Connecting a fan to shower power

[tirfor]

Hi all, a newbie requiring advice.
I have been asked to fit a fan within a bathroom with the following constraints:
1. fan needs to work in daylight when light is off.
2. ideally on a timer so steam can be removed after showering.
3. humidistat not to be used as past units did not work to well.
4. be able to use 3a fans.
5. cheap as poss so no expensive fans or expensive pir's

So i have thought it would be best to connect the fan to the showers power.

My question is:
1. Is this ok to do or is there a better idea?
2. A timed fan requires a live and switched live, so is a fused spur available with twin fuses?
3. My idea is to tap into the supply side of the shower switch to provide the live feed and then tap into the load side of the shower switch to provide the switched live. Both lives will go to separate fused spurs (located in assessable attic) then both spurs will be connected to an isolation switch (in wall be bathroom door) then of to the fan. Is this ok or am i missing something?

Cheers for your help.

 

[tidyboiler]

Stay oot the laundry basket Geordie.

Boydy

Oh don't encourage him boydy.... he's still paying off the last fine!!! :dita:

 

[Geordie Spark]

Oh don't encourage him boydy.... he's still paying off the last fine!!! :dita:

Just what sort of a pervert do I think you are???

 

[tidyboiler]

Just what sort of a pervert do I think you are???

:lipsrsealed2:
:lipsrsealed2::lipsrsealed2::lipsrsealed2::lipsrsealed2:

 

[tirfor]

Oh you guys have given me a chuckle, can’t believe all the posts since my last one but still no full answer. I’m glad I’ve helped fill your spare time with some fun.

Let me give you some background. Yep I wouldn’t say I am fully pledged veteran of being an electrician. To be honest pretty much just starting out after doing 3.5 years of courses etc. So my mentors were college lecturers and at college you mainly just play around with new circuits from scratch. I now mainly work on new full rewires so not much experience of add ins for previously designed circuits.

So with my limited experience I thought I would come on here and ask for advice to help me on my way. When I have an idea in my head that I feel is correct from what I have learned, I find it hard to let it go until someone can explain to me why it can’t be done. Hence I learn. What else a forums used for?

Now, if I am posting in the wrong section or asking for advice from the wrong group of people that’s fine just tell me and I can make the changes. Or if newbie’s aren’t welcome because they don’t know it all, just say.

I’ve got questions to ask but scared of asking them due to the response I would get, ie no answer. Let’s clear this up now before moving on.

 

[tazz]

You have give us all a chuckle......but my posts if you are serious on going down this expensive route is a current sensing relay back at the cu or away from the bathroom zone. If you research this item, you may find it suits your needs

 

[PEG]

I'm giving you a like because this thread reminded me of the first 10 minutes of Conan the Barbarian,you seem concise,and you can spell...welcome dude :1:

 

[Guest55]

im assuming your now working alone as some sort of domestic installer ?

if so ask yourself this...

am i really ready to be working as an independant & sole contractor when i've had zero supervised work experience since training ?

i doubt very much that the super duper training centre has adequately prepared you for the big bad world of house bashing and all its hidden evils ;-)

and your assumption that the purpose of this forum is to fill the bus sized gaps in your knowledge is a fail in itself.

but keep on trucking anyway , you'll get there in the end.

 

[guest119]

And my like is for your thick skin and persistence, respect.

Boydy

 

[Geoffsd]

Likewise.


tirfor, as you may have deduced, there is actually no regulation which prohibits having a shower and fan on the same circuit.

Circuits can be properly designed to supply whatever equipment you want.


However, as you may also have realised it would be a silly thing to do; not specifically for electrical reasons but more practical.

You would not want to introduce more (screwed) connections to the shower conductors.
Connecting additional conductors in the shower switch would also be unwise; it is awkward and crowded enough already.
Obviously you would not connect them in the shower itself.
That just leaves the MCB but that would be stupid as there are more suitable ones there.

As there will likely be a light within two or three metres of the fan position on a circuit ideally suited it would be better to use that.

 

[MDJ]

Oh you guys have given me a chuckle,

I’ve got questions to ask but scared of asking them due to the response I would get, ie no answer. Let’s clear this up now before moving on.

Right back at ya

Crack on, providing you listen to others whether you agree or not and don't keep defending the in defenceable you will have no trouble at all.

Oh Welcome to the site by the way fella. mike

 

[ChrisElectrical88]

you have had all the correct answers 5 or 6 times over but you continued to argue. i am more than happy to help any body but not those who don't want to hear the truth.

 

[ga8ry]

15 pages or we riot

 

[brf]

I certainly would not fit it to the shower circuit.....if there was a fault with the fan would it trip the shower mcb ????!!!!
Best to fit a humidistat fan on the lighting circuit with a 3amp fuse .

 

[tirfor]

OK, I may be seeing light at the end of the tunnel finally.:clap:


Am I right in saying, as Geoffsd says, that technically speaking there is no reason why a shower cable cannot be used to supply another circuit if all calculations are OK. But it’s not recommended as all cables should have minimal breaks and joints in them, which may cause problems.


If this is the case, I understand but I couldn’t understand why I was getting ‘no you can’t do it’ but without a reason, hence I couldn't get my head around it. Any other reasons?

The current sensing device as you guys have stated would have been my best option to deal with my job brief, but I just expected some sort of readily made device for sale not me making it from scratch. I feel a trip to Dragon's Den may be in order
I can't believe others have not had to same problem.

 

[boyo99]

I think my stay here will very very brief
I thought this was a good question and looked forward to some well reasoned arguments. Instead most of the comments here are pure dross. Are there no mods here to keep discussions on topic?

Simply saying "don't do it" is hardly helping someone. You need to give a well reasoned argument as to why (ie which regs stop you doing it or why its unsafe). Just because thats how you've always done something isn't exactly helpful.

Respect to the few who actually tried to answer the question (notably Geoffsd #144 and Tazz with the current sensing offering) - these people I actually learned something from. All I learnt from the others is that they have too much spare time and too little knowledge. If you don't know why something is so then just say so or, better still, don't post a comment.

Enjoy.