Hello,

I am thinking of installing an electric shower as a back-up to the
combi boiler. I have talked about this before but not got round to it!

Can anyone tell me what are the rules regarding shower isolator
switches? I could not see anything in the OSG; where should I have
been looking?

From my experience, electric showers always seem to have pull cord
isolators in the bathroom. Is there a reason for this? I am wondering
why I don't see wall switches, like the ones used for ovens, on the
walls outside bathrooms?

I am thinking about high current electric showers but whilst we are
talking about it, how do the rules differ (if at all) for other types
of shower. I am thinking that pumped showers come in two types:
showers with an integral pump or ones where the pump is separate. I
presume these are often isolated by a switched FCU in the airing
cupboard or somewhere discrete, not in the bathroom?

Thanks,
Stephen.

On Sunday, 14 February 2016 21:59:53 UTC, Stephen wrote:
Hello,

I am thinking of installing an electric shower as a back-up to the
combi boiler. I have talked about this before but not got round to it!

Can anyone tell me what are the rules regarding shower isolator
switches? I could not see anything in the OSG; where should I have
been looking?

From my experience, electric showers always seem to have pull cord
isolators in the bathroom. Is there a reason for this? I am wondering
why I don't see wall switches, like the ones used for ovens, on the
walls outside bathrooms?

I am thinking about high current electric showers but whilst we are
talking about it, how do the rules differ (if at all) for other types
of shower. I am thinking that pumped showers come in two types:
showers with an integral pump or ones where the pump is separate. I
presume these are often isolated by a switched FCU in the airing
cupboard or somewhere discrete, not in the bathroom?

Thanks,
Stephen.

You can have either a pull switch inside the bathroom or a wall switch outside.
Your choice, but must be double pole ie both live and neutral switched.
This applies to all electric devices in the bathroom.
And not every device is suitable for use in a bathroom.
Have a read at:-

http://www.denmans.co.uk/info_bathroom_zones.html

On 14/02/2016 21:50, Stephen wrote:
Hello,

I am thinking of installing an electric shower as a back-up to the
combi boiler. I have talked about this before but not got round to it!

Can anyone tell me what are the rules regarding shower isolator
switches? I could not see anything in the OSG; where should I have
been looking?

The wiring regs have some information - but mostly its general
information about electrical installations in bathrooms in general
rather than specifically about showers. See section 701 of BS7671 (17th
edition)

From my experience, electric showers always seem to have pull cord
isolators in the bathroom. Is there a reason for this? I am wondering
why I don't see wall switches, like the ones used for ovens, on the
walls outside bathrooms?

A wall switch is fine in the right location, and its not that uncommon
to have the isolator switch installed outside the bathroom. I suspect
the reason you see so many ceiling mounted pull switches is that its
easier to retrofit that way (no wall chasing, and the switch is in the
path of a typically cable route to the shower), and many electric shower
installs are retrofits.

The rules generally say you can have normal switchgear so long as its
outside of zone 2, and that its appropriate for the location. So you
take into account how wet its likely to get.

Note that zone 2 only extends to 2.25m above floor level (assuming the
shower head is not higher than that), so ceiling switches can be a way
of dodging zone 2 in very small rooms.

I am thinking about high current electric showers but whilst we are
talking about it, how do the rules differ (if at all) for other types
of shower. I am thinking that pumped showers come in two types:
showers with an integral pump or ones where the pump is separate. I
presume these are often isolated by a switched FCU in the airing
cupboard or somewhere discrete, not in the bathroom?

In the case of a completely separate pump, then that can be outside the
bathroom altogether, and normal rules would apply. For shower pumps
fitted in the shower itself, they are typically SELV units, with the
power supply located remotely outside of the zones.

Have a look at:

http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php/Bathroom_electrics




--
Cheers,

John.

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