Fan heater connection

[ambrad]

Hi

I am fairly new to the game so need some advice with this one please.

I was recently asked to fit a bathroom fan heater. when doing a pre start survey i found that i couldnt get to a socket or ring main cable to spur off for the double pole switch.(its a ground floor flat)

When i checked the board the previouse spark had linked a 30mA rcd to the buzz bar with 6mm cable and ran the ringmain from this.

Firstly is this acceptable and secondly if so can i link my bathroom fan into the rcd along with the 2.5mm ring main cables.

Hope i have explained this ok and you can help

 

[Technician]

Hello; when you say you are "new to the game" do you mean electrical installations or some other pastime?

Secondly, what qualifications and experience have you and what is your level of competence?

I can assure you, as would any other member of this forum, this is no "game".

 

[Doc Hudson]

Hi I am fairly new to the game so need some advice with this one please.

I was recently asked to fit a bathroom fan heater. when doing a pre start survey i found that i couldnt get to a socket or ring main cable to spur off for the double pole switch.(its a ground floor flat)

When i checked the board the previouse spark had linked a 30mA rcd to the buzz bar with 6mm cable and ran the ringmain from this.

Firstly is this acceptable and secondly if so can i link my bathroom fan into the rcd along with the 2.5mm ring main cables.

Hope i have explained this ok and you can help

Hello Ambrad, welcome to the forum. If you are asking can you spur off the ring circuit directly at the fuse board, then yes this is permitted. I am unclear about how you are describing the RCD connection, When you say linked to the bus-bar. All RCD's & MCB's & RCBO's would normally connect onto a bus-bar if they are CU mounted items. Are you a member of one of the scheme's, Napit, Elecsa Niceic, Bsi? If you are you can get Admin to put your scheme logo under your name. If you are not you will also need to notify the LABC before you do this work as new circuits in bathrooms is notifiable work requiring a PartP compliance certificate.

Doc H.

 

[ambrad]

hi Thanks for your reply

Thank you for your replies although i think technician is trying to be sarcastic.

I am a kitchen and bathroom fitter that has been studying electrics for a couple of years now. I am currently going through the niceic registration.

My point is that the mk board has a main switch and a 5 way buzz bar with 5 mcb's. the rcd has been added at point 6 so has been linked from the buzz bar at the incomming side of the last mcb using 6mm cable.

I was just wanting to know that this is an acceptable practice before i decide weather it is ok to add to this circuit.

Once again thanks for your replies.

 

[Andy™]

bit of 6mm to extend to a breaker is often done, no major issues since its protected against overload by the MCB its feeding

 

[Technician]

Congratulations on joining NICEIC Ambrad; No offence but sarcasm was never in my toolbox.

I have had the dubious pleasure of assisting the HSE on occasion when deciding who they should prosecute. It was never me but I train my guys to avoid it. I am glad that Dod Hudson came in with the good advice. Hope to assist in the future.

 

[ambrad]

thanks for that andy

The only problem i have is that it is feeding the rcd with the cable from the buzz bar so i dont think it will have overload protection.

If this is the case is it advisable to switch the rcd with an rcbo.

 

[Andy™]

the cable will get its overload protection from the MCB that it feeds

unless you only have an RCD and no MCB, then its dangerously wrong

 

[m4tty]

What do you mean when you say linked an rcd to the buzz bar. Is the rcd fed from an mcb ?

 

[ambrad]

the point at which the last mcb is fitted to the buzz bar, this is the point that the cable is attached. So as i see it the feed is through the main switch only and straight to the rcd.

So there doesnt appear to be overload protection.

Should i advise them that an rcbo is the correct correction method.

sorry for any confusion i am causing.

 

[Andy™]

so this RCD is connected to busbar, then output directly to circuit, and not into an MCB? very dangerous and would need an RCBO or an MCB fitted

 

[m4tty]

Well dodgy! the circuit will need overload protection so rcbo it if one will fit the board. What make of board is it. Also the bathroom fan will need to be fused down from ring and remember to fit it outside the zones. Cheers

 

[NozSpark]

But it could be a double pole RCBO!!!

What's the BS number of the item you're on about?

If you can't find one then post a picture of it

 

[Doc Hudson]

But it could be a double pole RCBO!!!What's the BS number of the item you're on about?

If you can't find one then post a picture of it

+1

 

[ambrad]

thank you all you have been a good help. I just wanted to clarify this before i spoke to the customer regarding her proposed fan.

regards

 

[Sidewinder]

However, it may be an RCBO we don't know, but what is protecting the bit of 6mm by the sound of it the DNO fuse!

Well...

 

[steptoe]

might be prudent to suggest she gets someone competent to do the work for her.

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

+1

So you arn't actually registered with any approved scheme yet then ???????

I am a kitchen and bathroom fitter that has been studying electrics for a couple of years now. I am currently going through the niceic registration.

Best get a qualified spark who can self cert all PartP work, and who will no doubt suss out the fuse box in a couple of minutes if it needs improving or not...

with all due respect this is basic stuff and you do sound a bit out of your depth at the moment..

:C

 

[kme]

Irrespective of the "bit of 6mm" - one question. Is this a huge, massive, slow-starting 36" axial fan-type-jobbie? Because that is the only reason I can envisage going for the ring.

As has been said - is it an RCD, or an RCBo? they can look very similar to the untrained eye.

Why has it been added? Is there an RCD further back along the busbar?

How are you going to provide part "p" notification, if you`re not registered yet?

If you could get back to the DB, why not install your own circuit? Is it because that means you can`t use a MWC, and have to start using certs with more than 1 page?

most of my post is devoid of sarcasm - but I fear a tiny bit might have sneaked into that last question.

Recommend you leave it alone, for someone who knows what they`re doing? If you don`t know this, and you aren`t currently reg`d with an approved body, what did you do regarding notifying your other jobs in the last 2 years???

I could go on......but I won`t. The impression is that you`ll carry on in a similar vein, no matter what is said.

KME