electric fire fcu

yorkie333 · Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 6:11 pm Post Subject: electric fire fcu

i have a single socket and want to know if i can make it into a single socket and a fused connection unit to use for an electric fire

ban-all-sheds · Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 6:26 pm Post Subject:

Is the socket already a spur, or is it fully on the socket circuit?

yorkie333 · Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 6:30 pm Post Subject:

no it is not a spur

ban-all-sheds · Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 6:51 pm Post Subject:

Why do you want an FCU for an electric fire? Why not just plug it in?

yorkie333 · Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 6:54 pm Post Subject:

the shop where i am buying the fire from said it cant just be plugged in

ban-all-sheds · Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 6:55 pm Post Subject:

What sort of fire is it?

What is its rating?

Did they say why it can't be plugged in?

yorkie333 · Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 7:02 pm Post Subject:

it is a dimplex 2 kw wall mounted fire,i rang company wanting to know if it can be plugged into socket and they said it required electrical instalation

ban-all-sheds · Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 7:08 pm Post Subject:

If you want it on an FCU, then you can put one in - replace the single back-box with a dual one (like this - not a twin one):

and wire the FCU fully into the circuit, rather than making it a spur.

Or if you're not bothered, put a plug on it and plug it in.

yorkie333 · Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 7:11 pm Post Subject:

is there any reason it wont be safe to just plug it in

Steve · Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 7:13 pm Post Subject:

yorkie333 wrote:

is there any reason it wont be safe to just plug it in

no

ban-all-sheds · Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 7:14 pm Post Subject:

No.

I strongly suspect that the maker says what he does in order to avoid having to fit a plug - they are not allowed to sell appliances that need plugs without one fitted, so to get round that law they tell you to permanently wire it in.

Is it fitted with a flex?

yorkie333 · Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 7:14 pm Post Subject:

thankyou very much for your help

Pens · Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 7:17 pm Post Subject:

yorkie333 wrote:

it is a dimplex 2 kw wall mounted fire,i rang company wanting to know if it can be plugged into socket and they said it required electrical instalation

The old school of thought was a fixed appliance, ie wall mounted fire, kitchen extractor hood and the like should be hard wired to something in this case a FCU

Although it is still good practice, having a plug and socket is fine and more common because the definition of a fixed appliance is so grey it's almost see-through