Fusing Down Extract Fan To 3A

[Noob2013]

Hi all,

Most manufacturers state that their extract fans need to be fused down to 3A.

I don't know many sparks that actually do this, however I did on my last one.

I'm looking at doing this again but a different method.

Has anyone ever fitted an in - line fuse holder with a 3A fuse in the box with the fan isolator? Saves fitting a FCU.

The other method I'm toying with is a grid plate with fan isolator and 2 fuse holders (perm and switch).

Opinions please.

Thanks

 

[Andy78]

You could also use one of these
Excel 3 Pole Fused Fan Isolator Switch - White | QVS Electrical Wholesalers

Or even consider fitting a 3A MCB should the rest of the circuit agree to this.

Or you could, as you say a lot do, forget about this silly stipulation altogether and still get a good night's sleep.

 

[Darkwood]

There was a case where a fan caught fire due to poor design by the manufacturers and caused an house fire, the manufacturers got away with it because the Electrician hadn't fitted a 3amp fuse as stated in the bumf ... the Electrician was prosecuted but I don't know the outcome, so yes do fit one, I would make it a serviceble part for the customer so external in case the user needs to replace it, otherwise the manufacturers would fit it internally themselves.

 

[Leesparkykent]

Just get a fan that doesn't state it needs fusing down to 3amp.

 

[telectrix]

or open the bloody window. nesh lot we have in this country.

 

[RyanCheetham]

I use the grid method with 2 fuse holders in a dual outlet box so fuses and 3pole iso are side by side

 

[Noob2013]

So much up roar about all this due to one incident made public.

Surely the fault would cause the 6a MCB to trip if it was that severe.

 

[Noob2013]

My thought was the grid method

 

[davesparks]

2 fuses feeding one piece of equipment?

 

[Noob2013]

2 fuses feeding one piece of equipment?

One for the permanent and one for the switch

 

[Noob2013]

Am I right in saying that if there is a window then it doesn't need an isolator?

 

[davesparks]

One for the permanent and one for the switch

I got that bit, what I don't get is how that could possibly be acceptable.
You then have a cable protected by two seperate, non linked ocpds, and still have the equipment potentially able to draw 6A.
If you are fusing down for the fan then it needs to be one fuse protecting the fan, not two.

 

[Dave OCD]

That does make it a bit strange, far better IMO to route the initial supply to the bath/shower room lighting through a 3 amp fused unswitched FCU - but Lee has the best idea, avoid such fans in the first place.

 

[Noob2013]

Which fans do not state that it needs to be fused down? Most I have come across do

 

[davesparks]

Am I right in saying that if there is a window then it doesn't need an isolator?

Please explain your thought process here?
I'd love to know how you think a window is going to have any effect at all on the requirements for isolation and switching.

 

[Dave OCD]

Am I right in saying that if there is a window then it doesn't need an isolator?

That's nonsense, whether you can see the fan properly or not without artificial light when cleaning or maintaining it it should be isolated.

 

[Noob2013]

That's nonsense, whether you can see the fan properly or not without artificial light when cleaning or maintaining it it should be isolated.

Mcb could be isolated?

 

[Dave OCD]

Yes but surely the idea is that you can have the fan isolated in ALL poles for cleaning by 'non electrical' people but still have the local lighting operational if required.

 

[Octopus]

Which fans do not state that it needs to be fused down? Most I have come across do

Greenwood, if supplied from a 6A MCB or RCBO

 

[davesparks]

Mcb could be isolated?

Which defeats the object of the isolator in the first place.

The whole point of fitting an isolator for a specific piece of equipment is to allow that piece of equipment to be isolated. This is a basic principal of electrical installations that runs through from the little domestic fan right up to the biggest multi-million pound machine.