Shower Isolator in a Bathroom airing cupboard

[kmcgold]

will you be standing in a zone when operating the switch?

 

[Dic Penderyn]

Me im agreeing with telextric no code seperated by a door , so if you take reg 701.32.1 into account then there shouldnt be a problem, reg states horizontal or inclined ceilings walls with or without doors floors and fixed partiones may be taken into account where these effectivly limit the extent of locationjs containing a bath or shower as well as their zones

[FONT=&quot]Regulation 512.2.1mentions that:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Every item of electrical equipment to be of a design appropriate to the situation in which it is to be used, or its type of installation shall take account of the conditions likely to be met. [/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]A socket on a landing would not comply with the regs within a distance of 3m [/FONT][FONT=&quot]horizontally from the boundary of zone 1. Therefore would[/FONT][FONT=&quot]a shower isolator within a cupboard be any different whether you could operate it when standing in the bath or not?[/FONT]

 

[Benny_Boy]

I'd never stick a shower iso in a bathroom cupboard, however, how many boiler spurs have you seen in airing cupboards in bathrooms?

how do you code them there thingys?

 

[telectrix]

and immersion heater spurs. where else would they be. OK. we would probably not now install a shower isolator in an airing cupboard, but then again we would not install a rewireable CU or red/black cable. nothing wrong with them though.

 

[Benny_Boy]

and immersion heater spurs. where else would they be. OK. we would probably not now install a shower isolator in an airing cupboard, but then again we would not install a rewireable CU or red/black cable. nothing wrong with them though.

spot on, but it does raise an interesting question:

If you have to wire a boiler in a bathroom airing cupboard, would you raise an eyebrow at sticking the spur in there as a new install?

Or find somewhere else for the wiring centre and spur?

 

[kmcgold]

if the door was locked and need a tool to open eg chub key lock then ok for boiler etc but not shower
switch,
lets not forget requirements of bs 7671 are based on reasonableness.
you should not be able to operate a switch while in a bathroom zone
unless that switch is suitable for that zone.

 

[Benny_Boy]

Well, I must admit that I've seen heaps of spurs in bathroom airing cupboards with unlockable doors and it's never bothered me. We could do with Sintra (the regs monster) to throw his tuppence worth in. I'm going to peruse BRB in hope of a firm answer. You've got me thinking now as I do quite a bit of testing.

 

[nickblake]

Its a good one , i think the worst bathroom situation ive ever encountered was a socket above the bath, and when i DNed it and said it had to go i was told no it couldnt as she liked to dry her hair whilst in the bath !!!! and thats no joke its a good while ago i may still have a pic i will look for it , on and it was a rewireable board too

 

[Benny_Boy]

Its a good one , i think the worst bathroom situation ive ever encountered was a socket above the bath, and when i DNed it and said it had to go i was told no it couldnt as she liked to dry her hair whilst in the bath !!!! and thats no joke its a good while ago i may still have a pic i will look for it , on and it was a rewireable board too

I did a rewire just before christmas and found a socket in a little tiny cupboard about 3 inches from the edge of the bath. who puts this stuff in?
back to the regs, 701.32.1 really says that basically if the "partition" effectively limits the zone then it would be acceptable. whether it's lockable or not. I think it relies on the installer not being a muppet.

 

[kmcgold]

did you replace the socket when you did the rewire?

 

[Benny_Boy]

did you replace the socket when you did the rewire?

seriously?

Just for the avoidance of doubt.....no I bloody well did not!!

Goes back to not being a muppet I suppose, I guess there'll be no more bath-toast for them!

 

[kmcgold]

but you said , 701.32.1 really says that basically if the "partition" effectively limits the zone then it would be acceptable.

 

[Benny_Boy]

yeah but the second bit of that paragraph says that where the partition's dimensions are less than the dimensions of the relevant zones then the minimum distances shall apply.

So if the airing cupboard is floor to ceiling it's up to you. At least that's my interpretation.

 

[martysparky]

How likely is it albeit may be a possible hazard that someone would unplug the boiler to dry there hair? or flick the switch to off?

I'd say if you did come across a outlet for a boiler in the nearby bathroom cupboard change it for the Sw/F/S, obviously!

 

[Benny_Boy]

Should have maybe made it clear before but a socket in an airing cupboard is a very different proposition to an immersion heater or a boiler spur.

I don't think I'd be happy putting an outlet in a bathroom even if it was in a bloomin safe!