Under floor heat mat RCD /Socet

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I'm getting a Handy Heat underfloor cable mat installed in an en suite obviously it will need some power!
The en suite backs on to a wardrobe in which I'd like to house (hide) the cable mat thermostat and any associated cables. Just outside the wardrobe is a double socket.

The instruction book for the heat mat states "The circuit must incorporate a 30mA RCD protection. For installations below 13A, a fused spur or combined spur/RCD is recommended."

Can I run a spur from the double socket, fit one of these and just plug the mat in to satisfy the above RCD requirement? The spare socket would also be useful for her hair dryer which hangs in the same wardrobe.

2 Gang White Switched RCD Socket
Tripping Current 30ma
Includes Test Feature for Safety Checks
Detects alterations in the flow of Electrical Currents and Automatically disconnects the Power Supply
 
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Why exactly do you need a hair dryer plugged in the wardrobe???

Have you looked at the consumer unit to see if you have a 30 mA RCD/RCBO that serves the sockets in this room?

Personally I would prefer to see the underfloor heating hard-wired into a 13 amp switched fused spur unit, which are also available with built-in RCD.
 
Why exactly do you need a hair dryer plugged in the wardrobe???

It's a fitted wardrobe, her hairdryer hangs up inside it. It's just a bit easier than pluging it in to the other socket.
Have you looked at the consumer unit to see if you have a 30 mA RCD/RCBO that serves the sockets in this room?.

Standard fuse box in a modern home, so I guess it does.
Personally I would prefer to see the underfloor heating hard-wired into a 13 amp switched fused spur unit, which are also available with built-in RCD.
Me too, but as I said the sockets are useful. So does it comply?
 
Standard fuse box in a modern home, so I guess it does.
If, just for a laugh, we assume for a moment that carrying out electrical design work on the basis of guesses is not lunacy, why do you want to put an RCD socket onto an RCD protected circuit?


Me too, but as I said the sockets are useful. So does it comply?
Do you know that the socket you plan to spur from is not on a spur itself, or do you plan to use more guesswork there?
 
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If, just for a laugh, we assume for a moment that carrying out electrical design work on the basis of guesses is not lunacy, why do you want to put an RCD socket onto an RCD protected circuit?

The question had just been put to me so I have not looked at the fuse box yet. Obviously, I'll check the fuse box first.

As I haven't looked at the fuse box, I haven't decided to put an RCD socket onto an RCD protected circuit, have I?

Do you know that the socket you plan to spur from is not on a spur itself, or do you plan to use more guesswork there?

I know the socket I plan to spur from is not already a spur.

How about, for a laugh, we get back to answering the question...

Assume the circuit has no RCD protection - would the socket pictured satisfy the requirement.
Assume the circuit has RCD protection at the fuse box, can a heat mat be plugged in to a standard socket and be complaint.
 
Assume the circuit has no RCD protection - would the socket pictured satisfy the requirement.

Yes. However, you told us earlier that the manual states:

"The circuit must incorporate a 30mA RCD protection. For installations below 13A, a fused spur or combined spur/RCD is recommended."

So although 30mA RCD protection will be provided by the RCD socket outlet, this still isn't the recommended method.

The correct thing to do would be to fit an RCD Fused Connection Unit, plugging in a fixed item of equipment such as an underfloor heating mat is rather gash.


Assume the circuit has RCD protection at the fuse box, can a heat mat be plugged in to a standard socket and be complaint.

If the RCD protection is 30mA, yes.
 
Thank you electronicsUk and loverocket.

I appreciate that plugging in the floor mat isn't ideal. However, as mentioned, the double socket is useful and is inside a fitted wardriobe so it won't really be disturbed or plugged in and out. If I could get hold of a fused spur / socket of proper rating - similar to those you might see used with cookers, then I'd fit one of those and have the floor mat permanently wired.
 
Best bet is to have a look at your CU and see if you already have 30mA RCD protection. Then go from there. But a FCU would be the preferred method - and the one stated by the MI too. ;)
 
Why not install a single/double socket for the hairdryer, AND a switched fused spur for the heating mat, both in the wardrobe?

Since you say the nearby existing socket is not a spur, then I assume it is directly on the ring circuit.

If so you can run two cables from here to the wardrobe, and extend the ring. In other words each point will have two cables supplying it.

At the existing old socket one old cable and one new cable gets joined with connector blocks or similar.
The remaining old cable and the remaining new cable get joined to the socket front itself.

RCD protection will depend on what you have already.
 
I wouldn't touch some of those cheap SRCDs with a barge pole! If you do find you need one then buy a decent brand such as MK.
 
What are the power ratings of the heating mat and hairdrier?

Remember that you cannot draw more than 13A (3000w) from a double socket.

Colin C
 
As I haven't looked at the fuse box, I haven't decided to put an RCD socket onto an RCD protected circuit, have I?
You were planning to put one on a circuit which you assumed already had an RCD...

No, I was planning on putting an RCD on a circuit before I was advised it may already be protected by one. I then enquired about the various scenarios.
There is a difference.

There is also a difference between posting very helpful advice and discussion for amateurs, this is a DIY forum after all, as the other contributors to this thread have; and attempting to display arrogance and superiority by pointlessly sniping at a newbie. I only point this out as you have epically failed on the former (as another poster has noted) and, depending on your following pos,t about to demonstrate in classic style the latter .
 
No, I was planning on putting an RCD on a circuit before I was advised it may already be protected by one. I then enquired about the various scenarios.
No - you were asked if the circuit already had RCD protection and you said "I guess it does".


There is a difference.
Quite.


There is also a difference between posting very helpful advice and discussion for amateurs, this is a DIY forum after all, as the other contributors to this thread have; and attempting to display arrogance and superiority by pointlessly sniping at a newbie.
And there is also a difference between matters relating to electrical design work, and those relating to an inability to communicate and understand plain English.


I only point this out as you have epically failed on the former (as another poster has noted) and, depending on your following pos,t about to demonstrate in classic style the latter .
And what you are doing is criticising me because you didn't take enough care with reading and writing here.
 

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