We have an electric radiant heater in a shower room, with a pull
switch, all 'correct'. The installation instructions say that an
isolation switch must be 2-pole and have ??mm contact clearance (I
can't be bothered to go and check how many mm, 3mm maybe).

Must the switch be accessible 'easily'? Is it only (as for bathroom
extract fans) for maintenance or is it required (as for cookers in
kitchens) to turn off in an emergency?

There is a switched FCU feeding the fire but it's in the eaves behind
a screwed-on cover at the back of a cupboard, in emergency I'd simply
switch off at the CU, much easier!

--
Chris Green
·

On Fri, 27 Nov 2020 12:31:39 +0000, Chris Green wrote:

We have an electric radiant heater in a shower room, with a pull
switch, all 'correct'. The installation instructions say that an
isolation switch must be 2-pole and have ??mm contact clearance (I
can't be bothered to go and check how many mm, 3mm maybe).

That's its own operational pull switch off/on/power level, rather
than a ceiling mounted one in the fixed wiring? 3 mm is the normal
contact gap for isolation switches, SFCUs, etc.

Must the switch be accessible 'easily'? Is it only (as for bathroom
extract fans) for maintenance or is it required (as for cookers in
kitchens) to turn off in an emergency?

Well as you need to fit either a flex outlet or an SFCU that normally
incorporate flex outlets I'd do the latter as it kills those two
birds with one stone and is less terminals in a high current circuit.
Also placed below the heater and accessable kills the emergency
switch off bird as well. Dumping the house into darknes in, by
definition, an emergency situation does strike me as "ideal"...

--
Cheers
Dave.

On 27 Nov 2020 at 13:06:46 GMT, ""Dave Liquorice""
wrote:

On Fri, 27 Nov 2020 12:31:39 +0000, Chris Green wrote:

We have an electric radiant heater in a shower room, with a pull
switch, all 'correct'. The installation instructions say that an
isolation switch must be 2-pole and have ??mm contact clearance (I
can't be bothered to go and check how many mm, 3mm maybe).

That's its own operational pull switch off/on/power level, rather
than a ceiling mounted one in the fixed wiring? 3 mm is the normal
contact gap for isolation switches, SFCUs, etc.

Must the switch be accessible 'easily'? Is it only (as for bathroom
extract fans) for maintenance or is it required (as for cookers in
kitchens) to turn off in an emergency?

Well as you need to fit either a flex outlet or an SFCU that normally
incorporate flex outlets I'd do the latter as it kills those two
birds with one stone and is less terminals in a high current circuit.
Also placed below the heater and accessable kills the emergency
switch off bird as well. Dumping the house into darknes in, by
definition, an emergency situation does strike me as "ideal"...

You can't put an ordinary switched FCU within reach in a shower room.
Personally I wouldn't put a non-waterproof flex outlet where people are likely
to touch it or it could get splashed either, but I don't think there is a rule
against it. I think the isolation switch the OP already has fulfils the
requirements for his heater and a more accessible one is quite unnecessary.
It is only for flex protection and maintenance anyway. The pull switch
provides safe daily use.


--
Roger Hayter

On 27 Nov 2020 13:31:23 GMT, Roger Hayter wrote:

You can't put an ordinary switched FCU within reach in a shower room.

I doubt there is a radiant heater that is "safe" to inside any of the
Zones of a bath/shower room. Outside those zones, yes and a SFCU is
accpetable there as well.

--
Cheers
Dave.

Dave Liquorice wrote:

Must the switch be accessible 'easily'? Is it only (as for bathroom
extract fans) for maintenance or is it required (as for cookers in
kitchens) to turn off in an emergency?

Well as you need to fit either a flex outlet or an SFCU that normally
incorporate flex outlets I'd do the latter as it kills those two
birds with one stone and is less terminals in a high current circuit.
Also placed below the heater and accessable kills the emergency
switch off bird as well. Dumping the house into darknes in, by
definition, an emergency situation does strike me as "ideal"...

Yes, it has a switched FCU, but that switched FCU is, as I said,
rather inaccessible. It can't be anywhere in the shower room as you
can't have such things touchable by wet fingers and bodies.

--
Chris Green
·

Dave Liquorice wrote:
On 27 Nov 2020 13:31:23 GMT, Roger Hayter wrote:

You can't put an ordinary switched FCU within reach in a shower room.

I doubt there is a radiant heater that is "safe" to inside any of the
Zones of a bath/shower room. Outside those zones, yes and a SFCU is
accpetable there as well.

I guess the FCU could be high up on the wall with the fire. However
does it *have* to be there (moderately accessible) as opposed to up in
the roof void above (rather inaccessible but OK for maintenance)?

--
Chris Green
·

On Fri, 27 Nov 2020 14:24:22 +0000, Chris Green wrote:

Well as you need to fit either a flex outlet or an SFCU that
normally
incorporate flex outlets I'd do the latter as it kills those two
birds with one stone and is less terminals in a high current
circuit.
Also placed below the heater and accessable kills the emergency
switch off bird as well. Dumping the house into darknes in, by
definition, an emergency situation does strike me as "ideal"...

Yes, it has a switched FCU, but that switched FCU is, as I said,
rather inaccessible. It can't be anywhere in the shower room as you
can't have such things touchable by wet fingers and bodies.

AIUI a SFCU is fine anywhere outside the Zones. Of course the room
might not be big enough for any of it to be outside the Zones. B-)

--
Cheers
Dave.

On 27 Nov 2020 at 20:14:43 GMT, ""Dave Liquorice""
wrote:

On Fri, 27 Nov 2020 14:24:22 +0000, Chris Green wrote:

Well as you need to fit either a flex outlet or an SFCU that
normally
incorporate flex outlets I'd do the latter as it kills those two
birds with one stone and is less terminals in a high current
circuit.
Also placed below the heater and accessable kills the emergency
switch off bird as well. Dumping the house into darknes in, by
definition, an emergency situation does strike me as "ideal"...

Yes, it has a switched FCU, but that switched FCU is, as I said,
rather inaccessible. It can't be anywhere in the shower room as you
can't have such things touchable by wet fingers and bodies.

AIUI a SFCU is fine anywhere outside the Zones. Of course the room
might not be big enough for any of it to be outside the Zones. B-)

I'm sure you're right, but why don't people put ordinary wall-mounted switches
in bathrooms (generally)? Maybe there is no great risk of death, but there is
a definite risk of a little tingle from touching them with very wet hands.

--
Roger Hayter