Distribution board in showeroom

jamie-spark · Oct 26, 2011

Hi guys, went to price a job today in a Hostel. When looking at the mains position i was shown to the room containing it and to my horror it is in the showeroom. As you can see from the picture , the Board itself has been boxed in with plywood and has a hasp on it it is 700mm away from the shower (out of zone ). Aparently it used to be a small kitchen that had been converted. No circuits are rcd protected and it is a DB is of steel construction. I tried to advise that it was not right and maybe the room use should be changed again. What do you think

[ElectriciansForums.net] Distribution board in showeroom

beaver74 · Oct 26, 2011

I would say the fact it needs a key will mean is fine is that an AC unit just out side shower cubicle

jamie-spark · Oct 26, 2011

no beaver that is the extraction fan

NMc · Oct 26, 2011

Need a bit more here fellow like has the shower got a shower tray. If not the zone is 1.2m. the cupboard is locked so needs a tool (key) for access so may be considered outside the zones. Anyhow all the circuits in the location need to be protected by an 30mA RCD

jamie-spark · Oct 26, 2011

the shower has a tray and it is out of zone 2. There is no rcds as, All supplemetry bonding and main bonding is in place so rcds can be omitted ( unless the shower manufacter calls for it)

SimpleSimon · Oct 26, 2011

I would be inclined in a place like that to strongly suggest RCD protection.
also you may have supp bonding in place, but are other circuits mechanically protected in walls? Do cables run in safe zones, judging by the fact there is a CU in a converted bathroom i would say...........

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NMc · Oct 26, 2011

Sorry jamie-spark but reg 701.411.3.3 requires 30mA for all circuits in the location. The fact that the origin is in the location the circuit not related to the shower room will require RCD

Deleted member 26818 · Oct 26, 2011

The current Regulations require that all circuits of the location require RCD protection.
That will mean the circuit feeding the DB will have to be RCD protected.
There are no exceptions to this requirement for skilled or instructed persons.

jamie-spark · Dec 2, 2011

NmC/Spinlondon
can see what u guys are saying after i read th BRB. I read the fact that supplymentry bonding may be omited if all circuits entering were protected by an rcd and took it as the other way too. I cant for abvious reasons ( protection by seperation of circuits ) put the supply circuit on an rcd as it controls 20 circuits on that floor and even if i change the board and put rcbo's on the outgoing circuits, I will still have the supply cable rcd 30ma protected and there will be no discrimination between the tripping of the supply rcd and the out going ways

Marvo · Dec 2, 2011

Is there no special IP rating required for the CU enclosure given the proximity to spray, steam and obviously high humidity?

Deleted member 26818 · Dec 2, 2011

jamie-spark said:
NmC/Spinlondon
can see what u guys are saying after i read th BRB. I read the fact that supplymentry bonding may be omited if all circuits entering were protected by an rcd and took it as the other way too. I cant for abvious reasons ( protection by seperation of circuits ) put the supply circuit on an rcd as it controls 20 circuits on that floor and even if i change the board and put rcbo's on the outgoing circuits, I will still have the supply cable rcd 30ma protected and there will be no discrimination between the tripping of the supply rcd and the out going ways

There are three options to my mind.
One is to provide 30mA RCD protection to the distribution circuit.
Another is to move the DB, into another location.
Another would be to build a floor to ceiling cupboard around the DB, which would effectivly place the DB outside of the location.

jamie-spark · Dec 2, 2011

Spinlondon. I am of your thinking the db is just inside the door way. I think partition it of and make it a hallway . Then it would only require the shower room circuits to be rcd protected. I think he would be happy with that if it ment work could progress. And marvo that would take care of the IP rating.