adding wall heater to shower pull switch

Joined
20 Nov 2019
Messages
9
Reaction score
1
Country
United Kingdom
Hi can I do the above? There is no way to get any more electric cabling into the bathroom and I want to install a simple wall fan heater above the door right next to the shower isolater pull switch. So I want to cut off the 3 pin plug and wire directly to this pull switch. Are there any regs I need to know about and as I will never sell the house do I really need to conform anyway? thnx
 
Sponsored Links
If you insert a cable into the same terminals of the shower cable it will be on the same fuse that protects the shower wiring which is likely to be in the region of 40A so your cable could melt in the event of an overload.

Have you not got a room next to the bathroom that you could drill and run a cable that way? Also what Zone will this Heater be in? What power rating? What IP rating?
 
If you insert a cable into the same terminals of the shower cable it will be on the same fuse that protects the shower wiring which is likely to be in the region of 40A so your cable could melt in the event of an overload.

Have you not got a room next to the bathroom that you could drill and run a cable that way? Also what Zone will this Heater be in? What power rating? What IP rating?

Thank you for your response. There is just one room but running fixed cable within that room would be difficult. Currently and for past 15years an extension cable has been run across that room and through the jar in the door. This really is unsafe and I want to increase the safety aspect as we are getting too old to keep doing it safely. The fan heater (no IP rating) will go above the door and will be outside of zone2 (although not sure of the effect a shower curtain rather than fixed enclosure has on these zones (I only just googled them).

So.. would a fused box off the switch be a better solution?

There is so much regulation around nowadays that I kind of expected to run foul of something. The current way of doing it is infinitely more dangerous though so from a purely personal point of view (which trumps regulation if it's safer imo) having the new heater off the floor and actionable by a chord is what's imperative even if not 100% compliant with every regulation. Don't get me wrong I understand the need for building/safety regs etc but sometimes non-compliant is still safer than preexisting solutions.

it's like I have 3 single glazed windows all rotting and I cant afford to get them doubleglazed and certified installed. and talking to my son it seems like I cant even swap them out myself like I've done twice previously over my 70years in the house. currently they have cling film secondary glazing. which is not adequate at all. - That's when I get annoyed with all this red tape!
 
Even if you could satisfactorily fuse down the feed to protect the fan heater cable, I think it would be unlikely that the shower circuit would have been designed with enough headroom for an extra 2kW or so on top of the shower.

If it were my bathroom, it would be very likely that the heater & shower would be operated simultaneously, possibly resulting in a substantial overload.

Can you provide data to suggest this won't be the case? ("I won't ever run the two simultaneously" is not acceptable). (In my book)!
 
Sponsored Links
What you propose might be electrically possible but some tests and measurements would need to be done to ensure this.
We frequently get people asking about shower circuits and some of them turn out to be already overloaded.

Most shower switches are very difficult to connect properly and frequently result in cables overheating so I would not recommend trying to attach smaller wires in with the large shower ones - especially if you are not as fit as you used to be.

Is the heater a proper wall fan heater for bathrooms? That is one which blows downwards.

Is there a loft above where another supply (socket) might be available making the wiring easier?
 
What you propose might be electrically possible but some tests and measurements would need to be done to ensure this.
We frequently get people asking about shower circuits and some of them turn out to be already overloaded.

Most shower switches are very difficult to connect properly and frequently result in cables overheating so I would not recommend trying to attach smaller wires in with the large shower ones - especially if you are not as fit as you used to be.

Is the heater a proper wall fan heater for bathrooms? That is one which blows downwards.

Is there a loft above where another supply (socket) might be available making the wiring easier?

Ah I never thought about loading. You're right... that may be a non starter. I think its a 7.5Kw and a 32A circuit. at 230v I think that's pretty much maxed out already isn't it. The fan is a 3kw down blower (pifco).

The bathroom (well wetroom really) is a porch conversion and although it has a loft there is no access back inside the house.

So I know what to do now (because of power) I will run the flex through the corner of the door frame and reterminate it with the 13A plug. We will still need to run the extension but it will be a whole lot easier and safer just to plug the cable without keep moving the heater in out through the door.

Thanks Guys.... asking here has clarified this for me.
 
Even if you could satisfactorily fuse down the feed to protect the fan heater cable, I think it would be unlikely that the shower circuit would have been designed with enough headroom for an extra 2kW or so on top of the shower.

If it were my bathroom, it would be very likely that the heater & shower would be operated simultaneously, possibly resulting in a substantial overload.

Can you provide data to suggest this won't be the case? ("I won't ever run the two simultaneously" is not acceptable). (In my book)!
sorry gman76 I missed your post. but you are spot on yes the circuit would be overloaded so it's a non-starter. you guys set me right - thanks
 
No probs - that is the beauty of these forums. It makes sense sometimes to field ideas, as it's easy to overlook certain aspects.

Good luck finding an alternative method!
 

DIYnot Local

Staff member

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.


Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

 
Sponsored Links
Back
Top