Does this timer need to be connected to a FCU?

[Milleniumaire]

As part of a bathroom refurbishment project, I'm planning to install a heated towel rail and electrical element, so it will be dual fuel.

For the warmer Summer months, the rail will be controlled by a 7 day timer and one that I'm looking at is the Sangamo Powersaver Select.

I'm currently purchasing everything I need and will install as much as I can before the electrician arrives at the end of the month to connect up.

The element will be 600W and there will be an outlet face plate installed near to the towel rail, which will be installed opposite the shower entry, in Zone 2. Actually, the rail will be 95cm from the shower entry, which I guess means it won't be in any Zone, but it feels like it should be treated as Zone 2 as it is a walk in shower.

The outlet will simply be a tidy way of routing the element cable out through the bathroom (tiled) wall, although it may also need to be a connection point if the element cable isn't long enough to reach where it needs to go.

The timer will be fitted on the other side of the bathroom wall in the hallway.

I had assumed that an FCU would also need to be purchased to fit between the timer and the ring main/consumer unit, depending on how the electrician wires it up, however, according to the installation instructions for the Sangamo timer it states:

"Provision must be made in the fixed wiring for a means of disconnection from the supply having a contact separation of at least 3mm on all poles. This can be provided by the consumer unit."

Is this last sentence suggesting an FCU is NOT required? Our consumer unit has a number of RCD and MCB's protecting the various circuits.

Also, can anyone recommend a white fuse outlet that has the relevant IP rating? Most of the outlets I can see simply have holes in them for the flex and don't appear to have any grommets or anything that would make them water tight.

 

[EFLImpudence]

The element will be 600W and there will be an outlet face plate installed near to the towel rail, which will be installed opposite the shower entry, in Zone 2. Actually, the rail will be 95cm from the shower entry, which I guess means it won't be in any Zone, but it feels like it should be treated as Zone 2 as it is a walk in shower.

The element and outlet plate don't matter; they can be in zone 2 if suitable for the environment which presumably it will be.

The outlet will simply be a tidy way of routing the element cable out through the bathroom (tiled) wall, although it may also need to be a connection point if the element cable isn't long enough to reach where it needs to go.
The timer will be fitted on the other side of the bathroom wall in the hallway.

Ok.

I had assumed that an FCU would also need to be purchased to fit between the timer and the ring main/consumer unit, depending on how the electrician wires it up, however, according to the installation instructions for the Sangamo timer it states:
"Provision must be made in the fixed wiring for a means of disconnection from the supply having a contact separation of at least 3mm on all poles. This can be provided by the consumer unit."
Is this last sentence suggesting an FCU is NOT required? Our consumer unit has a number of RCD and MCB's protecting the various circuits.

Appliance do not require local isolation in the regulations so the FCU might not be needed for isolation but its fuse might be required.

Also, can anyone recommend a white fuse outlet that has the relevant IP rating? Most of the outlets I can see simply have holes in them for the flex and don't appear to have any grommets or anything that would make them water tight.

Accessories (switches) are not given IP ratings, buy one with the flex outlet at the bottom edge (not a hole in the middle) - looks much better anyway.

 

[EFLImpudence]

https://www.screwfix.com/p/british-general-900-series-20a-unswitched-flex-outlet-plate-white/21114

 

[Milleniumaire]

Thanks for the information and the link. I was looking at those bottom fed outlets on screwfix over lunch

Appliance do not require local isolation in the regulations so the FCU might not be needed for isolation but its fuse might be required.

Sorry, I'm not sure what you mean by "..but its fuse might be required".

 

[Milleniumaire]

Thinking about it, the element flex probably should be terminated in the flex outlet, rather than running through to the timer (although I suspect the flex would be too short for this anyway) because it then makes it easier to replace the element in the future.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Sorry, I'm not sure what you mean by "..but its fuse might be required".

FCU stands for Fused Connection Unit without a switch.
SFCU for one with switch.

You might need the fuse part of it to protect the flex even if you don't have a switch.


If you want a switch but it would be in zone 2 (not allowed) then you could use a flex outlet plate in the bathroom just for neatness to cover the hole for the cable.
Then don't use the connections in it but simply run the flex through the wall to a SFCU on the other side.

 

[Milleniumaire]

Okay, thanks.

If I need to use an FCU I would probably hide this in the wardrobe of the bedroom next to the bathroom (which is where the new bathroom UFH manifold is installed), then place the switch on the hall wall, near the bathroom door. A bit of a pain to run the cable between the switch and the FCU.

Alternatively, I did come across these, which look quite useful and incorporate a fuse, switch and timer!

The electrician talked about putting the new towel rail element on a new rcd in the consumer unit and including our existing towel rail element (both are 600W) as well, which I think is currently spurred from a socket in the bedroom. I assume this is due to the large wattage (1200W) when both heating elements are on, but I'm not exactly sure why as it would require a new electric cable being run from the CU at one end of the house to the bathroom at the other end (although new pipes also need to be run, so probably not a big deal).

 

[EFLImpudence]

It's just that nearly every circuit today should be covered by a RCD.

Ok to the fused timer.

There are so many options in what you want to do that I suppose if you are having an electrician do the work, then you will have to discuss it with him.

 

[Taylortwocities]

I have often used these to exit cables from a bathroom

Ferrule

• Taylortwocities
• 18 Sep 2010
• 2
• ferrule

with SFCU/timer in an adjacent room.