Is it possible to take power for a 1.kw towel rail heater and extractor from a lighting circuit

Peckhamboy72 · Oct 12, 2024

Is it possible to take power for a 1.5kw towel rail heater and extractor fan from a lighting circuit on a 6amp breaker.
I was thinking if possible to change the ceiling rose to wago connector box and take the 2x cables for towel rail and extractor fan ,1 xcable for light and 1x switch cable , Is this acceptable, i dont know were to look in the regs book for clarification.
Any help much appreciated.

kerching · Oct 12, 2024

1.5kW is how many amps?

ProDave · Oct 12, 2024

And 1.5kW in a towel rail it would be glowing red. They are normally between 200w and 400w

Murdoch · Oct 12, 2024

Why not take the supply for the heater from a socket or immersion circuit?

Peckhamboy72 · Oct 12, 2024

Just spoke to my friend she says the T.rail is 200w, so 200w/ 230 v is 0.87amps, plus extractor fan 40w/230 is 0.17 amps, so roughly 1 amp together .
Is this to much to go onto a 6 amp lighting circuit connected together with roughly 5 other bedroom lights.
Thanks ben.

Peckhamboy72 · Oct 12, 2024

I dont know if there is a socket in the hallway to take a feed from

Andy™ · Oct 12, 2024

you'd be best finding an electrician to do the job

Peckhamboy72 · Oct 12, 2024

Also, (sorry to add more to the thread) how can I control the towel rail and extractor fan if I do connect into the lighting circuit.

binky · Oct 12, 2024

Peckhamboy72 said:
Just spoke to my friend she says the T.rail is 200w, so 200w/ 230 v is 0.87amps, plus extractor fan 40w/230 is 0.17 amps, so roughly 1 amp together .
Is this to much to go onto a 6 amp lighting circuit connected together with roughly 5 other bedroom lights.
Thanks ben.

simple answer is yes you could, we used to fit 300/500w halogen floodlights for security to houses, so 200 W should not be an issue n it's own right. However, you have to get a cable down from ceiling into wall, so it may well be easier to lift floorboards and find a suitable socket circuit to tap into.

Peckhamboy72 · Oct 12, 2024

A 3 core cable for the isolation switch for on/off at light switch for ex fan,but could I also take power for towel rail, is it possibke

Peckhamboy72 · Oct 12, 2024

Thanks Binky and others for the guidance

SPECIAL LOCATION · Oct 12, 2024

Does the circuit have RCD protection?

SPECIAL LOCATION · Oct 12, 2024

binky said:
simple answer is yes you could, we used to fit 300/500w halogen floodlights for security to houses, so 200 W should not be an issue n it's own right. However, you have to get a cable down from ceiling into wall, so it may well be easier to lift floorboards and find a suitable socket circuit to tap into.

Also it was common practice years ago to find either;
Wall mounted single bar 1kw integral cord-pull operated bathroom heater...
OR
A combined light and ceiling heater with a circular heating element and lamp in the middle with a cord pull that used to cycle through light only / light & heater / off.. (or something like that)
e.g. one of these sort of beasts... now obsolete to my understanding...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Heat-and-Light-Bathroom-Heater/dp/B008TQVLO6

But anyway, the point being they were often just connected to a single 5A lighting circuit supplying the whole house, off a 4-way Wylex 3036 board.

kerching · Oct 13, 2024

Aha the old Sunhouse 'heat n light'. Wall mounts were usually Radisil, mounted over the bathroom door so that if the door was left partially open it would burn the top of the door and/ or strip the paint off it

binky · Oct 13, 2024

kerching said:
Aha the old Sunhouse 'heat n light'. Wall mounts were usually Radisil, mounted over the bathroom door so that if the door was left partially open it would burn the top of the door and/ or strip the paint off it

Not seen one for years, dint see many fan heaters either these days. I made the mistake of turning on a fan heater that no one had cleaned for years, the thick layer of dust nearly caused a fire..

Murdoch · Oct 13, 2024

I came across one about 10 years ago in a house being prepared for rental.

The LL accepted my advice to remove it

Andy™ · Oct 13, 2024

binky said:
Not seen one for years, dint see many fan heaters either these days. I made the mistake of turning on a fan heater that no one had cleaned for years, the thick layer of dust nearly caused a fire..

its a heater... the fire is an added benefit

binky · Oct 13, 2024

Andy™ said:
its a heater... the fire is an added benefit

Flame effect

7029 Dave · Oct 14, 2024

SPECIAL LOCATION said:
Also it was common practice years ago to find either;
Wall mounted single bar 1kw integral cord-pull operated bathroom heater...
OR
A combined light and ceiling heater with a circular heating element and lamp in the middle with a cord pull that used to cycle through light only / light & heater / off.. (or something like that)
e.g. one of these sort of beasts... now obsolete to my understanding...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Heat-and-Light-Bathroom-Heater/dp/B008TQVLO6

But anyway, the point being they were often just connected to a single 5A lighting circuit supplying the whole house, off a 4-way Wylex 3036 board.

Yes remember them old 1bar element heaters wired off the lighting circuit

HappyHippyDad · Oct 14, 2024

I do struggle with threads like this.
The OP is now going to fit this towel radiator, probably in a bathroom that may or may not have 30mA RCD protection. Maybe its in zone 1, maybe not.
It may or may not have a working earth (no Zs will be done), and there may or may not be existing IR faults on the circuit.
They may be using 3 core flex (0.75mm or less) and they may just tape up a choc block in the loft when they pinch power.
I think a little knowledge is dangerous and we should either take the time to fully explain all aspects of the job to the DIYer (which I very very occasionally do), or give no advice at all (which I usually choose).
Sorry, I know I'm going to ruffle feathers now, don't mean to!

Is it possible to take power for a 1.kw towel rail heater and extractor from a lighting circuit

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