Washing Machine in Bathroom

[Nezzzo]

I'm a Landlord, and very old electrician, and have just done my Part P to get a better understanding of current regulations. We have bought a flat with a washing machine installed in Zone 2 of the bathroom. It is hard wired into a switch fuse which appears to be in line with the regulations. Is this acceptable.

 

[brianmoooore]

As long as the switch fuse is out of the zones, then yes.

 

[littlespark]

and protected by rcd, as everything in the bathroom should be.

 

[Nezzzo]

The switch fuse is within the zone but when I look at the information I am provided with it gives an example of an oil filled towel rail fed from a switch fuse which is similar but of course not a washing machine. I cant find anything that refers specifically to a washing machine.

 

[Nezzzo]

It is protected with RCD.

 

[brianmoooore]

The switch/fuse must be outside zones 0, 1 and 2. Note that there is no zone associated with a hand basin.
That applies to towel rails as well as washing machines.

 

[Nezzzo]

I must say that is what I imagined but the booklet "IET Wiring Regulations" that my course was based on distinctly shows a hard wired switch fuse as opposed to a socket in zone 2. I will scan it in tomorrow and see what you think. Thanks for your input Brian.

 

[Nezzzo]

Oops, it is outside Zone 2 but within 2.5m. Does that sound ok for a washing machine on a switch fuse. Also it is housed in a cabinet if that makes any difference and on an RCD.

 

[mainline]

The switch/fuse must be outside zones 0, 1 and 2. Note that there is no zone associated with a hand basin.
That applies to towel rails as well as washing machines.

I thought that zone 2 was associated with hand basins.

701.55 allows a suitable towel rail in zone 1.

 

[brianmoooore]

No mention of a zone around handbasins on the one diagram that matters - the one in BS7671.
Also note that the bath in mainline's example is on a raised area of floor, but the height of the zones is still measured from the main floor. How high, or how large can that raised area be before it affects the height of the zone?

 

[brianmoooore]

Oops, it is outside Zone 2 but within 2.5m. Does that sound ok for a washing machine on a switch fuse. Also it is housed in a cabinet if that makes any difference and on an RCD.

If it was over 2.5m away, then a normal plug and socket could be used. Any connection between the edge of zone 2 and that point must be via a permanent connection.
It gets more complicated when you introduce doors (and cabinets) into the equation. I actually have a switch socket within about 300mm of the edge of my bath. The bath comes right up to the lock edge of the bathroom door, with a chunk out of the architrave to accommodate the rim, and there's a socket immediately outside the door.

 

[Nezzzo]

This is the diagram from my Part P manual and the washing machine I am referring to happens to be exactly where the electric radiator is. It would suggest that this is ok on a switched fuse but I still feel unsure.

 

[mainline]

No mention of a zone around handbasins on the one diagram that matters - the one in BS7671.

No mention of hand basins at all but 708.512.1.1


It is good practice to consider the area around a wash basin, within a 60cm radius of any tap, to be considered as zone 2

 

[brianmoooore]

There are lots of things that are 'good practice' that are not regulations.

 

[brianmoooore]

This is the diagram from my Part P manual and the washing machine I am referring to happens to be exactly where the electric radiator is. It would suggest that this is ok on a switched fuse but I still feel unsure.

That diagram is horribly out of scale, but at least it's correct, with no zone 2 around the basin.
Absolutely fine to have the washing machine where the radiator is.