Question re Airing cupboard in bathroom

[tonyb61]

My son has just bought a victorian house and I've been checking out the electrical installation.
I'm happy generally about it but there are a couple of points I was not happy about.

1) The bathroom has an airing cupboard, with the usual hot water cylinder/central heating wiring centre&programmer&mid position valve/immersion heater. The cupboard is outside the zone 0/1/2 areas. There is a spur from the upstairs ring fed into the airing cupboard, to a single 13A socket via a switched FCU, and the central heating controller/wiring centre or the immersion heater plugs into that socket via 13A plug top so you can operate either the central heating system or immersion heater by plugging in the appropriate plug top. The ring circuits have rcd protection.

I'm not happy with a socket, even inside the cupboard but it's not practical to move the airing cupboard outside the bathroom. I was thinking of replacing the socket + FCU with two switched FCU's with flex outlets and neons so it is clear which is on, and permanently wiring the immersion heater and central heating centre to the two FCU's so at least there is no possibility of plugging anything else inside the cupboard. Does anyone have a better suggestion given the airing cupboard is already inside the bathroom, although not near the bath/shower/sink/wc ?

2) The consumer unit is a fairly modern split load Wylex CU with MCB's for the 2 lighting circuits, and an RCD + MCB's for the two ring circuits. I would prefer RCD protection for the lighting too. Can I replace the two lighting MCB's with combined MCB and RCD's, if they are available ?​

Thanks

 

[Octopus]

My best advice is to contact a local competent sparky.

Changing circuit protection devices without any form of testing is not advised.

As for the socket in the airing cupboard - this is fine.

 

[Pete999]

If you are that concerned move the lighting circuits to the RCD side of the CU

 

[HandySparks]

I was thinking of replacing the socket + FCU with two switched FCU's with flex outlets and neons so it is clear which is on, and permanently wiring the immersion heater and central heating centre to the two FCU's so at least there is no possibility of plugging anything else inside the cupboard. Does anyone have a better suggestion given the airing cupboard is already inside the bathroom, although not near the bath/shower/sink/wc ?

It might be considered a little safer with the socket removed, although the situation isn't hugely different from having a socket just outside the bathroom door. There seems to some doubt as to whether anything in a bathroom cupboard with a door is regarded as within the room or not.

The consumer unit is a fairly modern split load Wylex CU with MCB's for the 2 lighting circuits, and an RCD + MCB's for the two ring circuits. I would prefer RCD protection for the lighting too. Can I replace the two lighting MCB's with combined MCB and RCD's, if they are available ?

Yes, combined MCB/RCD is called an RCBO and is likely to be available to suit your board.

You could also get just the lighting circuit serving the bathroom moved to the RCD side, leaving the other lighting circuit operational in the event of the RCD tripping.

However, any change of this sort to your fixed wiring should be tested and certified, so following Murdoch's advice is likely to be your best option.