basic question

[launter]

This is lightly a very basic question but don't be alarmed by my inexperience and I'm probably not going to attempt the wiring by myself and if I did I'd be getting a trained electrician to check it before going live.

I've installed a whirlpool bath and done all the necessary plumbing. Lastly is just the electrical connections. I have an inline heater (1.5kW) and a pump (1.1 kW) and a circuit breaker. The whirlpool bath is on the 2nd floor of a 3 storey house a long way from the consumer unit. Do I need a electrical supply directly from the consumer unit or can a take it from the neighbouring bedrooms socket ? It would be very difficult to take from the consumer unit.

any help would be appreciated (besides the obvious-get an electrician)

 

[breezer]

you can spur.

provided its rcd protected,

1.5kw seems a bit much for a pump are you sure thats right?

 

[launter]

Thanks, that was what I was hoping to do

I'll check tonight but I'm fairly sure it says that on the pump, its a 450 litre bath with 14 water jets.

I was going to locate the circuit breaker next door. Is there a minimum distance it needs to be from the bath ?

I think my ring circuit is RCD protected as I've seen it on the consumer unit (which is only 3 yrs old), I'll check before doing it though
cheers for the advice

 

[Cremeegg]

Surprised no one else has mentioned Part P - so I will - water and electricty don't mix - get it done properly.

 

[securespark]

WHAT DO THE INSTRUCTIONS SAY?

[Apologies for raising my voice..]

 

[launter]

Surprised no one else has mentioned Part P - so I will - water and electricty don't mix - get it done properly

As I said I hope to do it (depending on how much I can learn for myself) and then get it checked, don't fancy electrocuting myself in the bath so it will be checked before installing.( I'm also installing a shower that has a radio in built on the 1st floor so I'll will be wiring that aswell and getting a Part P electrician to have a look at both).


The heaters 1.5kw, the pump 1.1kW. It comes with its own RDC (230V 25A RD 25/2/30).

WHAT DO THE INSTRUCTIONS SAY?

Phoned phoenix whirlpools today who informed me I should have been given some instructions ! I just presumed it would be obvious what to do for a plumber/electrician and instructions weren't provided


If I do use a spur from next doors socket will I have restrictions on what electrics I can use at the same time on the ring circuit?

 

[davy_owen_88]

so I'll will be wiring that aswell and getting a Part P electrician to have a look at both).

I'm sorry to say this, but you are either just saying that to get the answers you need or you haven't actually contacted any electricians and asked them whether they will do this... Simply put, no self respecting spark will put his name to work carried out by untrained householders, especially ones who didn't tell him before hand.

You have 2 options... The first is to notify your BCO before you start, pay their fee and then get it inspected, and the second option is to get a registered electrician in to do the whole lot, there is no 50:50 option here.

Regarding your questions, what exactly do you mean when you say it comes with it's own RDC? Without knowing what fittings/parts the pump/heater came with it is very difficult for us to offer any useful advice...

 

[launter]

..

 

[launter]

No, I hadn't contacted an electrician (and I would prefer one with poor self respect if he did the job correctly) and aren't going to until I get an idea of whether its feasible for me to do it AND I want to know what needs to be done so if I do get one the electrician doesn't rip me off or take any shortcuts. I am certainly not in the habit of trusting "professionals" and I don't think the're a guarantee of a job done properly. Many professionals only do the bare minimum, when you do a job for yourself you make more effort to get it right. As far as I am concerned a lot of the work I get done by other people could have been done better. You only have to take your own floor boards up or look under the bath to see this.

I did think I could have a go before contacting the council but have just phoned them today and they have suggested I make the application first. I read somewhere on the net though that a lot of the control officers arent electric trained.

The reason I would like to do it myself is to learn and also obviously to save on costs. I remember wiring my own burglar alarm at my last home before the Part P came in, cost me £350 for the parts and I had myself a high tech alarm which sent me text messages of alarm events and I could turn off remotely. Got a quote for an inferior alarm in my new house 3 weeks ago, one was £1650 + VAT!!! , the other £1200. (went with the local bloke for £580!! in the end) so I am a little cynical about having work done. I don't know any electrician personally so I don't have the trusted professional option.

Will let you know the specifics of the pump, heater, RCCB when I get home tonight, thanks for the advice. All I mean't was that an RCCB came with the bath kit[/quote]

 

[launter]

Here is a picture of the gear and Phoenix instructions arrived this morning. As below.



Electrical connection
THIS SHOULD BE CARRIED OUT BY A QUALIFIED ELECTRICIAN

1.Supply requirements - 240v, 13amp, live neutral, earth
2.Wiring must comply with all regulations for electrical wiring as published by the institute of Electrical Engineers
3.The supply must be via a earth leakage circuit breaker / residual current device (ELCB,RCD,RCCB) rated at 20amp minimum with a 30milliamp trip current. The supply should be installed on a switched fused spur which,together with the RCD, should be fitted outside the room where the bath is installed
4.The pump is factory wired with a length of twin and earth flex for connecting to the power supply. If the connection is made in the room where the bath is installed, the connector must be rated to at least IP55
5.There is no need to remove either the motor terminal block cover, the timer control box cover if fitted, or the electric control box cover if fitted. Doing so without authorisation from Phoenix Whirlpool Ltd will invalidate the warranty.
6.The supply should be checked to ensure earthing is in existence and is satisfactory.


What do you think? Any specific advice ? Any suggestions welcome.

 

[giblets]

I am certainly not in the habit of trusting "professionals"

And yet you come onto a forum like this (where a good number of the members are professionals) to seek advice.

 

[launter]

And yet you come onto a forum like this

That doesn't make any sense at all and also last time I looked this is a DIY forum, not a "only advice allowed to fellow professionals" forum

. I appreciate any help but that doesnt mean I wont check out whats to be done

personal examples

1.Girlfriends (now ex) car goes into garage-say shes needs a new radiator on a 3 yr old car, I ask for the old one to given back after the work has been done-miraculousl they lose it and the Peuguot garage "kindly" knocks £100 off the bill. There was nothing wrong with it

2.Take my own car to another garage and after the work is done guy says spark plugs need changing "sparks flying everywhere" ?!! NOTHING WRONG WITH THEM

3. I ask the joiner to put a rectangular loft hatch in the ceiling. What does he do,he puts the long axis at right angles to the landing so that half of it overhangs the stairs with a long dangerous drop. Moron

4.Plumbers using a load of compression joints instead of soldering and don't put stop valves so when they leak its a rigmorole to repair.

5.Gas board replaces the gas meter and leave it with a leaking joint.

6. Plumbing quotes, electric quotes.Why do different professionals give vastly different quotes on a standard job. Hmm.

7.Or the over confident electrician who thinks doing small electrics while it is still live is ok as long as you use your right hand and wear rubber boots. He touched some nearby conductorwhilst doing it, lookily he just got a nasty burn

8.Took my car to the VW garage 3 weeks ago for a cam belt change, after the job they said the radiator was leaking and it would be another few hundred to fix, if they'd have looked properly they would have seen there was a line of coolant coming all the way down the pipe from the coolant reservoir and dripping off the bottom of the radiator

I could go on and I'm finding it difficult not to!! No I don't think professionals should be give blind trust and in my profession they certainly aren't. Everyone should be checked out and especially if I'm going to be sitting in a bath with electricity all around