Shower isolator

[Duncan Bennett]

I've been asked to look at replacing a consumer unit and, while I was having a look at the job, found that the spark who installed the electric shower supply had fitted a 45amp do switch right beside the consumer unit, in turn supplies from the cu by a 45a rewireable fuse.

The shower is in the bathroom, which is across the hall from the cupboard where the cu is. I would normally put the isolator directly outside the bathroom, or fit a cord-pull inside.

I'm looking at 537.2 & 537.3, but not sure if this confirms my thoughts or not. I just feel that anyone working on the shower is a bit remote from the isolator. Am I right?

 

[Theorysparky]

couple of things here

if the person working on the shower (sparky) saw that configuration would pull the fuse

if it was an mcb on a new board i would lock off

no problems there

as for the isolation switch at that location there is not set rule for its location

ok preferably in bathroom or in the cupboard but its close enough

i asked my tech help about this once and that is what they advised

dont worry about it

 

[Duncan Bennett]

Thanks, TS. I just thought it was a bit lazy of the spark. But there doesn't seem to be a defined method.

 

[Evans Electric]

I thought the idea was for LOCAL isolation !!! May as well use the MCB in that case .

 

[kerching]

I thought the idea was for LOCAL isolation !!! May as well use the MCB in that case .

S'pose if you want to be 'belt n braces' MCB would only be Sp whereas Switch would be DP.....more of an issue if RCD fitted really...at least you can isolate a N/E fault...................:

Personally I am 'belt n braces AND a piece of string' incase the other two go all Melinda Messenger on me... :coat

 

[shed69]

More worryingly why is there no RCD protection!!!!!!!!??????

 

[Theorysparky]

its a special shower,,,,,,,

i once saw a 8.5kw shower with a 13amp fcu as an isolation switch

 

[Duncan Bennett]

More worryingly why is there no RCD protection!!!!!!!!??????

To be fair, the main installation might have per-dated RCD protection. There's no documentation, but my hunch is that the shower was installed within the last 5-10 years; the 45a dp switch doesn't look so old. I just think the spark was lazy. And for me, too, why place an isolator inches from the cu? I would always interpret isolation for mechanical repair / maintenance to be local to the appliance.