Bathroom Fan isolator wiring help | Page 3 | on ElectriciansForums

Discuss Bathroom Fan isolator wiring help in the Electrical Wiring, Theories and Regulations area at ElectriciansForums.net

Oh and I agree with your point, that a persons interpretation should not be presented as fact. I just saw the irony; that in attempting to remove the dogmatic "you must fit an isolator" you stated that it is NOT a requirement to - when, in the fans I fit - it is.
 
There are always exceptions to rules. It is illegal to exceed the speed limit... Unless you are a police officer and you have no other option than to exceed the limit in the course of your duty. Your point is valid, but if we talked about every exception to every rule all day long then no one would ever have a clue would they :)
 
Hi

Sorry if there is any confusion, basically, presently, there is a pull-cord switch which works the bathroom light and FAN unit, I was thinking of just meeting regs by inserting a 3-pole isolator before the FAN unit, now someone here told me that I need also to put in a 3 A fused unit before the light switch, the FAN unit that is presently there has no manu details, standard 100mm. Now one option is to change the FAN unit to one that does not require a FCU I guess but I cannot seem to source one.

1. New FCU + Isolator
2. Isolator + new Fan (not requiring FCU)
3, Isolator only (existing fan)

I don't know which option meets the regs.

Hope this is clear

cheers

KC

I'm sorry, your syntax throughout all of your posts is all wrong and I'm having trouble understanding you. Could you explain the exact set up you have at this moment in time, and then could you explain exactly what you would like to do.
 
Hi

Sorry if there is any confusion, basically, presently, there is a pull-cord switch which works the bathroom light and FAN unit, I was thinking of just meeting regs by inserting a 3-pole isolator before the FAN unit, now someone here told me that I need also to put in a 3 A fused unit before the light switch, the FAN unit that is presently there has no manu details, standard 100mm. Now one option is to change the FAN unit to one that does not require a FCU I guess but I cannot seem to source one.

1. New FCU + Isolator
2. Isolator + new Fan (not requiring FCU)
3, Isolator only (existing fan)

I don't know which option meets the regs.

Hope this is clear

cheers

KC

what makes you think current fan doesnt comply??

if the current one doesnt need fusing down and there is a window in the bathroom then no isolator is needed unless manufacturers instructions stipulate otherwise.

i would leave well alone :wink5:
 
flukey,

this is what i am I thinking myself now, why bother indeed.
Fact is the only info I have found is on the "Electricans guide to building regs"

"An extractor fan supplied from a lighting cct for a bathrrom without a window should have its own meansof isolation, as otherwise replaement or maintenance of the fan would have to be carried out in the dark. An isolation switch for a fan with an overrun factility will need to be triple pole and must be installed outside of zones 0, 1 and 2"
 
Optimum word there is Electricans guide to building regs and the word should

As for our regs as I posted in #2 to you regulation 510.3 concerning manufacturers instructions and they have to be taken in account.

And have a read of Section 537 in the regs about isolation and switching, it's pretty much will cover everything you want
 
Where there is a risk of injury from electrically powered mechanical equipment (fan blades) Reg 573.3.1.1 states that we must be able to isolate for mechanical maintenance. This can be achieved by opening the mcb providing that it can be locked off in some way (being remote), or by using the aforementioned FCU (as the fuse can be removed and kept on one's person) Personally, I find it easier to just fit a 3-pole isolator in-line so that I can clean fans, which tend to get dusted up quite often. MK fan isolators even come with a padlock for locking off when sited remotely from the fan.
 
Where there is a risk of injury from electrically powered mechanical equipment (fan blades) Reg 573.3.1.1 states that we must be able to isolate for mechanical maintenance. This can be achieved by opening the mcb providing that it can be locked off in some way (being remote), or by using the aforementioned FCU (as the fuse can be removed and kept on one's person) Personally, I find it easier to just fit a 3-pole isolator in-line so that I can clean fans, which tend to get dusted up quite often. MK fan isolators even come with a padlock for locking off when sited remotely from the fan.

To be honest if that is the case then we may have to go down the line of having an emergency stop button as we will be treating the equipment under BS 60204 and also making sure the control circuit can not re energized by accident.

537.3.1.1 deals with more switching rather then isolation and so just advises that switching is under control of the person performing the maintenance,which could be as you say, but does not have to be means of locking off.

537.2.1.5 is I think where you mean that locking off is a method of achieving isolation, but that is for general rather then for maintenance
 
I agree Malcolm that it is a bit "belts and braces", but having been an industrial electrical engineer for over 20 years I have had good reason to be. I was really referring to accidental switching on, such as someone else in the house saying "oh, the lights didn't work so I checked the breaker and it was off....", the reason I am assuming MK now give you a cute little padlock. A local triple-pole switch just makes life easy imo, plus it makes LBC happy and covers all these little regs we are now discussing :)
I love your idea of an emergency stop...
 
Im not going to say much as ive upset D skelton , but if the circuit is fused down as manufacturers instructions as ive said in my previouse posts and you also incorperate a fan isolator then you can independantly isolate the fan and still have the light on i would much prefer to work on the fan with the light on than a torch or head torch ,the electricians guide to the building regs yes it may be a guide but the building regs are statutory where the wiring regs are not ... oo think im going to get stick for that one
 
Im not going to say much as ive upset D skelton

You haven't upset me at all! You were just wrong :D


Hi

Sorry if there is any confusion, basically, presently, there is a pull-cord switch which works the bathroom light and FAN unit, I was thinking of just meeting regs by inserting a 3-pole isolator (As stated, there is nothing in any regs requiring that you fit three pole isolation) before the FAN unit, now someone here told me that I need also to put in a 3 A fused unit before the light switch, the FAN unit that is presently there has no manu details, standard 100mm. Now one option is to change the FAN unit to one that does not require a FCU I guess but I cannot seem to source one.

1. New FCU + Isolator
2. Isolator + new Fan (not requiring FCU)
3, Isolator only (existing fan)

I don't know which option meets the regs.

Hope this is clear

cheers

KC

There are a few options here:

1. Replace the fan with an Expelier (or other brand where the manufacturers instructions don't require you fuse it down) that doesn't have timer over run. This would mean you wouldn't have to fit a fused spur or even an isolator as some would have you believe that you need (which is wrong).
2. Fit a 3A fused spur on the light feed and you can then comply with what I'm 99% sure the manufacturers instructions would have said and if your current fan has a timer over run then this also deals with regulation 132.15.2 thus killing two birds with one stone.
3. Leave it alone.

Whatever you choose
to do, remember, you do not need to fit an isolator as well as a fused spur. The building regs do not state this and neither does BS 7671!
 

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