# Forum Home Renovation Kitchens  Kitchen cabinet height above cooktop

## JBAG

Hi all. We're in the process of getting a new kitchen and I'm wondering about the regulations which say overhead cabinets need to be 650 above cooktop. Our tiles for the splashback are 600. What are the consequences of only going 600mm??

----------


## r3nov8or

Some recent discussion here. http://www.renovateforum.com/f200/he...boards-115555/
Does it help?

----------


## JBAG

> Some recent discussion here. http://www.renovateforum.com/f200/he...boards-115555/
> Does it help?

  Sort of. We have gas cook top so I'm assuming 650mm?  What I'm really after is info about danger and insurance etc.

----------


## Pitto

650mm from the gas trivets, allow 700mm from benchtop. also refer to your rangehood specifications in their minimum height recomendations as it may be higher.

----------


## phild01

Tools had this post in the other thread: _"Measuring from the trivet is no longer relevant as the regs changed last year. It is now 600 from the hob. http://www.esv.vic.gov.au/Portals/0/...clearances.pdf 
 Tools"_ 
It makes no mention of the trivet.  There seems to be confusion as to what is the right height and maybe it is just an unresolved, untested and subjective number deduced, don't know.  My recent induction cooktop says 700mm.  Why would that be different to a standard electric hob at 600mm!?? 
You might find insurers, if they want to be stupid about this, could just insist that it be in accordance with the manufacturers recommended height for what you have or they may not even be concerned unless you start asking them.

----------


## heavytrevy

dont manufactures specs/install trump building code ?

----------


## arms

> dont manufactures specs/install trump building code ?

  yes they do , if there is a problem with the appliance do you go to the council to get it fixed ,no. manufacturers specify heights and spaces for a reason, not for the hell of it .

----------


## phild01

Smeg abide by the code.  _(interestingly they interpret the trivet and not the hob as is stated)_  What's the optimum distance between rangehoods and gas or el - Smeg | Smeg AU  *Question: What's the optimum distance between rangehoods and gas or electric hobs?*  If your cooktop is electric, the Australian Standards require a minimum of 600mm free space from the cooktop to the rangehood. If your cooktop is gas,  the Australian Standards require a minimum of 650mm free space from the top of the trivet to the rangehood. Please be sure to use a licensed plumber or gas-fitter for correct installation and adherence to the appropriate building codes and standards which vary in each State of Australia. Failure to comply with regulations and faulty installation, may effect your warranty.trivet to the rangehood. Please be sure to use a licensed plumber or gas-fitter for correct installation and adherence to the appropriate building codes and standards which vary in each State of Australia. Failure to comply with regulations and faulty installation, may effect your warranty.

----------


## JBAG

Thanks guys, still not really clear on what's "legal" or not but we decided to go with 700 from bench which is 650 from trivet.  A friend told me insurance company's may not pay out if there's a fire and cupboards were too low. Overall our kitchen reno has been a bit of an ordeal sadly. It's starting to look good now but we've had so many problems with the supplier it's not funny. Living in the shed and eating takeaways every night was a dream come true 2 months ago, but it's wearing a bit thin now ☺☺

----------


## Eden

*HOB-
1. (Cookery) Brit the flat top part of a cooking stove, or a separate flat surface, containing hotplates or burners* *2. (Cookery) a shelf beside an open fire, for keeping kettles, etc, hot 
or wiki   Hob (hearth), a projection, shelf, grate or bench for holding food or utensilsHob, the top cooking surface on a kitchen stove   
the hob is not the base folks, it is the whole appliance and the trivet/trivit is part of the appliance !  
insurance companies are in the business of not paying out if they can avoid it  
the measurements are based on the base of the pan or pot on the hob surface or highest point 
the trivet is part of the hob, * (trivetˈtrɪvɪt/ _noun_
[COLOR=#878787 !important][/COLOR]  an iron tripod placed over a fire for a cooking pot or kettle to stand on. an iron bracket designed to hook on to bars of a grate for a similar purpose.a stand or support with three or more legs.
)       
Anyhow it wont matter until you put a claim in to the insurance company will it ? 
but we can all argue the toss or debate definitions till the cows come home    
then if we read the appliances instructions they usually also state it must be installed by the appropriate trade or a qualified installer ( this is so a finger can be pointed (liability!))   
just a thought! 
eden

----------


## phild01

> *
> the hob is not the base folks, it is the whole appliance and the trivet/trivit is part of the appliance !*

  *AS-NZS 5601-1 Part 1 * 1.6.52 Hob 
The part of a gas cooking appliance that supports the trivet and is usually constructed of enamelled steel, stainless steel or toughened glass.

----------


## Eden

1.6.104 Trivet  
A grid located over the open burners of a gas cooking appliance to support vessels being 
heated,  
""""so by that reasoning I can have a 10cm high burner ontop of the "HOB" plus let us say a 1cm high "TRIVET" being in total 110mm above the hob surface and that wont effect the equation leaving 490mm to the rangehood."""" 
I would not want to argue that in court  
(the trivet is still part of the appliance that was purchased , part of the Hob,) 
It is still ambiguous and so are many aspects of the act, If you take the act literally the gas cooktop should not be able to be turned on without the rangehood being ON if the rangehood/flue has airdampers or anti-backflow flaps installed.( 2.5.6 Dampers --Any flue damper or other device for controlling the draught in a flue shall be designed to prevent the gas appliance operating in an unsafe manner.) (2.5.9 sort of covers this  eg power flues??)  
The intent of the act comes into play also when things go legal. 
The box the cooktop came in didn't say COOKTOP with "trivet and knobs included" 
in all honesty Phil you are correct ( until the @@@@@ hits the fan and it involves the legal system or insurance companies) 
cheers

----------


## phild01

The more we scare people about what insurance companies will do, only encourages these companies to be more like we perceive them as.  All this generalisation about what they will do just makes one wonder if insurance is worth it.
For me, I only want insurance in the event of bushfires, a plane hitting my house, or having an appliance like a Samsung top-loader.

----------


## METRIX

Don't forget the millions of faulty dishwashers out there which catch fire.  https://www.google.com/search?q=dish...utf-8&oe=utf-8

----------


## r3nov8or

Phew! Lucky I don't have any cupboards on the wall above my dishwasher  :Smilie:   :Rolleyes:

----------


## Pitto

> Thanks guys, still not really clear on what's "legal" or not but we decided to go with 700 from bench which is 650 from trivet.  A friend told me insurance company's may not pay out if there's a fire and cupboards were too low. Overall our kitchen reno has been a bit of an ordeal sadly. It's starting to look good now but we've had so many problems with the supplier it's not funny. Living in the shed and eating takeaways every night was a dream come true 2 months ago, but it's wearing a bit thin now ☺☺

  
Yes, Insurers are looking for any detail out of place when it comes to claims. This is also relevant to the Ducting out the open air of rangehoods, or the replacement of charcoal filters every 6 months. 
Appliance Manufacturers also check the installed dimensions before the even look at the appliance. Meile came to a job once where the owner flambe cooking, which was stated in the book as a no no, but because the installer has it 5mm lower than stated, Meile washed their hands of the issue. The Joinery contractor had no choice to wear the replacement cost due to their contract installer not installing it right. 
if its 650mm, i allow 700mm, which some argue is too high, but its all about CYA these days.

----------


## peter_sm

My Wife and I are tall, so the height is no problem

----------

