WAMT
Little jobs that turn into big jobs. "Big Jobs" can mean something else (toilet related) but here I'm talking about DIY/repairs.
A ring on our induction hob stopped working so we just used the 3. Years later another went and two sometimes isn't enough so something has to be done now. Rather than repair it I thought we'd just buy a new hob as this is actually cheaper anyway as the old hob is long out of production and the parts we need will be special makes and eye wateringly expensive, maybe £600 for an induction ring? and £700 for a control board? maybe? giving a total bill for two rings / and maybe a board, £700? £1000? More? when a new hob is just over £300.
So the hob came and they'll install it
Yipeee! So I don't need to bother
but we find the hole in the granite kitchen top is 1cm too small in each direction and the new hob wont fit. Damn it. These things (hobs) are a standard size so the original hob fitting must have just been good luck. Anyway, the guy who brought and attempted to fit the new hob knows of another make which is slightly smaller so he got one of those but sadly that wont fit either plus it's deeper and even if it went in the hole it'd hit the top of the oven
If it had fitted the hole maybe the oven could have been dropped down a bit but... it doesn't fit the hole
To future proof this the best idea is to get the hole cut to the correct (standard) size so I rang the kitchen fitters and of course they wont touch it as it's the granite cutters job. So I rang them. They wont do it in situ as it makes too much mess and it's a H&S issue so the top will need to come off, be taken to the workshop and cut there. But. He doesn't want to do that as the tiles could be damaged along with any wooden supports etc. So, to get the hole cut to the right size it'll need to be a multi discipline thing with the kitchen fitters, granite cutters and tilers and anyone else (plasterers?) all attending and doing their thing. It wont be the cost of a new kitchen but it wont be cheap either.
All because some wally cut the hole too small when the job was first done 10 years ago.
The hob supplier/fitter is very helpful and is going to check every hob he can and see if any will fit. I'd rather future proof the job but if we can get a new hob and get another 10 years out of it maybe it'll be time for some serious work in the kitchen then.
It should have been a ten minute job, unbox the new hob... connect it up... drop it in place… take the old one away...