240v fan above bath

[thompsk]

My mother has recently moved into warden assisted accomodation, saturday was the first time I had visited her and as usual she had a few jobs for me to do, her nice new consumer unit had a lovely niceic sticker saying it had just been tested 3 days before she moved in.

Needless to say I was horrified to notice an old decrepid looking manrose fan just above the brand new shower, on the wall opposite a 1G blankplate with some sillo round it.

Out came the testers and low and behold fan was 240V and the 1G box on the wall was a junction, so not only has she a 240V fan in the confines of zone 1 there is also a junction box so to speak in zone 1 not to IP66 or RCD protected.

Where do I go from here ? shall I goto the NICEIC and complain about the shoddy and damn right dangerous work of a part p / 2391 testerthat hasnot done their job or do I tell the housing manager to get, would appreciate the regs bit for zoning so I can quote chapter and verse and no 240V allowed in that area would also be appreciated.

Thankx in advance chaps

 

[fidom]

Initially you should take a mild mannered approach and point out to the building maintenance people that these items appear to have been overlooked when the wiring was upgraded/inspected. If you get fobbed off and told there is not a problem you can then take matters further with vitriolic letters etc.

 

[Chri5]

Unless you have sight of the PIR you really can't say much, other than the obvious issue with it not being compliant to 16th.

It might have been a 20 y.o. installation and the PIR might have it noted as a issue.

Tell me, do you honestly believe that every installation with a recent PIR is fully compliant to the current regulations

 

[pompeygit]

Tend to agree withother posters on this one. Do remember the Regs are non-statutory as BAS always points out. Am surprised that the fan is not RCD protected especially as your Mum has a brand new Consumer unit.

Under the 16th a 230v fan rated at IPX4 is acceptable with RCD protection in Zone 1. Perhaps this fan is rated higher. Remember that electric showers (manunufactured to BSEN) are in a more onerous position than your Mums fan and there is no need to RCD protect them under the 16th, which is still current. Protecting an electric shower via RCD is usually a manufacturers recommendation.

As for the blanking plate, I agree this is not satisfactory, but the silicone seal could be argued to be IPX6. The Regs are there to provide good guidlines and installation practices. Perhaps due to a refurb this sparkie came across a difficult problem and this was his solution.....a departure from BS7671, which maybe noted on a PIR. The blanking plate also serves as warning for the safe zone for concealed wiring. As people are forever drilling bathroom walls perhaps he had no choice but to fit a blanking plate to warn others. IT is up to the inspector to Code it according to his judgement and opinion. He stands or fallls by his judgement