Plug-in or hard-wired: who connects it?
| Plug-in appliance | Hard-wired appliance | |
|---|---|---|
| Examples | Benchtop appliances, some freestanding ovens and some rangehoods | Built-in ovens and cooktops, often |
| Connecting it | You plug it in | Prescribed electrical work, for a licensed electrical worker |
| Paperwork | None needed for plugging in | An ESC, plus a CoC if wiring is new or extended |
Check the circuit before you choose the cooktop
An induction cooktop can need more supply than the old radiant or ceramic top it replaces, and the existing cable and breaker may not be big enough. The installation manual lists what it needs. Send that to the electrician before you order, not after.
Separate ovens and cooktops sometimes share a circuit and sometimes have one each. If you're going from a freestanding range to a wall oven plus a cooktop, ask whether that means an extra circuit.
A new circuit is general work. WorkSafe notes that the wiring rules, AS/NZS 3000, require RCD protection for new final subcircuits in homes, so a new cooktop circuit should come with an RCD, and that may need space on your switchboard.
Swapping gas for induction
Going from gas to induction takes two trades. A gasfitter caps or removes the gas supply, and an electrician runs or upgrades the circuit. Book them so the gas is off before the new cooktop goes in.
It's also worth asking the electrician whether your switchboard has room for another circuit. An old, full board can turn a cooktop swap into a switchboard upgrade, and a higher-capacity board is high-risk work with its own inspection.
Rangehoods, and the rule for rental kitchens
If the kitchen is in a rental, its extractor has to meet the healthy homes ventilation standard. Kitchen extractor fans installed in rentals since 1 July 2019 must have a diameter of at least 150 mm, including ducting, or an exhaust capacity of at least 50 litres per second.
Recirculating rangehoods, the kind that filter the air and blow it back into the room, don't count, because Tenancy Services says fans that don't extract to the outdoors don't meet the standard. It also suggests landlords get the fan diameter, ducting and flow rate details from the installer in writing.
In your own home, a hood ducted to the outside still deals with steam and cooking smells better. Plan the duct route at the same time as the wiring. Extractor fans and heating for healthy homes has the bathroom side.
How the job usually goes
Send the specs
Give the electrician the model numbers and installation manuals before the visit, so they can check the supply each appliance needs.
Check the circuit and the board
They confirm the cable, the breaker and the RCD protection, and whether the switchboard has room if a new circuit is needed.
Fit and connect
The appliance goes in, the electrician connects it, and they test everything before handing back the kitchen.
Paperwork
You get an Electrical Safety Certificate for the work, and a Certificate of Compliance too if there's new or extended wiring. None of this is high-risk unless the switchboard is being replaced with a higher-capacity one.
Your part, and the licensed part
You can
- Measure the cavity and check the appliance fits the cabinetry.
- Send the manuals to the electrician before you order.
- Plug in appliances that are made to plug in.
- Book the gasfitter if gas is being capped.
Leave to a licensed electrician
- Connecting a hard-wired oven or cooktop.
- Running a new or bigger circuit, and fitting its RCD at the switchboard.
- Moving an appliance's supply to a new spot.
- Wiring a ducted rangehood that doesn't plug in, and any appliance work in a rental.
Ask before you book
- Is my existing circuit big enough for this cooktop?
- Will I need a new circuit, and does the switchboard have space?
- Will the new circuit have RCD protection?
- Which certificates will I get?
- If it's a rental, can you put the rangehood's diameter, ducting and flow rate in writing?
Why a kitchen-savvy electrician helps
Kitchen jobs go smoothly when the electrician is used to working around cabinetmakers, benchtop installers and gasfitters. They know when they need to be on site, what the cabinet maker needs from them, and how to leave the supply ready for the appliance that arrives three weeks later. That's the kind of electrician we look to match you with.
Before you order, here's what we'd do
We'd choose the cooktop, send its manual to an electrician, and order only once they've confirmed the circuit. It's an easy step to skip, and skipping it is how a quick connection turns into a second visit and a new circuit you didn't plan for.
Want a specialist to sort it?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match the licence-checked local electrician who does this kind of work, and they call you. No ring-around, and your number goes to them alone.