Heated towel rail with electric element

theumpt · 22 Sep 2010

HI all first post here so here goes

I am going to install a heated towel rail to replace a radiator in my en suite but wanted to install one of those heating elements as i dont want the heating on all the time just for a towel rail....

In the hall outside the en suite is a 2 gang switch - can i take from that and put one of these next to it :

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_In...rs_Index/Immersion_Heater_Timers_1/index.html

then feed the cable from the rad through the wall to this? Does it matter where the fused spur box goes?

Any help much apreciated.

electronicsuk · 22 Sep 2010

It's more than likely that the two gang switch is part of the lighting circuit, so isn't really suitable for a relatively large load such as an electrical heating element. What's more, there's probably no neutral at the switch, so you wouldn't be able to take power from there anyway.

Your best bet is a local RCD protected socket outlet that's part of the ring final circuit, which you can then spur from.

ban-all-sheds · 22 Sep 2010

Don't forget that installing the towel rail and the cabling for it is notifiable, as is the FCU if you put it in the bathroom.

If the circuit isn't RCD protected you'll have to use an RCD FCU, or change it to an RCD circuit at the origin if you're going to have new concealed cabling before the FCU, and if the element has an earth it makes the towel rail a Class I appliance so you need to connect the supplementary equipotential bonding to its earth terminal.

sparkwright · 22 Sep 2010

Do you have a flex outlet next to the towel rail where it gets connected?

If so you could run a 1.5 mm flat 3 core and earth cable from here to a new single box outside the bathroom.

Here you could fit a regulator, timer, or even an ordinary switch.

The cable would give you
permanent live
switched live
neutral if required
earth.

electronicsuk · 22 Sep 2010

sparkwright said:
Do you have a flex outlet next to the towel rail where it gets connected?

I don't think the OP has any electrical connection for a heated towel rail right now - the old one was wet heating.

sparkwright · 22 Sep 2010

electronicsuk said:
sparkwright said:

Do you have a flex outlet next to the towel rail where it gets connected?

Click to expand...

I don't think the OP has any electrical connection for a heated towel rail right now - the old one was wet heating.

Ah, yes.

My appologies.

theumpt · 23 Sep 2010

HI thanks for replies

i had a look this morning and the 2 gang socket i mentioned before in not part of the lighting circuit.

The whole place was rewired 2 yrs ago so everything is new. Would an rcd be required if its one of the newer fuse boxes/units?

if its too complex i might just stick with the wet heating!

ban-all-sheds · 23 Sep 2010

theumpt said:
i had a look this morning and the 2 gang socket i mentioned before in not part of the lighting circuit.

theumpt said:
In the hall outside the en suite is a 2 gang switch.

I'm not saying this to gratuitously have a go at you, but this sort of thing makes it incredibly hard to provide help.

There is a big difference between a switch and a socket - not least the fact that the latter wouldn't be on a lighting circuit.

The whole place was rewired 2 yrs ago so everything is new. Would an rcd be required if its one of the newer fuse boxes/units?

Possibly. "2 years ago" puts it on the cusp of the change from the 16th to 17th edition of the Wiring Regulations, i.e. the change from no RCD requirements for cables buried in walls, for bathroom circuits, and for all sockets to where RCDs are required for all of those.

Why haven't you taken a look at the CU to see?

if its too complex i might just stick with the wet heating!

It's not complex, but I think you'd be better off getting an electrician.

theumpt · 23 Sep 2010

Yea sorry not sure why i put that - it is a 2 gang socket.

will check out the other details and see what i can find out.

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Heated towel rail with electric element

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