Replacing a bathroom light/heater unit

[chris868]

I've got a nasty old heat/light unit in the bathroom that I want to replace with a normal bathroom light. I've read that heat/light units shouldn't be connected to lighting circuits, so assuming that it isn't, can I connect the new light to the cables that are already there or do I need to get an electrician to put a new lighting circuit in?

Any advice much appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[securespark]

How do you turn on the heater at the moment?

How do you turn on the light at the moment?

If you were to kill the power to the heat/ light unit, which breaker(s) (or fuse(s) would you have to pull?

 

[kai]

It could have been connected via a 13amp fuse-connection unit outside the bathroom door as fed off the upstairs ring final circuit - have you checked for a fuse-connection unit somewhere outside the bathroom?

 

[chris868]

How do you turn on the heater at the moment?

How do you turn on the light at the moment?

If you were to kill the power to the heat/ light unit, which breaker(s) (or fuse(s) would you have to pull?

Thanks for the quick reply.

The unit has a pull switch that toggles between Heater, Light, Heater + Light. I've only ever had it on Light. Whole thing is operated from a ceiling mounted pull switch by the door. Not sure which breaker I'd have to pull - not investigated that far yet.

 

[chris868]

It could have been connected via a 13amp fuse-connection unit outside the bathroom door as fed off the upstairs ring final circuit - have you checked for a fuse-connection unit somewhere outside the bathroom?

I'm afraid I haven't checked that yet - really not got much idea what I'm looking for . There's nothing obvious, so I guess that means a trip into the loft at the weekend!

 

[ovoloknight]

Easiest way to check is turn on some upstairs lights and the heater/light in the bathroom. Go to the consumer unit and turn off the circuit marked upstairs lights and check if the lights and the light/heater are off. if this is the case then it should simply be a case of changing the light/heater for a new light. If however the light/heater remains on after switching off that circuit breaker then you should switch off each circuit breaker one by one to determine which circuit it is on.

If you find the light/heater is on a different circuit to the lights and would like to sort that out yourself then pls reply and ill be more then happy to help.

 

[chris868]

Easiest way to check is turn on some upstairs lights and the heater/light in the bathroom. Go to the consumer unit and turn off the circuit marked upstairs lights and check if the lights and the light/heater are off. if this is the case then it should simply be a case of changing the light/heater for a new light. If however the light/heater remains on after switching off that circuit breaker then you should switch off each circuit breaker one by one to determine which circuit it is on.

If you find the light/heater is on a different circuit to the lights and would like to sort that out yourself then pls reply and ill be more then happy to help.

Thanks for this ovoloknight.

Turned off the lighting circuit and the heater/light went off too, so I guess that means that it was (incorrectly) connected to the lighting circuit. Does that mean I'm OK to just take it off and wire in the new light?

 

[sparkwright]

Yes, you should be ok.

Make sure the power is off at the mains before disconnecting.

Make a note of the connections before disconnecting.