Fuse board in bathroom

[pburley]

Hi
Just popped round to a 1st floor flat that wants their electric shower changed. i was in the bathroom (which as one metre from edge of bath to opposite wall) and aske dto see the fuse board the tennant reached up and opened a cupboard to show the incoming cable (piro) meter and fuse board. Whats the story with a fuse board in the bathroom?. Any ideas guys. many thanks.

 

[DurhamSparky]

ROOM CONTAINING BATH OR SHOWER!!!!!

section 7 of regs...!!!

 

[pburley]

if the equipment (board, meter and head) are outside zone 2, how do I stand?

 

[DurhamSparky]

you will find they need to be 3 meters outside the zone....!!

 

[Adam W]

Personally I am against the idea - BS7671 states ALL electrical circuits in a bathroom should be RCD protected, but everything the suppliers side of the RCD obviously isn't RCD protected. If a circuit tripped and the CU was in a downstairs toilet which someone was using they could quite easily get up and reset it without much problem, but if it's in a shower room you are presented with the risk of someone getting out of the shower to touch the CU.

IMO there is also a risk that the door might fall off or get stuck open, in which case you essentially have a consumer unit where there shouldn't even be a light switch.

 

[DPhilpott]

Nice.... Just, nice

 

[pburley]

wish I had taken some photo's to show you. You can nearlly change a fuse whilst having a shower.

 

[pburley]

What about moving the service head and meter?. Is this a call to the supplier and ask them to move these?

 

[Adam W]

It will certainly need some kind of improvement along those lines - IMO simply trying to improve the seal around the door doesn't cut the mustard.

 

[SirKit Breaker]

What about moving the service head and meter?. Is this a call to the supplier and ask them to move these?

Certainly Sir, that will be about £2000.

I am not taking the p***, this is not cheap.

Cheers..........Howard

 

[dice electrical]

The Bathroom could not of always been there move the head and CCU or move bathroom to the room it was intended to be in. I saw once service head and fuse boards and not enclosed in a spray shop once the guy asked is that ok there. Now let me think about that!

 

[Guitarist]

One must assume that it wasn't a bathroom when the supply was installed. Very naughty to turn it into one. That said, if there are no socket outlets then it is technically only switchgear in there, which must be outside zones, ie 600mm away from edge of bath or shower. Additionally, you stated it was inside a cupboard. Interesting one to be sure, but I doubt the owners would want the expense of moving the supply.

 

[pburley]

Hi Guy's just to put the cat amoungst the pigeons, I spoke to EDF today (the supplier) and they said that the property is a purpose built maisonette and the head and meter were put in the bathroom when the property was built (1950's) it does not need to be moved, the fuse board must be moved but not the head. I then phoned National Grid who said the samething. What are your thoughts?

 

[Guitarist]

Tell EDF that as they fitted it all in the bathroom, it's time for them to move it .....

 

[Adam W]

Electrical equipment in locations containing a bath or shower should be rcd protected, while the service equipment is probably only protected by the protective device at the transformer.
You could get what they're saying in writing and move the CU, although I don't think a bathroom is the best place for a service head.