Discuss Redoing a shower room, should anything be checked? Timer for heated towel rail? in the Electrical Wiring, Theories and Regulations area at ElectriciansForums.net
We have a shower room off our bedroom which was there when we bought the house. I think it was put in well as generally all the electrics and plumbing seem to be done well but that said the electrics were done 20+ years ago... We've certainly never had a problem with it!
The electrics involved:-
1) A dedicated switch outside the shower room (fused) to turn the shower's main power on/off.
2) A light switch outside the shower room to turn the light on in the shower room.
3) An extractor fan which has a connection to the light to signal it to come on.
We're about to redo this room but basically keep all the electrics absolutely the same but with new hardware attached etc. ie: Re-use all the existing circuits for exactly the same purpose. Anyone think of anything we should look into/check? Or are we basically good to go?
And a second question, we're going to put a heated towel rail in the shower room. It would be tempting to run this off the central heating, but of course that means over summer it will hardly come on. So is there some way to easily incorporate a tidy electrical timer into the towel rail? From what I can see you can't simply get a towel rail with a simple combined timer (next to it) so it comes on 30 mins morning and evening?
just don't go fitting a humungous powered shower on a circuit designed for a normal one. i.e. if you have a 8kW shower, don't go out and buy a 10.5kW one.
The cables need to be tested by an electrician to see if they are still fit for use. If changing the shower unit you will need an RCD to be installed and the electrician will see if the correct size cable is in place, your new shower may be a larger Kw ratting. End of the day, you need a qualified electrician to look at this for you. Wont cost much for someone to come round for an hour or so. Good luck with it all.
just don't go fitting a humungous powered shower on a circuit designed for a normal one. i.e. if you have a 8kW shower, don't go out and buy a 10.5kW one.
Also look at the manufacturers installation sheet for the extractor fan. You usually need an isolator fitted and you didn't mention one in your original post.
Also look at the manufacturers installation sheet for the extractor fan. You usually need an isolator fitted and you didn't mention one in your original post.
Notifiable - Only I assume if we go electric? As it stands I'll just be going with a central heating version as I can't see a nice/simple electric timer system to use.
I have no idea. So I guess this is where we're heading into, "it needs to be checked"?
We have a nice new fuse box down stairs etc but alas I have no idea how the shower is wired into it, other than it has a fused switch to completely enable/disable it. I don't think it has a dedicated fuse/circuit into the fusebox from what I recall. So I suspect it's just off the upstairs mains or something.
ps: I don't pretend to know much about this area - in case you haven't guessed - so I'm really just trying to work out what I don't know so I can ensure I ask the right people to do the right things
Hi NeilF, With regards to the extractor fan. Are you buying a new one or using the existing one. The circuit usually needs an isolator fitted.
As you can see by the replies, this is not just an easy swap and change. Do you have an electrician that could bob round and have a look at things for you?
Please, please don't go changing the electrics in your shower room. It needs checking and any work needs to be done by an electrician! For your own safety!
We'll be buying a new one, but wiring it in to replace the existing one. ie: Literally just unwire the old one, and wire in the new one.
I have no idea if there's already an isolator on that circuit. It's clearly looking like we need an electrician to pop around, but if I'm armed with a little bit of knowledge I'll feel more comfortable.
- So the extractor fan needs an isolator - what ever that is?
- The shower related circuits need an RCD - Well the fuse box is new and has jumpers galore on it!?
An isolator is a switch that isolates the extractor fan from the mains. Usually fitted just outside above the bathroom door. If you stay in hotels you usually switch them off at night as the fans make too much racket and stay on for too long. When you buy your fan look at the info that comes with it.
I know that is might be a bit annoying that you have to get an electrician round but it is for the best.
A little boring story now. I needed an extra socket and a fused spare adding to the kitchen circuit about a year ago. Could I have done the job myself? Hell yes, but im not Part P and dont have any test gear (I could have borrowed some from work). So I got an electrician round to add them. I got my certificate to say that everything is fine and he got some money. Happy all round.
Please, please don't go changing the electrics in your shower room. It needs checking and any work needs to be done by an electrician! For your own safety!
Well, technically we're not changing it as the wiring is staying, with only the light and extractor fan changing. But that said it's clear we need to get an electrician in to comment/check.
Ta.
ps: And it would be nice to get a certificate I guess
An isolator is a switch that isolates the extractor fan from the mains. Usually fitted just outside above the bathroom door. If you stay in hotels you usually switch them off at night as the fans make too much racket and stay on for too long. When you buy your fan look at the info that comes with it.
Well, we have a fused switch to turn the shower's power on/off. But there is no way to turn the extractor fan on/off manually. It's initiated by the shower light being turned on, and then has an intergrated timer to turn off after a few mins.
Why does it need a dedicated switch (isolator)? Is that just a regulation?
haha. Sorry NeiF, that is class. We have to work by these regulations.
If you have an electrical fault and there is a fire, you will get the insurance involved. When they find out that it is due to the electrics they will ask to see all the relevant certificates regarding the work done. When you say that you dont have them they will walk away and give you nothing.
Well, we have a fused switch to turn the shower's power on/off. But there is no way to turn the extractor fan on/off manually. It's initiated by the shower light being turned on, and then has an intergrated timer to turn off after a few mins.
Why does it need a dedicated switch (isolator)? Is that just a regulation?
The fan has a switched live feed and a permanent live feed if is has a timer. Only way to kill both is to turn off the fuse/mcb for the lighting circuit. Every electrical point needs to be provided with local isolation.
haha. Sorry NeiF, that is class. We have to work by these regulations.
If you have an electrical fault and there is a fire, you will get the insurance involved. When they find out that it is due to the electrics they will ask to see all the relevant certificates regarding the work done. When you say that you dont have them they will walk away and give you nothing.
If the fan had an internal electrical fault, build up of dust leading to over heating/melting/burning. If the fan needs to be cleaned or worked upon we (the electricians) can turn it off and work on it safely without turning off the upstairs lighting circuit.
The fan has a switched live feed and a permanent live feed if is has a timer. Only way to kill both is to turn off the fuse/mcb for the lighting circuit. Every electrical point needs to be provided with local isolation.
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