bathroom extractor with timer, and rcd fcu

[Steve34]

hi guys, i've been asked to put a bathroom extractor with timer, now i haven't done one for ages but it was always a simple matter of 3 core from the light through a 3 pole isolator switch to the fan, but the property has an old fuse board with no rcd protection, i am also led to believe that most timer extractors need to fused down to a 3A?

now i've never used an rcd fcu before, but if i cut into the feed just before the light and added the rcd fcu with a 3A fuse, and did the fan isolator as normal, would that be ok, or am i over complicating things?

thanks for any advise. steve

 

[malcolmsanford]

Reg 701.411.3.3 was re worded in the amendment to include the phrase low voltage but kept the part with regard to

"All low voltag circuits of the location, by the use of one or more RCDs"

The chances are that the bathroom is paralleled with other lights possibly just the floor it's on if it's a divided installation, or the whole house. Therefore I would be putting the whole lighting circuit on the RCD, and you can do that easily by fitting a stand alone RCBO at the origin of the circuit

 

[onions1066]

A way round would possibly to rcd protect the bathroom via a rcd fused spur protecting the bathroom lighting by pulling the feeds back to it then feeding lighting from that. Then triple Pole isolator for fan as normal. But to be honest I would be recommending a board swap or stand alone rcd as Malcolm stated.

 

[Steve34]

cheers onions, sorry i probably worded it badly, but thats what i was trying to say. trust me if it was my job i wouldn't entertain it without a new consumer unit, but my builder friend is fitting a bathroom, and of course didn't realise such a small thing could be such pain in the arse.

 

[Octopus]

Or put the 3A RCD FCU before the light feed and you won't need the fan isolator too. Old CU, what about the bonding??

 

[Plonker 3]

A way round would possibly to rcd protect the bathroom via a rcd fused spur protecting the bathroom lighting by pulling the feeds back to it then feeding lighting from that. Then triple Pole isolator for fan as normal. But to be honest I would be recommending a board swap or stand alone rcd as Malcolm stated.

What just to install a bathroom fan?

 

[chrish_1977]

Or put the 3A RCD FCU before the light feed and you won't need the fan isolator too. Old CU, what about the bonding??

Only need to fuse it if its in the manufacturers instructions

 

[Octopus]

Only need to fuse it if its in the manufacturers instructions

Which is a good point.

May be we should all stop buying fans which need fusing down.

 

[colshaws]

If you were to fit an inline fan mounted in the loft (whichs would then put the fan and any wiring outside of the bathroom),would this then negate the need for RCDprotection?

 

[Octopus]

If you were to fit an inline fan mounted in the loft (whichs would then put the fan and any wiring outside of the bathroom),would this then negate the need for RCDprotection?

Well maybe but I would always use rcd protection so if the client later wants a wall mounted unit no further changes are required.

Others may disagree!

 

[telectrix]

If you were to fit an inline fan mounted in the loft (whichs would then put the fan and any wiring outside of the bathroom),would this then negate the need for RCDprotection?

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depends. if you are taking the suply for your loft fan from the bathroom light, then you have modified thast circuit, therefore you must fit RCD protection to the lighting . then you have also to consider reg. 522.6.6

 

[HandySparks]

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depends. if you are taking the suply for your loft fan from the bathroom light, then you have modified thast circuit, therefore you must fit RCD protection to the lighting . then you have also to consider reg. 522.6.6

I would say that if you don't add or change anything in the actual bathroom, then you don't have to add RCD protection. After all, if you add another bedroom light to a circuit which happens to also supply the bathroom, I wouldn't even consider adding an RCD.

522.6.6, which edition of the regs is that?

 

[telectrix]

I would say that if you don't add or change anything in the actual bathroom, then you don't have to add RCD protection. After all, if you add another bedroom light to a circuit which happens to also supply the bathroom, I wouldn't even consider adding an RCD.

522.6.6, which edition of the regs is that?

sorry, red..... 522.6.101 in the green book.

 

[Guitarist]

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depends. if you are taking the suply for your loft fan from the bathroom light, then you have modified thast circuit, therefore you must fit RCD protection to the lighting . then you have also to consider reg. 522.6.6

But how far would you go with this line of thought tel? If I install a loft light which is all surface mount and therefore doesn't require RCD protection, but I've tapped into a lighting circuit which also feeds a bathroom light, then effectively I've modified that circuit, so should I be fitting an RCD to the whole lot?
Imo, if you haven't taken any new cabling into the bathroom itself, and it's all surface mounted, then it won't need RCD protection. If you'd like to install one for peace of mind, then that's fine.

 

[telectrix]

hmm, see your point. it's how far do you go in this situation. my take is that if you are connecting into the bathroom light, maybe that would entail fitting RCD, as you are actually doing work in the bathroom.