new pully-switch to turn on my shower but the Electrician said it would be against company policy

[Shelly]

Hi,
I need a new pully-switch to turn on my shower but the Electrician said it would be against company policy to fix it,as I have an old fuse box that doesn't have the shut off element to it.Would this be right,? If so,is there no cheaper way of doing it,without a whole new fuse board please,?

 

[Dan]

Eeerm I'm not an electrician so will edit my post if I'm wrong but I think a switched fused spur is what I've read before somewhere.

Whether that still needs a newer distribution board though is well out of my remit.

There are some regulations similar to building regs generally that say for example if you do works to a retail unit that doesn't have disabled access, then it has to have it added at the same time.

So whether an electrician would need to do a fresh power supply if he touches it, and that entails the rule about needing to update everything, then I can understand the rule being in place and see such rules in all trades.

 

[brianmoooore]

First point is that your pull switch is not intended to turn the shower on and off. It is an isolator switch to enable maintenance to be carried out safely on the shower, and at all other times should be left on.
Presumably, your electrician is referring to lack of protection by an RCD, and this can be remedied by fitting one in the supply cable between your consumer unit (fusebox) and the shower. If there's room, right beside the CU would be ideal.
Having said that, it's really long past the time that all CUs like your existing one were replaced. The introduction of the RCD is, IMHO, the greatest step forwards in electrical safety ever.

 

[westward10]

No reason why this pull cord cannot be replaced even though your old fuse box may benefit from being replaced. Can you show a picture of the fuse box?

 

[littlespark]

By the regulations, this comes under repair and maintenance, so the addition of an rcd is not technically required, as Westy says above….
The regulations are for wholly new work, or material alterations to existing installations.


However, the electrician says it’s “company policy” which is over and above the regulations… That’s their take on it, and they have the right to say it.

Find a different company. They might change it, but I’m sure they would advise you to upgrade your consumer unit as well

 

[oscar21]

I read it as he couldn't lock the circuit off to work on it.

 

[James]

As @littlespark says,
It is against their company policy

This doesn’t mean that it is against the regulations to change it (although if it is dangerous then no professional will want to do it)

Try a local electrician instead of a large company
They are more likely to use a more dynamic risk assessment process.

 

[mainline]

Me personally wouldn't replace it without rcd protection.