Why is my electrical cable getting hot inside the wall when the cooker is on – Advice from Electriman, North London Electricians

If you have noticed warmth on the wall surface near your cooker circuit, or had an electrician mention the cable feels hot when your cooker is running, this is something you need to take seriously straight away. A cable that gets too hot is one of the leading causes of electrical fires in UK homes, and cooker circuits are especially vulnerable because they carry some of the highest loads in your house.

Here is what is most likely causing it, explained in plain language.

The cable is too small for the job. Cookers typically need a 6mm or 10mm twin and earth cable, and an older property might still have a smaller cable installed decades ago when cookers were less powerful. A cable that is too thin for the current passing through it heats up, just like a thin wire in an electric heater glows red.

There is a loose or bad connection somewhere. Loose connections at the cooker connection unit, the consumer unit, or any junction in the circuit create resistance. Resistance creates heat. Over time this can char plastic, melt insulation, and start a fire behind your walls.

The cable is buried under loft or wall insulation. If your home has been retrofitted with insulation, the cable may no longer be able to shed its heat into the surrounding air. This is a very common problem in homes that have had cavity wall or loft insulation added.

The circuit breaker or fuse is the wrong rating. If someone has fitted an oversized fuse or break

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Electriman covers Mill Hill, Barnet, Finchley, Edgware, Enfield, Watford and surrounding areas. All work is Part P certified and fully insured.