do differently when there are small children around, such as keeping tools out of reach.

I routinely leave my tools handily lying around in the hope that my 6 year old or my 1.5 year old might do some of the jobs the missus keeps harping on about:D

stimpson

superg wrote: »

I routinely leave my tools handily lying around in the hope that my 6 year old or my 1.5 year old might do some of the jobs the missus keeps harping on about:D

You're not trying hard enough:

.G.

Persistence pays off:D

stimpson

Does he do nixers?

.G.

Yeah but he ain't cheap,he has a Ben 10 addiction to feed

The actually the 6 year old when he was 2,he's quite the pro now:D