Bathroom extractor fans

[Bridgemegger]

OK, I’m sort of qualified – time served on the 14[SUP]th[/SUP] edition, then left the trade in 1973 – kept my hand in for a few years….. I’ve recently moved into a house which has a lash up of an electrical installation, and I’m tackling one thing at a time. I’m armed with a copy of the 16[SUP]th[/SUP] edition of the regs and Brian Scaddens guide to 17[SUP]th[/SUP] edition. I have a megger (albeit 500v), Earth Loop Impedance tester and RCD tester (not that I’ve got an RCD to test yet!) It’s a bit of a nostalgia trip actually, as the house was wired in the mid 60s, when I was in the trade - brown Crabtree toggle switches, buckle clips, etc. The original installation is good (but dated), it’s the DIY lash-ups, that are the problem (and the mice), which is often the case.

I have 3x bathroom extractor fans – the small ceiling mounted ones ducted outside – and, in keeping with many of the DIY add ons, they’re lashed up with flex. They come on when the light/s are switched on.

I can work out the zones etc – what’s allowed where and what isn’t, and gradually making sense of ‘IP’s’. I’m a little bamboozled as to what switching/protective method is required for these fans.

Do these fans need a fused spur, fusing down to 3A, or less? At the moment they are simply wired into the light circuit – presently protected by a 5 amp rewireable fuse (I know I need to address this, and the lack of RCD protection).

I’ve seen 3 pole (me no understand) fan isolators? What 3 poles are they talking about?

Any guidance on this would be appreciated.

Tony

 

[nickblake]

yes its the Click scholmore mini grid face plate fuse modual and the isolator only one i use now saves having loads of switches

 

[SPARTYKUS]

Well done. So in a fault situation the punter has no lights until the faulty fan is changed.

Can you
not think of a way to remedy that?

 

[SPARTYKUS]

Another point I thought of - fitted one last week (in line monster fan) plugged in, in the loft. They didn't want it operated by the lights.

AIM - just re reading your post, I wan't suggesting NOT fitting a local isolator to a bathroom fan...? Just questioning the 3 pole necessity and highlighting the reason behind it. As in its not really nec. In a room flooded with daylight!

But manufacturer instruction overrules of course.

 

[nickblake]

you can always take a permernat feed off the light and put in a PIR for the fan so as you walk in the fan comes on if the lights on or off

 

[Taylortwocities]

yes its the Click scholmore mini grid face plate fuse modual and the isolator only one i use now saves having loads of switches

Nice one, thanksunk:

 

[AIM]

Had problems with a lighting circuit last week. Before fault finding had to link out four dimmers and remove SELV chandilier [2 feet across] and a couple of SELV lights in the kitchen. Took over an hour to prepare the circuit for testing. Then the same to rectify faults.

Could have saved over half an hour, and the help of a second person by leaving the SELV chandilier switched off and fudging the EICR.

I can't do that, I work for my self, so set my own standards. Some poor souls have pressure from above to get the job done.

Drive-by EICRs will cost lives. But unless challenged, nothing will change for the better.

Remember it will be the person filling in the EICR form who will end up at the Coroners inquest...