Shower lighting

[young sparky]

Hi all, found this site very useful before so Thot I'd use your knowledge again lol,
Have to wire a light into a shower, have a light, ip44 gu10 downlighter and the customer is wanting it to come on when he pulls the pullcord for the shower.
Was just going to come out of the load side of the shower pullcord to a fused spur then into the light, don't think there is anything wrong with this but just checking before hand

 

[Octopus]

On the basis you are referring to a power shower I would say that this is not permitted by the regs and definitely not advisable.

 

[telectrix]

would be better to have it on a pull cord or PIR, fed from the lighting circuit.

 

[topquark]

What zone is it being installed in?

 

[telectrix]

i,d want to see IP65 above a shower. also, if coming off the shower isolator, should use same size cable to FCU. be a bugger if it's 10mm.

 

[young sparky]

What if I was to break into the cable coming from the pullcord to the shower and from the load side of the spur go to the light

 

[Absolute]

What if I was to break into the cable coming from the pullcord to the shower and from the load side of the spur go to the light

Yes would work in theory, but have you tried to put 2x 6/10mm cable into a FCU? You'll need a medal if you manage it.

Tell the client it can't be done and it needs to be fed from the lighting circuit. simple

 

[Rikki Barrett]

Hahahahaha, I tried explaining this to my old man, especially what telectrix has mentioned, he just could not understand that his 2.5 cable is protected by a 40a breaker. He thought its ok because its fused down at the spur! Didnt help when I got there to do the job (after saying just let me do it, 70 miles 1 way), someone had already nicked a supply from there to a heater using 1.5!!!

 

[Absolute]

He thought its ok because its fused down at the spur!

IIRC years ago this was allowed as the fused spur couldn't draw more than the fuse rating and thus the cable was protected

 

[Rikki Barrett]

Thats what he said, but there is only 40a protection on the feed to the spur, which is about 5m of cable.

 

[Absolute]

Thats what he said, but there is only 40a protection on the feed to the spur, which is about 5m of cable.

And i think it had to be in the same enclosure or something like that. Anyway it's a dodgy practice to do nowadays. Ask him what would happen if a nail was put through the FCU feed cable? i would say the 2.5 will melt before the 40A blows

 

[IQ Electrical]

This is bad practice but please remember that overcurrent protection does not have to be upstream so there is no requirement to match the shower sub-circuit CSA assuming adequate overcurrent protection at the FCU.

 

[malcolmsanford]

Guys have a read of regulation 434.2.1 regarding reduction of CSa and relationship of protection devices.

I would be more concerend with adhering to manufacterers instructions where most showers call for their own dedicated circuit rather that worrying about spuring off the load side of a double pole switch from a shower circuit with a smaller cable, if you read parts 434 and 433 of the regs.

 

[Rikki Barrett]

Aaaah dont, it caused a right argument, I said them exact words to him, the only small good thing is its surface mounted, so hopefully he we smell it before it goes up in flames!!!!

 

[Absolute]

I agree on the regs bit, but i still don't think its a good idea. For example the shower isolator switch is really designed for a 6/10mm cable, not 6/10mm with a bit of 2.5mm stuffed in too? surely?