Fitting a whirlpool/jacuzzi bath in the bathroom - regulations?

[d000hg]

(Not sure if this should be in electrics or regulations sub-forum?)

I've found some conflicting and not fully trustworthy information searching for this online. Two things I've seen are:

1. You must have the bath on its own circuit/fuse, and it must have an RCD located outside the bathroom
2. You must either have the bath on its own circuit, or take it off a ring-main with a 13A fuse but either way you must have an RCD outside the bathroom

I know bathrooms have this zoning concept with the area directly above the bath as the centre, but how does a wired bath fit into this?
I've seen people online saying an RCD is pointless due to the way these baths are built (though it's pretty trivial to add one)

What are the current rules on how the thing is wired up, and who is authorised to do it please?
We already have a regular socket in the bathroom (it's large enough to do this without issues) so could we spur from that and (if needed) insert an RCD on the cable in the room above, through which the cable passes to the bathroom?

 

[JohnW2]

1... You must have the bath on its own circuit/fuse, and it must have an RCD located outside the bathroom .... 2...You must either have the bath on its own circuit, or take it off a ring-main with a 13A fuse but either way you must have an RCD outside the bathroom .... I've seen people online saying an RCD is pointless due to the way these baths are built (though it's pretty trivial to add one)

Regardless of what "people online" might say or think, any electrical circuit supplying (or even 'passing through') a bathroom now needs to be RCD protected.

What are the current rules on how the thing is wired up, and who is authorised to do it please?

Anyone can do any electrical work, provided they are able to do it competently. However, a few things (in England, more in Wales), including electrical work 'within the zones' of a bathroom have to be notified' to the Local Authority, and the high cost to an individual of doing that means that it is often/usually more cost-effective to get a 'registered' ('self-certifying') electrician to do it, who can 'notify' for a few pounds, as compared with the 'few hundred' it would probably cost an individual (or even a non-self-certifying electrician).

Kind Regards, John

 

[d000hg]

Any circuit in a bathroom needs an RCD, or any circuit "within the zones" - and what are the rules on RCD placement? The most thorough information I found was on a bathroom supplier's website but they didn't reference or link to any official docs. With having an unusually large bathroom I wonder if outside the zones is adequate, or if a wall/ceiling/floor in between is required.

I'm still unclear if I can spur of an existing circuit though - regardless who does it, getting a cable all the way across the house is more faff than I want right now!

Got a link/whatever so I can read myself?

 

[davelx]

But if the wiring is under the bath and not accessible without the use of a tool (very likely in this case I would think) then it's not in the zones, so not notifiable.

 

[d000hg]

I did wonder how the zones work with under the bath rather than above it (the real danger spot).
https://www.downlights.co.uk/faq-bathroom-zones.html

What constitutes accessible wiring anyway - if it is boxed in along the edge of the room but you can remove the boxing with a simple screwdriver for instance?

 

[JohnW2]

Any circuit in a bathroom needs an RCD, or any circuit "within the zones" ...

What I wrote - any circuit supplying (or even 'passing through') a bathroom - even if it goes nowhere near the zones, must now be RCD protected.

- and what are the rules on RCD placement? The most thorough information I found was on a bathroom supplier's website but they didn't reference or link to any official docs. With having an unusually large bathroom I wonder if outside the zones is adequate, or if a wall/ceiling/floor in between is required.

The RCD would normally/usually be outside the bathroom. An RCD would not be allowed within the zones of a bathroom, but it theoretically would be allowed, outside of zones, IF the manufacturer said that the RCD was suitable for use in such an environment.

As has been said, under a bath, and inaccessible without use of a tool, probably would not count as being within zones, but one wouldn't really want an RCD that was not accessible without use of a tool.

I'm still unclear if I can spur of an existing circuit though - regardless who does it, getting a cable all the way across the house is more faff than I want right now!

You can spur off an existing socket if it is not already a spur from a ring circuit. Some would probably say that if you made such an extension to the circuit, that you would then invoke the requirement for the whole circuit concerned to be RCD protected (if it isn't already).

Do I take it that the circuit currently supplying your bathroom socket is not already RCD-protected?

Kind Regards,
John

 

[d000hg]

Not that I know of... but it's a pre-existing circuit. Would I be right that while you don't have to retro-fit existing circuits, the moment you touch the circuit it then must have an RCD?

The reason I ask is we also fitted a shaver point on the wall, from the bathroom lighting circuit which definitely has no RCD. Well no dedicated RCD, I'm not clear if an RCD on my main fuseboard meets the requirement, I get the impression not? Our wiring is circa 1990 when the house was renovated by the previous owner so clearly nearly everything is going to be not up to spec!

 

[JohnW2]

Not that I know of... but it's a pre-existing circuit. Would I be right that while you don't have to retro-fit existing circuits, the moment you touch the circuit it then must have an RCD? .... The reason I ask is we also fitted a shaver point on the wall, from the bathroom lighting circuit which definitely has no RCD. Well no dedicated RCD, I'm not clear if an RCD on my main fuseboard meets the requirement, I get the impression not? Our wiring is circa 1990 when the house was renovated by the previous owner so clearly nearly everything is going to be not up to spec!

Yes, I think that's how most people interpret the regs.

In other words, as you say, so long as a circuit is left as it is, there is no retrospective requirement for a circuit supplying a bathroom to be RCD protected (and that probably still applies if one merely replaces something - like a light fitting - that was already there). However, I think that most people would say that if you 'modify or extend' any circuit in a bathroom (e.g. by adding something), then one does invoke the requirement for the circuit to be RCD protected.

Would it be possible for you to provide us with a photo of your consumer unit, and the area around it (if there are any other 'bits' there)?

Kind Regards, John

 

[EFLImpudence]

I'm not clear if an RCD on my main fuseboard meets the requirement,

If you mean the RCD at the fuseboard (RCD at fuseboard?) covers the relevant circuit, then yes, of course it counts.

 

[d000hg]

The way it was worded made it seem like a separate one was needed. Rather we're saying saying houses without an RCD need to ensure the bathroom circuits are covered by one at a minimum.

I shall try to get a photo ASAP.

 

[JohnW2]

The way it was worded made it seem like a separate one was needed. Rather we're saying saying houses without an RCD need to ensure the bathroom circuits are covered by one at a minimum.

Exactly. Other than to provide back-up 'redundancy' (i.e. in case one becomes faulty), there is no point in having two or more RCDs protecting the same circuit.

I shall try to get a photo ASAP.

Thanks.

Kind Regards, John

 

[terryplumb]

What is the jaccuzi / whirlpool load ?? I have seen some that require a dedicated radial circuit 20 amp.

 

[motorbiking]

I had one on a RCD via consumer unit then a switched RCD outside the bathroom for the spur, when it was replaced and re-wired the sparks replaced it with a 3A fused switch as they didn't want an RCD with another RCD. Obviously the 3A fuse wasn't anywhere near enough as my own sums suggested closer to 10A. It depends if the bath has both jacuzzi and whirlpool as these tend to be on different pumps. Mine also has the 3 bar pump on the same also.

So if you have RCD then a standard fused switch will do for the air, water and supply pump

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Regardless of what "people online" might say or think, any electrical circuit supplying (or even 'passing through') a bathroom now needs to be RCD protected.

And sockets have needed RCDs for many years.

 

[JohnW2]

What is the jaccuzi / whirlpool load ?? I have seen some that require a dedicated radial circuit 20 amp.

My one has got a very modest little pump, which I can't imagine is terribly demanding of electricity.

Kind Regards, John