EICR / Bathroom Lighting Advice

[GeneralQuestions]

Girlfriends flat just had a small leak from bathroom upstairs and caused some plaster damage around the spotlight, just working out what best to do

Shall may move into mine in next 3 months and therefore we may end up renting her flat and needing a EICR doing and not sure what is likely to cause an issue on any report

Flats build mid 1990s

Light circuit is 2 bathrooms and 2 bedrooms and the alarm system

The lights in the bathroom are GU11 with an external transformer and i dont think have a IP rating
The spotlights in both bathrooms are also not great and both have been removed so many times the plaster is a bit messy

Intention was to circle cut a larger hole where the spots are and to replace them in both bathrooms both to tidy the hole, but also upgrade the spots and put in IP rated ones

The lights are also not protected by a RCD (but my understanding is this is ok due to when house was built vs current EICR regs)
However external transformer and no IP on the spotlights is an issue i presume?

If i replace the spots, what is the advantage of getting new ones with a external DC 12 transformer vs just wiring straight to 220V?

Does anything i do to the spotlights or what i put in them improve the EICR situation, or lessen the likelihood of a failure due to no RCD?

Thanks

 

[littlespark]

As soon as any work is done to the lighting circuit, it should be upgraded to RCBO protection.

In the newest version of regulations, all circuits supplying luminaires should be rcd protected…but in a previous iteration, all circuits serving a bathroom should also have rcd protection… which would include the lights anyway.

Technically, you’re only replacing like for like, then it’s not strictly required…. But having no codes on an EICR is better than a handful of C3’s which can be dealt with by adding the RCBO.

Depending on the make of board, it could be a simple addition.


Sealed LED downlights that run on 230V are cheap enough now…. Get rid of the transformers.

 

[GeneralQuestions]

As soon as any work is done to the lighting circuit, it should be upgraded to RCBO protection.

In the newest version of regulations, all circuits supplying luminaires should be rcd protected…but in a previous iteration, all circuits serving a bathroom should also have rcd protection… which would include the lights anyway.

Technically, you’re only replacing like for like, then it’s not strictly required…. But having no codes on an EICR is better than a handful of C3’s which can be dealt with by adding the RCBO.

Depending on the make of board, it could be a simple addition.


Sealed LED downlights that run on 230V are cheap enough now…. Get rid of the transformers.

Thanks - Yeah i had guessed the reason for DC transformers were cost and worlds moved on and cheaper hence u can just get 230v sealed units for not much more

In terms of the EICR if you always needed a RCB on the lights, was it just a bodge that it was originally commissioned like this?

Have attached a photo from where the circuit was isolated by electrician when the flood happened, how can i tell if it will support a RCBO before somebody tries to overcharge and replace the whole board?

 

[littlespark]

GEC board. They possibly don’t make rcbo’s for that now.

Is there spare ways on the right hand side that the lighting circuit could be moved onto so it shares the rcd mainswitch with the socket ring?


And just for safety’s sake, the board shouldn’t be left like that with the cover off when it’s energised.


FYI, an RCBO and an rcd do the same job.
You have an rcd and so many circuit breakers supplied from it, whereas an RCBO has an rcd and breaker combined.

 

[GeneralQuestions]

GEC board. They possibly don’t make rcbo’s for that now.

Is there spare ways on the right hand side that the lighting circuit could be moved onto so it shares the rcd mainswitch with the socket ring?


And just for safety’s sake, the board shouldn’t be left like that with the cover off when it’s energised.


FYI, an RCBO and an rcd do the same job.
You have an rcd and so many circuit breakers supplied from it, whereas an RCBO has an rcd and breaker combined.

Ah.. ok, how would i tell if it has spare ways or not?

Photo was taken during the works the electrician did so hasnt been left like that, its all covered up now, just planning next steps.

Guess replace the Spotlights with Enclosed IP65 230V units first so it looks nice

Get a EICR done and see the electrician grades as a C2 or C3 as seems to be 50:50 depending on who does the report

The Fuseboard has to be done by somebody qualified either way but would be nice to know if its possible to resolve without a full board replace if he grades as a C2

Thank you very much for the advice..

 

[GeneralQuestions]

Is anyone able to check my thinking above and let me know about if i have spare ways?

I also presume that im not going to overload the circuit by swapping out the transformers and putting in 230V spots as the draw is the same for the new lights as it would be for the transformers

 

[littlespark]

Looking at the Fusebox with the cover off… you will have some non rcd protected breakers from the left mainswitch…. And a number of rcd protected Tom the right.

It looks like a 10 way board, and it would be highly unlikely to be a 9-1 split. Possibly 6-4 or 7-3… so there should be a spare way on the rcd (right) side.

If the lighting breaker is moved to the rcd side, then the corresponding neutral also needs moved onto the other neutral bar as well… and the cpc moved to the new numbered position.

I will point out that poking around in the board isn’t a simple diy job. Please get an electrician in to do this.


As for the downlight power… the 230V is simply the supply voltage. Everything in your house runs on 230V.
The important bit is the Watts… when divided by the 230 gives Amps…. When 6 Amps is the total limit on the lighting breaker.

Giving an average of say, 6Watts per downlight, and a common 4 lights in a bathroom… 24W / 230 gives a little over 0.1A….. so nowhere near overloading.

One old transformer would create more load than that just in wasteful heat.