Shower upgrade with slave consumer unit

[Frazer Gould]

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?

 

[ferg]

No.

 

[Andy78]

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.

 

[westward10]

Why would you want to add an additional board, those parts can be taken from existing circuits.

 

[buzzlightyear]

will be getting a qualified electrician to do the work but I want some advice

may be you should ask the spark who installs the shower up grade .and he would go with manufacturer instructions.

 

[Deleted member 9648]

Forget the daft CU idea, use the old shower circuit as a radial and feed FCU's located outside the bathroom to supply the loads.
Whilst you state an electrician will be doing the work I cant see anyone agreeing to your proposal

 

[Baddegg]

may be you should ask the spark who installs the shower up grade .and he would go with manufacturer instructions.

Bet he don’t fit the CU in the bathroom...

 

[MJPD29]

A board in the bathroom is s bad idea. If be surprised if your spark went ahead with it

 

[Toneyz]

There a lot of "I" in the post and not the electrician. Have you not asked him.?

 

[Pete999]

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.

 

[Octopus]

No competent spark is going to agree to your idea!

 

[Pete999]

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.

 

[Frazer Gould]

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.

 

[Pete999]

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.

 

[Pete999]

You're in a very optimistic mood this morning Murdoch!

 

[westward10]

No idea why you want a consumer unit in the shower room.

 

[Octopus]

You're in a very optimistic mood this morning Murdoch!

"optimistic" can be used in many ways

 

[Des 56]

Consumer unit in Bathroom?


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

 

[DPG]

This is possibly going to be an even better thread than the SWA sizing one yesterday.

 

[Pete999]

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.

Yes I agree, with your optimistic response