RCD size for electric shower

[splinter65]

I am fitting a new shower unit for my daughter. The consumer unit is fitted with a 63A RCD which is controlling three circuits: Cooker, sockets and immersion heater. I need to fit a 40A Mcb and am wondering if I could use the same RCD. I presume if the cooker, immersion heater and the shower where all on at the same time the load would be too much and the RCD would trip. Also i am using 6mm2 cable and at present the existing house wiring is run in a conduit down the outside wall of the house. Would it be ok to run the new 6mm cable in a separate conduit or would it be better to run it without conduit. (I`m thinking of heating and subsequent power loss)

cheers
roger

 

[Mac]

What rating is the shower.

 

[splinter65]

Hi. 8.5kw and the cable run is 10metres max

 

[plantpot]

another example of how part P is working

 

[Des 56]

Quote
the load would be too much and the RCD would trip.


Am I missing something here?
Would you care to elaborate on that statement ?

 

[monkeyelectric]

I am fitting a new shower unit for my daughter. The consumer unit is fitted with a 63A RCD which is controlling three circuits: Cooker, sockets and immersion heater. I need to fit a 40A Mcb and am wondering if I could use the same RCD. I presume if the cooker, immersion heater and the shower where all on at the same time the load would be too much and the RCD would trip. Also i am using 6mm2 cable and at present the existing house wiring is run in a conduit down the outside wall of the house. Would it be ok to run the new 6mm cable in a separate conduit or would it be better to run it without conduit. (I`m thinking of heating and subsequent power loss)

cheers
roger

Have you any electrical qualifications? if not i would reccommend you get an electrician to put it in, an rcd is not an overcurrent device its a fault current protection device

 

[eagleeye]

i assume you are not a qualified electrician ! why are you even attempting to put this circuit in if you don’t know what your talking about ! How would you test the circuit on completion ? do you know the regs for this ? this could be dangerous if you do this yourself by the sounds of it. Leave alone and get a qualified sparks to do it

 

[splinter65]

Whoops! Slapped wrist time is it. Sorry lads, just trying to save my daughter a bit of money and I have an electrician who always checks my work when I have completed. Sorry I upset you all...

 

[Mac]

Whoops! Slapped wrist time is it. Sorry lads, just trying to save my daughter a bit of money and I have an electrician who always checks my work when I have completed. Sorry I upset you all...

Split 17th edition board.10mm cable and a 40A MCB

 

[monkeyelectric]

Whoops! Slapped wrist time is it. Sorry lads, just trying to save my daughter a bit of money and I have an electrician who always checks my work when I have completed. Sorry I upset you all...

I see what your saying but it would be a lot safer to get a qualified spark in, after seeing some of the diy (and some so called sparks) jobs i've been to you'd see why its better to get the professionals in, but if you are competent and your mate can check it and connect it up you could route the cable to save some money that way(obviously keeping to prescribed zones and area's) personally i would use 10mm t+e it just allows flexibility for size of showers in the future, no hard feelings

 

[splinter65]

I have just finished installing underfloor heating at home and this has been passed as OK by my electrician mate. I am a careful and competent worker, having worked for BT for almost thirty years. Thanks Monkey for your advice, i will use 10mm. I assume it will be Ok to use the existing 63A RCD. Once again thanks.
Roger

 

[xraytek]

Whoops! Slapped wrist time is it. Sorry lads, just trying to save my daughter a bit of money and I have an electrician who always checks my work when I have completed. Sorry I upset you all...

Its good that you seek the correct information for carrying out the job, rather than making assumptions. But the problem is you will probably only get answers to the questions you ask, and nothing more.

You could easily follow the advice of this forum but locate the isolator (assuming you know one is required) in the wrong bathroom zone (assuming you know zones exist).

I think thats the reason why you received the response you got, so my advice is not to make assumptions and double check every last detail before you go ahead.

 

[Des 56]

Splinter
No problems with the phones in your home then
Wait till us holier than thou sparks want advise on telephone systems and get in there with the revenge
Boot on other foot will come

 

[monkeyelectric]

I have just finished installing underfloor heating at home and this has been passed as OK by my electrician mate. I am a careful and competent worker, having worked for BT for almost thirty years. Thanks Monkey for your advice, i will use 10mm. I assume it will be Ok to use the existing 63A RCD. Once again thanks.
Roger

Yeah that will be fine there is diversity applied to the other circuits (not the shower though) so that brings your maximum demand down and you're unlikely to use everything at the same time, all the rcd is for is protecting against earth fault not overcurrent, your sparky mate should be able to work all that out for you

 

[kduck]

The work is in the bathroom and its a new circuit so you need to notify your work to building control or if your spark is Part P reg he may do it.

 

[splinter65]

Thanks xray. Yes I can see why qualified blokes get a bit uptight, and of course the rules are there for a reason. Ok about the double pole isolator and the positioning of it. Thanks again..

Thanks for that Monkey. All I`ve got to do know is work out how to get a ruddy great ladder down to my daughters!
Cheers.

Yes you`re right about the phones Des. Even got one in the loo...I think I`ll start a telecomms forum and then sit back and wait. Trouble is at 65 I don`t want to be called a grumpy old man!

 

[Mac]

Thanks xray. Yes I can see why qualified blokes get a bit uptight, and of course the rules are there for a reason. Ok about the double pole isolator and the positioning of it. Thanks again..

Thanks for that Monkey. All I`ve got to do know is work out how to get a ruddy great ladder down to my daughters!
Cheers.

Yes you`re right about the phones Des. Even got one in the loo...I think I`ll start a telecomms forum and then sit back and wait. Trouble is at 65 I don`t want to be called a grumpy old man!

You're only as old as you feel

 

[splinter65]

Mac: I`ve almost finished tiling my daughter`s bathroom (don`t tell any tilers!) and I certainly feel more like 85!

 

[Mac]

Most of the Admin staff and moderators are tilers.

 

[kung]

Is your electrician mate registered and certify the work ? if so he's a brave man as you norm only sign off your own work ! or as said have you just gone down the notify LABC route ? do understand you want to save your daulter money but as long as its done by the book and legal thats ok somethings are worth the money.
Regards
Kung.

 

[Spudnik]

Can i just remind you all that this forum is for everyone to use, electricians and non-electricians.

 

[splinter65]

Mac; Better not answer the doorbell late at night in that case,.....

 

[Mac]

Mac; Better not answer the doorbell late at night in that case,.....

I'm lost mate

 

[splinter65]

Kung: my mate is Part P registered and of course only signs off his own work. He is now going to do my shower so thanks to everyone who replied, and as someone has already said, the forum is for both electricians and NON-electricians

.

Don`t worry about it Mac, my wife says my ramblings are what endeared her to me in the first place. Thanks again for your time.

 

[Mac]

Kung: my mate is Part P registered and of course only signs off his own work. He is now going to do my shower so thanks to everyone who replied, and as someone has already said, the forum is for both electricians and NON-electricians

.

Don`t worry about it Mac, my wife says my ramblings are what endeared her to me in the first place. Thanks again for your time.

Good luck mate

 

[kung]

Kung: my mate is Part P registered and of course only signs off his own work. He is now going to do my shower so thanks to everyone who replied, and as someone has already said, the forum is for both electricians and NON-electricians

.

Agreed about the electricians & non electricians bit the best way to do it is if unsure find out whats notifiable and non notifiable and who can do what as if advising how to install something we need to make sure were not missleading anyone as to what they can and cannot do legally.
Best of luck Splinter.
Regards
Kung.

 

[High Tower]

one thing i will say is that although i agree in part with the debate about part p being a joke and lack of policing, and i also agree in principal with diy'ers not doing there own!

However i do think this all gets a little tiresome and sometimes i find it wearing a little thin!.

I myself am not fully qualified, i diddnt wanna go down the fast track route so i did my 17th and then 2391 test and inspect and im currently waiting my 2 inspections for part p.

I am going through the long and labourious process of 2330 pt2 in a part time capacity.

Unfortunatly i still have to work while im re-training so im still doing 65 hrs a week as a Executive Head Chef.

I am lucky enough to be of above average intelligence and had previously taught myself the 16th edition, i have been involved in property maintenence for a long time and have ammased a fair old bit of experience.

My point is that i accept at this time most of you guys have a lot more knowlege than me but i am learning and never work outside of my competene and ability.

However a recent job left me disappointed. The property is owned by freinds of the family and over the past years had only ever been worked on by 2 sparks. one was old school, he other younger but time served none the less

Job one was to connect summer house by means of a previously installed swa installed by the younger sparks, he was apprenticed time served fully qualified and a few years experience. the supply was originally for the previous garage, the householder had electrocuted himself with the swa supply when demoloshing the garage to make way for the summer house. the householder had told me that he had pulled the fuse in the spur but still got stung. on closer inspection i found the spur to have been wired up incorrectly and the live was constant and the neuteral fused.

Second job was to replace some downlighters in a canopy over the front door. again installed by the younger sparks

I found standard down lighters with no protection against the ingress of moisture. supplied by 1.0mm2 T&E connected by means of bare 15a terminal strips wrapped with insulating tape. the holes were cut out with a jig saw and not a hole saw so fitting new lights in oval holes was a pain to say the least.

so i have left it with bathroom down lighters, with cables connecetd by means of wago joints enclosed in ip44 water tight boxes.

3rd issue was that the house was re wired by older sparks, found the upstairs lighting circuit peppered with terminal strips and insulating tape, no bonding anywhere in the house, and the switch cables for the bathroom had been moved and were extended by means of twist and tape.

it is for this reason that i contine to work on the projects that i take on with confidence and pride without having any confidence issues, these two guys were the definition of time served experienced sparks and i am totally convinced tht the standard of my work is far superior.

In the same ilk i am not nieve to think that this is the norm but it does make me feel a lot better