Shower Room Electrics

[IanRowlings]

Hi
A friend has built a shower room and has asked if would do the electrics for him. I
have had some experience over the years but I'm not an electrician and would appreciate
some advice on a couple of things.

There's a 9W extractor fan and two 50W fire protected halogen downlighters to fit. The
ring main is in a convenient location so I had intended to take a 2.5mm cable from this
junction to a 13A (3A induction) fused, 30mA, double pole RCD and connect this to a
double pole fan isolator switch (both outside the room). I would then take a 1.5mm
cable from the switch to the fan and then onto the 2 light in series. Does this appear
to be OK, or should I take 2 cables from the switch to the fan and lights seperately?

He also wants to fit a 2-gang 115/230V shaver socket with integral transformer. There
are 3 ways to fit this that I would consider:
1. I could take the feed from the same ring main junction direct to the shaver unit so
that it permanently live. Although, even though the ring is RCD protected, I'm not sure
if this would be adequate protection.
2. As with the setup for the fan and lights, I could take an additinal feed from the
fan isolator switch to the shaver socket so that it switched with the fan and lights. I
don't think the power consumtion of all 3 items would be too great for the RCD or
switch. However, I have read that a fuse rating much less than 13A should be used with
these shaver sockets, so my concern here is that the 13A RCD would not provide suitable
protection.
3. I could take an additinal feed from the same ring junction to a new DP RCD and
switch and feed the shaver socket from these. If this option is preferable what rating
of RCD should be used?

Finally, should I use 1.5 or 2.5mm cable to feed the shaver untit?
Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks.

 

[micknew]

So your a DIYer then?

 

[bartkusal]

That’s just a joke. A wind up, must be???

From terminology and questions, it is clearly to any spark, that you have no clue what you talking about

Is it really is like that, that everyone thinks that anyone can do electrical installs just like that?

Shocked

Please advice “your friend”(famous worlds) that you have no idea about electrics and get a local competent spark please.

 

[Spoon]

Hello and welcome. What do you know about installing circuits in "special locations"?

 

[Andy78]

Ian, do you have the equipment and knowledge to be able to test and certificate your work ?
Do you have a copy of the regulations to refer to ?
Do you know about part P of the building regulations, whether your work falls under it's remit, and your legal obligations regarding it ?
Do you know what pre work checks to carry out on the system to ensure future safety ?

Unless your answer to all of the above is "yes, definitely" then you should get a local sparks in for the sake of your own, and your friend's safety.

 

[varilite]

To the op. you have lit the touch paper now retreat to a safe distance

 

[Plonker 3]

I take it you have checked in BS7671 with regards to everything that needs to comply with the works you intend on carrying out.

 

[Guitarist]

As above. Get a part P registered electrician to do the work.

 

[telectrix]

or just throw it in any old how. nobody cares. as long as the light comes on when you press the switch.

 

[kingeri]

Omg. Omfg.

 

[Rockingit]

Ian - firstly, some of the comments above should be ashamed of themselves and you've every right to ask most of them exactly what level of competencies they all claim to have.

Second, well, you're talking a heck of a lot more sense and with far more of an idea than half of the questions we get asked here by so-called pro sparks, and yes you clearly have done quite a bit in the past. My gut feel is that with the answers to your questions above then you probably could go away and do a very respectable and safe job and possibly much better than some characters on here!! However....... any work in a bathroom is now covered by Part P to the Building Regulations. What that means in simple terms is that you have to be able to PROVE it has been satisfactorily installed to the Electrical regulations, tested in accordance with BS7671 and then the job has to be paperwork approved by the local buildings control office along with the various bits of certificates required. If you want to know how to achieve all of the above then please feel free to ask, however I can guarantee you that it will cost a lot more financially than if you just get an experienced Part P registered electrician to do the work.

 

[kingeri]

Rockingit - with all due respect it is irresponsible to encourage a DIYer to have a go at installing new electrics in a shower room. He stated that someone has asked him to do the electrics, and he's come straight on here asking how to do it. This suggests that he should not be doing it. OK, he seems to have more of an idea than some who come on here asking questions, but I am certainly not ashamed of not indulging him on this one.

 

[Guitarist]

or just throw it in any old how. nobody cares. as long as the light comes on when you press the switch.

Sad but true....

 

[eollou88]

Get a propa sparks in

 

[stuartcourt]

how much are you charging

 

[stranded]

Better to be safe than sorry, water + electrics after all..

 

[Geoffsd]

However....... any work in a bathroom is now covered by Part P to the Building Regulations.

ALL electrical work in dwellings is covered by Part P.

Only work within the zones of special locations is notifiable.
Plus of course new circuits.

 

[Rockingit]

ALL electrical work in dwellings is covered by Part P.

Only work within the zones of special locations is notifiable.
Plus of course new circuits.

Which disagrees with what I said how, exactly?

 

[Rockingit]

Rockingit - with all due respect it is irresponsible to encourage a DIYer to have a go at installing new electrics in a shower room. He stated that someone has asked him to do the electrics, and he's come straight on here asking how to do it. This suggests that he should not be doing it. OK, he seems to have more of an idea than some who come on here asking questions, but I am certainly not ashamed of not indulging him on this one.

I think if you read his post carefully you'll realise that he didn't come on here asking how to do it. He asked some very pertinent questions based clearly from an underlying knowledge and experience and was simply seeking some clarification. And you'll also see that my advice was to get an approved electrician in. There is nothing wrong, in principle, with DIY Dave so long as Dave knows his own limitations and when to seek advice - and that's exactly what the OP did here.

 

[Geoffsd]

Which disagrees with what I said how, exactly?

Doesn't disagree - clarifies.