idiot query re underfloor heating

[TLM123]

Hi
I've just moved into a new flat with no apparent heating in the bathroom. It seems unlikely that there never was any as the whole flat was converted to a high standard 2 years ago and everything seems well designed. There is no space in the tiny bathroom for a wall heater but just outside the door and above the skirting is a fused spur switch which looks to me possibly (hopefully) like an underfloor heating switch however it does nothing - I've had it on for six hours. No fuse has tripped in the fuse box and there is no thermostat. I'm mystified. I've not tried to change the fuse in the switch yet. Any thoughts from anyone?
Thank you

 

[Iggifer]

I would suspect it just does nothing. It may have done once upon a time, but chances are it is now redundant.

Easiest way is to take the faceplate off and look, see if there's any cables in the outoing/Load side of the spur, but if it's rented, you're better just asking your landlord. And if there's no heating in the bathroom, ask him to get some fitted.

If, on the off chance, it is UFH, you would have a thermostat/programmer somewhere too, to set the UFH temperature,timer etc

 

[TLM123]

Thank you Iggifer
I am not renting and there are no other weird/redundant electrics; the place has been totally re done, new everything; it looks like its just been built.
If no underfloor heating comes without a thermostat that does answer my question as there definitely isn't one of those.
Many thanks

 

[sparkwright]

Could the switch have been for a heated towel rail?

 

[TLM123]

Thank you
There really isn't anywhere for a towel rail to be put - the room is very very small. I've looked at the switch again and its got no old paint on it and it matches the other switches for heaters in the flat which are all nearly new. It is possible that they intended UFH but never then never did it. I need to take that face plate off - is it a safe thing to do?

 

[Iggifer]

It should be safe to do, but it all depends how well the switch has been wired. If you are unsure which circuit it's on, I would turn off all of your power using the main switch in your consumer unit - it's red! (a bit drastic I know, but better safe than sorry)

Then whip the faceplate off and see how many cables are in there.

It could be for lots of things, an airing cupboard heater, an immersion heater, shower pump, the boiler? Some photos of the area might help.

 

[TLM123]

Thank you
I have taken off the plate and it is wired up - the wires go down through the wall but I can see where after that. I have no airing cupboard, the boiler is over the other side of the flat, I have kept the switch off mainly and nothing is not working but I

did have it on for six hours one day and two another but nothing was any different.

 

[Iggifer]

So it has two sets of cables? i.e two brown, two blue and two (might look like one) green/yellow.

Is there a fuse in there?

 

[TLM123]

I just took the fuse out - its 13amps

 

[TLM123]

I once worked as a carer for someone who had underfloor heating with just a switch like this one which also did not work, she had no thermostat either.

 

[sparkwright]

We can see one set of wires going to one set of terminals.

We need to know if there are more wires there going to another set of terminals, again at this same switch.

There will be wires going to the FEED or SUPPLY or IN terminals.

We need to know if there are wires at the LOAD or OUT terminals.

 

[sparkwright]

In the meantime, send some pictures of all the walls in the bathroom. We may be able to suggest some alternative heating methods.

 

[TLM123]

Thank you Sparkwright. I've had another look and there is only one set of wires - the brown seems to say OUT whilst the blue IN??

 

[TLM123]

The bathroom is a rectangle with one corner taken off for the door, the bath with shower over takes up one full wall and the sink is opposite it - the toilet is opposite the door (the door is on the angles wall)

 

[sparkwright]

Well the switch does not control anything at all.

And there is nothing there to suggest underfloor heating.

It would seem that the switch has been put there for future use. Who knows - a heater in the hall outside the bathroom perhaps?