fan and shower isolation

[sellers]

Situation is, wet room being built. original fan has no isolation, so install a selv fan and isolator. shower has a pull cord isolator on the wall, to save mess is it acceptable to have both fan and shower isolators in the garage which is directly next to the wet room, and mount them next to the DB which is right behind the shower but in the garage

 

[NozSpark]

Although it is quite close (through walls?) it doesn't sound like local isolation to me

 

[maselec]

I certainly wouldn't put them in the garage, I agree that it wouldn't be local isolation. Isn't usual practice for fan isolators to be mounted above the bathroom/wetroom door with the transformer? Isn't this possible? Shower could go on a double pole switch, also just outside the door (though I think this would have to be at mid/switch height). You could wire within the bathroom and go back entry into the isolators if its being retiled, if not they would have to be flush to the ceiling if the customer didn't want any chases. Gonna be a hard one to save mess.

 

[NozSpark]

I certainly wouldn't put them in the garage, I agree that it wouldn't be local isolation. Isn't usual practice for fan isolators to be mounted above the bathroom/wetroom door with the transformer? Isn't this possible? Shower could go on a double pole switch, also just outside the door (though I think this would have to be at mid/switch height). You could wire within the bathroom and go back entry into the isolators if its being retiled, if not they would have to be flush to the ceiling if the customer didn't want any chases. Gonna be a hard one to save mess.

Only if the wall is <100mm thick.. a normal brick, block or stud wall is >100mm, this reg was really implemented to allow you to run cables within paramount (egg shell) walls.

Personally I don't see the fuss. Your customer is having the existing room ripped apart, a little bit more dammage will not cost too much to put right..

Do the job right and your customer will thank you for it in the end!

 

[ian3012]

an niceic inspector said to me, a fan isolation switch (which i had put outside and above the bathroom door) wasn't in the best place, as someone could switch it on while it was being worked on.... he preferred the bathroom ceiling for a isolating switch.... if it were an in-line fan, he said the best place was in the loft, right next to it....

 

[maselec]

Only if the wall is <100mm thick.. a normal brick, block or stud wall is >100mm, this reg was really implemented to allow you to run cables within paramount (egg shell) walls.

Thanks, Nozspark, you learn something new everyday. I don't think doing the job correctly will necessarily guarantee a happy customer though! I would agree that the customer should be made very aware that a bit of extra mess is going to mean a lot better standard of job and probably not going to cause as much mess or fuss as they think.

 

[batty]

an niceic inspector said to me, a fan isolation switch (which i had put outside and above the bathroom door) wasn't in the best place, as someone could switch it on while it was being worked on.... he preferred the bathroom ceiling for a isolating switch.... if it were an in-line fan, he said the best place was in the loft, right next to it....

And he could get run over crossing the road or struck by lightning when going outside, what a load of balony if you are that worried isolate circuit or put a bit of insulating tape over switch if working on it.

 

[maselec]

he preferred the bathroom ceiling for a isolating switch

Never seen it, but good idea

 

[maselec]

....in terms of practicallity, with batty on the safety issue, I think we'd all isolate the circuit anway wouldn't we?

 

[ian3012]

i was just passing on the nic's opinion....i never said i agreed with him!.... and i didn't worry about the switch site either, i'm gonna carry on putting them outside... condensation being my reason.

 

[sellers]

The hallway is all freshly decorated, could get away with surface fan isolator high up but 47mm box at 1200 isn't going to be sightly.

TBH if your doing work in a bathroom you have to be part p registered, and if you can't safely isolate the fan or shower when working on it then you shouldn't be registered.

 

[Evans Electric]

Is this another case of the customer re-writing the Regs , I've had a couple of these lately.

 

[batty]

I don't like pull switches and will always have fan switch outside room unless its a real pain. How often do you need to work on a fan very rare I think. On new stuff and rewires I generally put fan switch next to light switch outside room that way customer has option of having fan on or off.

 

[a1]

I don't like pull switches

Me neither Mate. Especially in bedrooms, when there are young children in the house.

 

[Doc Hudson]

TBH if your doing work in a bathroom you have to be part p registered, and if you can't safely isolate the fan or shower when working on it then you shouldn't be registered.

Maintenance replacements do not require ant part P registration and some extractor fans have removable front grills to allow for cleaning, for which they recommend turning the fan off to prevent physical injury from moving parts, this could be a homeowners task.

Doc H.

 

[kme]

I almost always use in-line duct fans, remotely mounted. Local isolation alongside - no mess, no fuss.

 

[Doc Hudson]

I almost always use in-line duct fans, remotely mounted. Local isolation alongside - no mess, no fuss.

And no moving fan blades directly behind the ceiling grill.

Doc H.

 

[Megaohm7]

i was just passing on the nic's opinion....i never said i agreed with him!.... and i didn't worry about the switch site either, i'm gonna carry on putting them outside... condensation being my reason.

Condensation would be my concern too , maybe the NIC inspector was thinking the switch would be in a permitted zone and the fan should offer enough extraction to ease the condensation issue . I cant see the harm in fitting the switch outside the bathroom .

 

[davetheglitz]

I fit isolation switches IAW the regs - but not sure I can see the point. I know a landlord who bypasses them after I've gone. In the past many of his tenants have switched the fan off for quiet use of the loo and bath - and he has had terrible condensation problems. Sympathise.

Big industrial fan requiring routine maintenance - completely understand isolation switch locally. 4" bathroom - think I'd be just as happy switching the lighting circuit off! Not sure the regs are able to differentiate between these two cases.

Personally I see nothing wrong in mounting the switch remotely - it's the same case as a switching an MCB off to work on a circuit. Warning notices and tape for the rare occasion that something may go wrong.