Fused Spur Location

[misterfranki]

Can anyone confirm or deny that the fused spur used to isolate the boiler and all associated controls has to be local to the boiler. It makes sense that it should be, but I haven't seen it specified on any of the wiring schematics. All the schematics that I have found still suggest that the supply goes to the wiring centre, and then to the boiler. Ordinarily the wiring centre is located away from the boiler, hence the supply would be away from the boiler. Does that make sense? I hope someone understands what I am trying to say. Cheers for any assistance in this.:stupid:

 

[truckster]

Isolation is required at the boiler so if the controls are elsewhere, airing cupboard for instance, I put a DP or three pole switch next to the boiler.

 

[Paul.M]

A fused spur is used for local isolation for the appliance and for the protection of the cable feeding it. Locate it near the boiler and make sure its accessible unlike the one I had to move last week that was behind a cold water 25mm pipe, bloody plumbers .

 

[misterfranki]

So if a wiring centre had a supply from a fused spur in the airing cupboard (nowhere near the boiler), would it be a requirement to change the supply location so that it was near the boiler? I would imagine it would be, and we would have to charge accordingly.

 

[Paul.M]

So if a wiring centre had a supply from a fused spur in the airing cupboard (nowhere near the boiler), would it be a requirement to change the supply location so that it was near the boiler? I would imagine it would be, and we would have to charge accordingly.

Yes, it needs to be local to the appliance and not the other side of the house tucked away in a cupboard. How quick could anyone find the switch in an emergency? You can get around the problem by putting up notices but who would want that in their home?

 

[misterfranki]

Yeah, Paul, I fully understand and it makes perfect sense. It's just that it's rare to find the supply near the boiler on older installations. And it can be quite a job relocating the supply to near the boiler, but the logic is spot on. I guess we're here to make things safer.
Cheers for the replies

 

[truckster]

Sorry Paul, I'm gonna argue with you. The requirement is for the boiler to be easily isolated for maintainance. If the wiring centre is in the airing cupboard and the spur is there as is quite normal you only need to place an isolator in any lives going to the boiler so a DP or 3 pole switch is satisfactory.

 

[Paul.M]

Truckster I think we are saying the same thing but in different ways. Local issolation is for maintenance, emergency switching, the fuse in the fcu is there to protect the spur cable (if its smaller than the ring/radial cable) and the removal of the fuse is used to make safe to work on the appliance without interfering with the original circuit.

 

[truckster]

The point I'm making is that the FCU can be in the remote location,i.e. the airing cupboard but a switch has to be provided at the boiler location for the 'engineer' It's not neccesary to have the spur at the boiler location. Misterfranki seems to think he needs to bring the FCU to the boiler.

 

[Paul.M]

The point I'm making is that the FCU can be in the remote location,i.e. the airing cupboard but a switch has to be provided at the boiler location for the 'engineer' It's not neccesary to have the spur at the boiler location. Misterfranki seems to think he needs to bring the FCU to the boiler.

Perfect answer and solution to the op's question, I'll try and make my posts clearer next time.

 

[malcolmsanford]

Ah but Paul for our Regs if you fitted a remote isolator as to reg 537.2.1.3 that can have a removable arm or can be locked off, then for us there is no need to supply a further isolation within the circuit, but I think the heating plumbers get a bit touchy and so introduce the need for further isolation within the system in their regs.

 

[truckster]

Hi Malcolm,
Your right in that the isolation is part of the gas regs. Gas 'engineers' like an easy life!

 

[misterfranki]

Thanks for the clarification there folks.
I have also been advised that the local isolation needs to isolate any power to the controls, as well as the boiler. If you were to add an isolation point at the boiler, purely to isolate the boiler, some of the control supplies would still be live, wouldn't they?

 

[telectrix]

life was so much simpler with a coal fire and back boiler. you can't get heat from old shoes from a gas boiler.