Replacing Cooking Appliances- at Once or One at a Time

seannami on 04/06/2023 - 09:21
Last edited 04/06/2023 - 09:24

Hi all

I have to replace my stove, oven and range hood- they were close to DOA when I bought the house, but the stove now doesn't work at all and the oven takes twice as long to cook as it should. Range hood is mainly just old and gunky and smells of nicotine when you turn it on (previously an investment property tenanted by heavy smokers). Stove is currently gas and the oven is electric, but would need to have an isolator switch put in when it's replaced. I am currently cooking on a $30 Kmart hotplate, rice cooker and airfryer (which I had to replace this week, so go one of those mini airfryer/ovens from kmart).

I am going to be getting a rebate on my car soon ($3k) and was planning to put it toward replacing the cooking appliances. I want to get the gas decommissioned and an induction stove put in. It looks like buying all the appliances together will probably be in the $2000 range. Does anyone know how much it would cost to put in the wiring for an induction stove and to get an isolation switch added in the kitchen for the oven? I have single phase power and space on the switchboard. I'm assuming the gas shutoff for the stove and possibly removal will be about $200 but feel free to correct me. Oven and stove are built ins, 60cm each- all Chef, looking at Bosch or Westinghouse. Range hood is just one of those old white fixed ones in the cupboard. Would that be replaceable with a pull-out or would it be better to stick with a fixed? I like the look of the glass ones, but the cupboard is a bit low to do that without taking an eye out.

I'm trying to decide if it would be better to:

  1. get the stove replaced separately since it is going to be the biggest job and it's also the lease functional of the appliances- maybe get all the wiring done then- and then get the oven done later when I've saved a bit.
  2. Get the wiring done, then the appliances all at once at a later date, or
  3. hold out for a while and get the whole shebang at once when I have the cash to do it all at once. The issue with that is I have to continue cooking using gadget-only for another few months, which is a complete PITA and pretty limiting food-wise
  4. Final option is go the whole shebang when the rebate arrives and cover the extra with credit.

Considering sparky call out feels, going for 2-3 separate install visits might be a bit much (though I do have a few smaller things I need done, like replacing powerpoints and and adding an outdoor light in the side yard). I'm just tossing up options, but I am close to throwing the hotplate off a bridge at this point so am leaning toward options that get the stove done sooner rather than later.

Poll Options

  • 0
    Stove and wiring first, save for other stuff
  • 2
    Wiring, then save for the appliances
  • 2
    Get everything done, suck it up and use the hotplate until then
  • 33
    Get everything done, save your sanity, use the credit and enjoy your kitchen
  • 1
    Close Ozbargain, get quotes, be bugged by tradies until you decide
Home & Garden Cooktop Oven Rangehood Stove

Comments

  • MS Paint on 04/06/2023 - 09:27
    +2

    The oven may just require a new element and give you plenty of good service. That can then be replaced last.

    If it was me I would aim to replace everything at once (package deal) and just get the sparky in once.

    • seannami on 04/06/2023 - 09:43

      I was thinking about that, but it's more than just the element, the seals are wrecked and the switches are fairly dodgy. It really has to go.

  • nummenoor on 04/06/2023 - 09:42
    +2

    Electrician cost depends of few factors. If you need to pass a new cable from the switchboard to the kitchen, that will cost a bit. Generally they go for at least 32A, so a quick look at the switchboard can tell you if you already have that.

    Aside from that, installing cooktop and oven is generally faster and cheaper than installing single units at a time. You can also get bundles for the two to save a bit more.

    Also, check if you are eligible to good guys commercial (union, insurances sometime give you access). You can save quite a bit if they have what you need

    • seannami on 04/06/2023 - 09:52

      Not eligible I'm afraid. I will look into bundles though.

      I'm fairly sure it'll be new wiring unless the stove can share with the oven, which I don't think is a great idea.

  • Stewardo on 04/06/2023 - 10:28

    I think you mean cooktop when you say stove.
    A stove has an oven a cooktop and sometimes a grill In the one unit.

    • seannami on 04/06/2023 - 10:41
      +2

      I'm gonna play my linguist card and call regional variation. Never heard the term cooktop until I was well into adulthood, and friends from similar areas use them interchangeably. Friends from other states assume I mean oven for stove. Much like a potato cake, all depends where you grew up coloquially.

      Plus, everyone knew what I meant, so communicatively valid.

      • MS Paint on 04/06/2023 - 10:47
        +1

        Wait! What? There's another name for potato cake? Who are these monsters?

        • Gunnar on 04/06/2023 - 11:16
          +2

          Sydney, we’re the land of stupid house prices, tolls, and potato scallops

          Funnily enough when I first heard the term potato cake I thought I made much more sense than potato scallops. As someone who doesn’t like seafood I will never forget the day I ordered ‘scallops’ and got the seafood version instead of the potato one

          • seannami on 04/06/2023 - 11:27

            @Gunnar: I swear in Victoria we do that to troll outsiders. Fish scallops are to Sydney what Dropbears are to tourists

      • Stewardo on 04/06/2023 - 11:11
        +1

        I agree that the term is used interchangeably. I think the origin of this is traditionally everyone had stoves, my grandmother had a wood stove. We always called it a stove growing up.
        I think a having a separate hotplate was a high end item that gained popularity in the 70s.
        Confusingly in the US they call a stove a range. So we should call a rangehood a stovehood.
        All the retail outlets will make the same pedantic classification that I did. :)

  • Gunnar on 04/06/2023 - 11:26
    +1

    I’d go all at once but if you’re hard for cash doing it all at once I’d do the wiring and stove and then the rest. At least that way you can rid yourself of the hot plate and have one properly working appliance.

    That being said the appliance which you do first would depend on what you use the most or is the most important to you.

    With the range hood I’d suggest getting an externally venting one (if you don’t have one already which it doesn’t sound like it). They are Infinitely better than the ones which just recirculate the air

    • seannami on 04/06/2023 - 11:30

      Thanks! Not sure if my rangehood vents up into the roof space. I'm in a unit and that wall forms the boundary with the front unit's carport, so can't vent anything through the wall unfortunately. I'll look into what I've got going, the cupboard above is shallow so it's venting somewhere

  • timthetoolman on 04/06/2023 - 12:08
    +1

    You don't need an isolation switch for the oven, but will need one for the induction hotplate /cooktop.
    That will need a new circuit ran for it, varies but allow something like $700 for circuit and install.
    Oven should be a straight swap over if it's on its own circuit (maybe an update to the circuit breaker if needed).
    Range a straight forward swap over if the right size

  • ihbh on 04/06/2023 - 12:56
    -2

    Do you need new kitchen? If so perhaps save up and then do all at the same time.for fit, etc.

    We had dinner with friends who put in a new kitchen with top of the line appliances. It was very impressive. (Their budget might be different; they thought 60-70k for new kitchen was too much).

    • seannami on 04/06/2023 - 13:12
      +1

      I mean, a whole new kitchen would be great, current one is pretty fugly, but saving up for that would be a couple of years' wait. I am thinking going slightly cheaper appliances this time, then go a full refit in 10 years or so.

  • kusama on 04/06/2023 - 21:41
    +1

    Just replaced appliances recently but not exactly what you are planning, wanted everything to match and each appliance was having some issues. I kept the gas cooktop as I like not having everything electric.

    I'm not sure what your rangehood is. It may be a recirculating one that is meant to filter and blows back into kitchen, mine was but had a hole so I paid the gas plumber doing the cooktop to install rangehood with an exhaust to the roof. There might be some filter to replace short term.

    Electrician was needed to wire in the oven.

  • Kongzi on 04/06/2023 - 21:42
    +1

    Save your money. You'll eventually realise that novated leasing will cost more in reality

    • seannami on 05/06/2023 - 06:04
      +1

      If I could NVL a kitchen I would ;) though I think you might have replied to the wrong thread?

  • payless69 on 05/06/2023 - 13:27

    String a wire for the shebang…

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