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I am upgrading my shower room and will be getting a qualified electrician to do the work but I want some advice so I can ask sensible questions!
I will be using a previous feed for an electric shower from the consumer board (down graded amps wise, which he has said is acceptable) and want to have a small "slave" consumer unit for a fan heater, extractor and lights. I want it as small as possible. It can be mounted in an area outside zone 1 and 2 but there will be potentially some humidity. I have seen a Plastic unit rated at IP44 and some metal units rated at IP40. It seems more sensible to ask for a plastic one with better protection but the regs say consumer units should be metal. Are plastic units, which are still available from reputable wholesalers, legal in this situation?
 
I personally would not put a consumer unit in a bathroom full stop. If I did I would want IP65 as a minimum. You will get small metal consumer units rated at IP44. As IP65 will not be achievable with any metal unit I know of I would revert back to my original thoughts.
 
I am upgrading my shower room and will be getting a qualified electrician to do the work but I want some advice so I can ask sensible questions!
I will be using a previous feed for an electric shower from the consumer board (down graded amps wise, which he has said is acceptable) and want to have a small "slave" consumer unit for a fan heater, extractor and lights. I want it as small as possible. It can be mounted in an area outside zone 1 and 2 but there will be potentially some humidity. I have seen a Plastic unit rated at IP44 and some metal units rated at IP40. It seems more sensible to ask for a plastic one with better protection but the regs say consumer units should be metal. Are plastic units, which are still available from reputable wholesalers, legal in this situation?
Get the Electrician who is doing the work, to design and purchase all the equipment needed, after all he should know what he is doing.
 
I am upgrading my shower room and will be getting a qualified electrician to do the work but I want some advice so I can ask sensible questions!
I will be using a previous feed for an electric shower from the consumer board (down graded amps wise, which he has said is acceptable) and want to have a small "slave" consumer unit for a fan heater, extractor and lights. I want it as small as possible. It can be mounted in an area outside zone 1 and 2 but there will be potentially some humidity. I have seen a Plastic unit rated at IP44 and some metal units rated at IP40. It seems more sensible to ask for a plastic one with better protection but the regs say consumer units should be metal. Are plastic units, which are still available from reputable wholesalers, legal in this situation?
Come on own up, come clean you're planning to do this yourself aren't you? Not a good idea.
 
Absolutely NOT doing it myself. Perhaps not clear is the shower room is in two sections (it was two rooms once) so there is a redundant doorway opening (no door) between the actual shower and the entrance area (changing etc) so part of the room is outside zone 2 which is where he (fully registered spark) has said it will be OK. Also the old shower feed which he intends to use is a direct feed from the main CU (which he fitted last year). I was just wondering in my question if I can ask him to used a non-metal "garage type" slave because of the potential for higher than normal humidity - there will be an inline extractor (250cm/hr) but they are not perfect.
 
Absolutely NOT doing it myself. Perhaps not clear is the shower room is in two sections (it was two rooms once) so there is a redundant doorway opening (no door) between the actual shower and the entrance area (changing etc) so part of the room is outside zone 2 which is where he (fully registered spark) has said it will be OK. Also the old shower feed which he intends to use is a direct feed from the main CU (which he fitted last year). I was just wondering in my question if I can ask him to used a non-metal "garage type" slave because of the potential for higher than normal humidity - there will be an inline extractor (250cm/hr) but they are not perfect.
As said before Frazer the Electrician, if he is suitably experienced and qualified, will be able to source the right installation materials, unless of course you are intending to try and purchase the materials yourself, not really advisable, because should you, with all the best will in the World get the wrong stuff, not suitable for the job it would be down to you to get it changed.

Some Electricians won't even consider doing a job where the client has supplied all the materials, so best advice leave it to your chosen Electrician, and good luck.
 
Consumer unit in Bathroom?:eek::)


Trying to design a system whilst not understanding or knowing the requirements for the feeding and distribution of the loads is not going to be one of your brightest ideas
 

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