Bathroom designers

[Octopus]

I've been asked to provide an estimate for a regular client. The design/layout has been done by the company doing the supply/fit and I'm not happy about one aspect.

Because the bathroom is fairly small they have "placed" the heated towel rail (electric) on the wall at the "foot" of the bath (i.e. not the tap end!)

The spur will be fused outside the room, from a RCD protected circuit, and thus a flex outlet plate will be required for the said towel rail will be within zone 1 or at the very least very close to the vertical edge of zone 1 in zone 2.

My nice shiney OSG (green) P82, says that IPX4 permenantly connected kit is OK, but what about the flex outlet??

My thinking is that the flex from the towel rail will have to run to "outside" zone 2 before such a connection is permitted - is this correct? If this is the case having 600-700mm of flex being visible is going to be a bit naff!!

 

[Octopus]

Anyone????????

 

[telectrix]

in zone 2, i would consider it to be OK. within zone 1 is iffy to say the least.

 

[Octopus]

in zone 2, i would consider it to be OK. within zone 1 is iffy to say the least.

This is exactly why I hate the abiguity of BS7671 sometimes - I'd rather say the bathroom designer that I won't do it because of ---.xx rather than because its iffy!!

 

[telectrix]

OK then. 701.55 part (vi). he's got you there.

 

[white armour]

Hi Murdoch, any chance of fitting the flex outlet inside an IP65 enclosure? Not the prettiest I admit, but if it works, it works.

Regards wa

 

[pennywise]

is the bath freestanding with no boxing around it? if it's boxed put a back box under the bath with a blanking plate as a connection point keep the flex outlet next to the towel rail then run the flex from the element through the flex outlet continuously down to the box under the bath, put it in conduit then when the element needs replacing just disconnect and pull through.

 

[Dan23584]

I would agree zone 2 is acceptable, I would not feel comfortable fitting one in zone 1. Can you not just explain the potential risk from water splash/spray over the point of connection to the designers?

 

[Richard Burns]

A flex outlet is a permanently wired connection (it cannot have a switch) but I am not sure that they are IPX4 classified, however I would not have a problem with fitting this in zone two, I am therefore not sure why I am unhappy about fitting this in zone 1.

Regulationswise so long as it is IPX4 then I think it is allowed.

 

[Octopus]

OK then. 701.55 part (vi). he's got you there.

Which is what I eluded to in the OP. But what about the "connection"?

 

[Octopus]

The bath is not free standing
Not convinced an IP enclosure would look to great (would you have one?)
Is the connector IP4x (hum, depends on the quality of the tiling and how much sealent you use!)
Quite like the idea of the connection being under the bath (as long as the bathroom people are happy to provide "access")

Its really that I don't want to fit it in zone 1. (I can imagine the grandchildren splashing around!)

Thanks for all your thoughts (so far)

 

[pennywise]

Or a blanking plate with a stuffing gland and self adhesive rubber tape on the inside of the plate for a splash proof seal. Not ideal and probably no better than a flex outlet.

 

[Flying Ninja]

Is there another room backing onto it? You could have the sw fused spur in that room and pass the cable through the wall without the need to make a connection within the bathroom?

 

[Octopus]

Is there another room backing onto it? You could have the sw fused spur in that room and pass the cable through the wall without the need to make a connection within the bathroom?

Nice idea, but its an outside wall.

 

[telectrix]

squirt a bit of silicon round it.