Kitchen renovation

Planning your new kitchen is an exciting time. How the layout will work for you, modernising your home and adding value to your investment, whether it be your home or a rental investment.

When planning kitchen installs people think about the cabinetry and appliances but they tend to forget that there is also electrical and plumbing involved.

Here are some tips regarding the electrical to help the process go smoothly, as there is nothing worse than realising at the last minute you need an electrician before anything can be done.

7 Electrical Questions to Answer in the Planning Stage

When putting the initial plan of your kitchen in place think about the following:

  • Is the layout going to change? Will the appliances be moved from where they are now to another location?
  • Where do I want the power points to be for my everyday appliances that I keep plugged in, such as the kettle, toaster, coffee machine and after that what extra power points would I like?
  • Would it be a good idea to have one or two of the power points with USB chargers for our mobile phones, ipads etc?
  • Do I require an undersink power point for a dishwasher and/or waste disposal?
  • Is my rangehood able to be ducted outside or does my property mean it will need to be recirculating?
  • What type of switchgear (power points and switches) do I want, as this is the time to upgrade and modernise the look? No point in having a flash new kitchen with old fashioned switchgear. We will be happy to provide you with options for this.
  • What sort of tiling or splashback will I have to allow for where the power points and switches will be placed?

Lighting Options to Consider

This is a great time to look at how your current lighting is working and what will work for the new layout and this is the ideal time to upgrade to LED. Is there enough lighting in place to avoid shadows and dark spots. Do I want recessed, ceiling mounted, or even pendant lighting over the breakfast bar.

There is a lot out there to choose from and it’s a very personal choice and can be quite overwhelming. We will help provide options and ideas for what will work in the space and be the most efficient and cost effective.

 

Electrical Process in Your Renovation

First Steps

Once you have your plan in place and know the time frame for your new kitchen, that’s the time to book us in.

Firstly you need to arrange the disconnect to coincide with having the old kitchen taken out.

For this we will come in and disconnect your switches and power points etc and make everything safe to have the old kitchen removed.

This is also a good time for us to start pre-wiring for the new layout.

If you are having the walls re-lined or it’s a new build you want the pre-wire done before the new wall lining goes on.

Installation and fit off

When you have the date for the new kitchen installation you again want to book us to come and start the fit off.

This includes installing your new appliances, such as the oven and starting to fit off power points and switches. The timing of this can also be dependant on whether you are having tiling done that will have switchgear put on to it.

Once your benchtop is in we can then install your cooktop and rangehood.

 

Other important things to consider

  • Properties built before 1969 have smaller mains going into the property. When the houses were built we didn’t have the large volume of appliances that we have today and you could potentially have issues with the larger load tripping circuits. The property may have had a partial or full rewire or switchboard upgrade, however if you are concerned it doesn’t hurt to have us come and just check that the wiring will take the load of the new kitchen.
  • When upgrading to an induction hob you may have to have a new supply run to take the capacity of the induction hob.
  • If you can help it, don’t plan to have your cooktop under a window, even partially, as it will prevent you either being able to hang a rangehood or have a rangehood work effectively.
  • Different people have different requirements. Some customers who like to bake elaborate cakes etc and can have cupboards specifically designed for drying the iced cakes and require heating options. We are happy to discuss any particular requirement you may have to customise the kitchen to your needs.

 

Happy planning.

If you would like to discuss your renovation or would like a quote give us a call on 0800 453 626

Jenco Electrical are registered master electricians in Auckland, who can help you with all residential and commercial electrical needs throughout Auckland.