LED Illuminated Bathroom Mirror

[Andy Goodwin]

Good Morning All
Looking to replace an old bathroom mirror with attached backlights with a new LED illuminated mirror. Existing mirror lighting wired with a black and red wire into a junction box in cylinder cupboard behind that also has an incoming black and red wire.
The new mirror has three wires including an Earth wire and the instructions say that it must be earthed. If I were to wire up in junction box connecting the Earth wire to an Earth bonding clamp on the copper pipes would this suffice?

 

[EFLImpudence]

No.

Does the cylinder have an immersion heater?

 

[Andy Goodwin]

Hi EFL yes it does

 

[EFLImpudence]

Connect the mirror to the immersion circuit via a Fused Connector Unit.

OR

Perhaps there is an earth wherever the black and red cable is connected to the supply (lighting in loft?) and could be replaced.

 

[Andy Goodwin]

Thanks for that EFL will check up in the loft in the first instance but Using the immersion connection is a good call

 

[Andy Goodwin]

EFL had a look at the immersion heater connection. Looks like the existing control is a switched fused spur. Not switched on at the moment only use it in summer.
As you suggested that does have an Earth connection in and out of it. Would I just take an Earth wire connected to it and the new mirror?
If I took a new three wire supply from it to the mirror would it work even if the immersion heater is switched off?

 

[Andy Goodwin]

Sorry meant to include photo

 

[EFLImpudence]

Would I just take an Earth wire connected to it and the new mirror?

Mmmm. I suppose you could, but it would be better to connect the whole mirror cable.

If I took a new three wire supply from it to the mirror would it work even if the immersion heater is switched off?

You would need another Fused Connector Unit (FCU - not actually a spur) with 3A fuse and connect the wires to it from the same terminals as the incoming cable (grey one) in the immersion FCU.

That, of course, assumes the immersion FCU is powered all the time and not controlled by anything else.

 

[Andy Goodwin]

Thanks again EFL it’s really appreciated. Just noticed that the position chosen backs onto cylinder cupboard which has an existing switched fused spur with Earth wire for central heating controls which has a 3 amp fuse in. My question is whether I can take a new supply for the mirror off the load connections from this unit?

 

[EFLImpudence]

Yes, that would be alright.

Just checking - you mean the 'load' terminals because the CH is always on.

 

[Andy Goodwin]

Yes the central heating controls are always on. Would it be best to take supply to another fused connector unit or straight to the mirror?

 

[EFLImpudence]

Would it be best to take supply to another fused connector unit or straight to the mirror?

Just depends if you will ever want to turn off just one of them - or not.

 

[Andy Goodwin]

Fair point thanks for all your help EFL

 

[JohnD]

Perhaps there is an earth wherever the black and red cable is connected to the supply (lighting in loft?) and could be replaced.

I reckon that would be the preferred option.

But some people, in the 1960's, used to snip off the earth wires when wiring lighting fittings (FFS) so although the cable itself probably contains an earth wire, it might be cut off or unconnected at one or more points along its length.