Gas Hob Installation

• Four- and five-burner hobs: In stainless steel, enamel or gas-on-glass, typically 60 cm to 90 cm wide.
• Wok burner hobs: With a larger, high-output burner, which can need more gas than a standard hob.
• Domino hobs: Narrow one- or two-burner modules.

Every hob is made for one type of gas. We check that your new hob suits your supply (natural gas or LPG) and that the existing pipe is large enough.

The hole in the worktop must match the size the hob manufacturer gives, with the stated distance from the front edge, the wall behind and any side walls or tall units.

• Laminate and timber worktops: The cut-out is made on site, and the cut edges are sealed so steam and spills cannot swell the core.
• Stone, quartz and solid surface worktops: The cut-out is made by the worktop maker when the worktop is templated, so the hob model must be chosen first.
• Fixing: The hob sits on its seal around the rim and is held down with the clamps supplied, so it cannot lift or let liquid into the cupboard.

The gas supply rises into the base unit under the hob, with an isolation valve that you can reach so the hob can be turned off without shutting off the whole house. The hob is then connected by:

• A rigid connection: Copper pipe made up to the hob's inlet, or
• An approved flexible hose, where the manufacturer allows one, kept clear of the hot casing of any oven below and not kinked or strained.

If the supply needs moving to suit a new layout, or is too small for a larger hob, the pipework is altered first through our gas plumbing service.

• Cooker hoods: The hood manufacturer sets a minimum height above the hob, and it is usually greater for a gas hob than for an electric one. Where the hob and hood instructions differ, the larger distance applies.
• Combustible materials: Wall units, shelves, curtains and blinds must be kept the distances the hob instructions set.
• Splashbacks: Glass, tile and steel splashbacks need to suit the heat. Tiled splashbacks can be fitted through our installing kitchen and bathroom tiles service.
• Extractors and other gas appliances: A powerful extractor can draw fumes back down an open-flued boiler or gas fire in the same or a nearby room, so we check for this and carry out a spill test where needed.

Modern gas hobs have a flame failure device on each burner: a small probe that shuts off the gas if the flame goes out, for example when a pan boils over. That is why you hold the knob in for a few seconds after lighting.

Most hobs have electric spark ignition, powered through a plug and socket or a switched fused spur in an accessible place nearby, not behind an oven or directly above the burners. A new socket or spur is installed and tested to BS 7671 through our domestic electrical installation service.

To replace a gas hob in an existing worktop, the main question is the cut-out size:

• The same size or slightly larger hob: The old hob is disconnected, the cut-out checked or carefully enlarged, and the new hob fitted.
• A smaller hob: A cut-out cannot easily be made smaller, so the new hob must cover the old hole, or the worktop section needs replacing.
• A new position: The gas pipe moves too, usually as part of a kitchen renovation.

• Gas to induction: An induction hob is electrical, not gas work. The gas hob is disconnected and the gas supply capped and tested by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Most induction hobs need their own circuit, which is notifiable and certified through one of the routes the building regulations allow.
• Induction to gas: A gas supply has to reach the hob position, usually through new pipework.

Yes. Connecting or disconnecting a gas hob is gas work under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, and anyone doing it as part of a business must be on the Gas Safe Register.

We strongly advise against it. The law requires anyone doing gas work to be competent, and a hob connection is hidden under the worktop, where a slow leak may not be noticed. Landlords must always use a Gas Safe registered engineer.

1. 1

   Tightness test before and after connection, to confirm there are no leaks.

2. 2

   Pressure and flame checks on every burner at full and low settings.

3. 3

   Flame failure devices and ignition tested on each burner.

4. 4

   Handover: we show you the controls and the isolation valve.

Landlords should make sure a new hob is included in their next landlord gas safety certificate check.