Bathroom lighting RCD?

[dormermike]

Hi

Having a new bathroom suite fitted including led down lights and it's all being handled by a bathroom fitting company.

Must lighting circuits be protected by a RCD?

Thanks

 

[EFLImpudence]

For new work, ALL circuits to the bathroom must be protected by an RCD.

You may be able to argue that the lighting circuit does not have to comply with the latest regulations but a specialist company should, I think, fit an RCD.

 

[dormermike]

Thanks

It was an electrician who fitted it all and explained to me something about shared neutral. Personally I don't care about that, I expect the work to be up to standard and the electrician or bathroom company to sort it out.

Thanks for confirming the circuits should be RCD protected.

Thanks

 

[EFLImpudence]

I added a bit after first posting. Did you see that?

 

[dormermike]

For new work, ALL circuits to the bathroom must be protected by an RCD.

You may be able to argue that the lighting circuit does not have to comply with the latest regulations but a specialist company should, I think, fit an RCD.

Yep saw it. I agree a specialist should do it right.

 

[dormermike]

So just thinking about this some more and when the electrician had told me they would / could not fit an RCD they "would write it up" or words to that effect. Last I saw they were writing something official looking and asked spelling of my name, and then when I looked again they had gone. No forms left or anything.

I'm wondering what happens next, do they notify the council that there is no RCD and if so what am I supposed to do about that.. wait for the council to get back to me?

Maybe I'm overthinking this but seems a bit rubbish to half explain something (or rather fully explain something to an electrical halfwit hehe) and then leave with the job potentially unsafe...?

 

[EFLImpudence]

You should get certificates from the company for the work done.
If the electrician is subcontracted he may give them to the company first who will give them to you.

It may not be notifiable (to Building Control) so the council or anyone else will not be involved.

Was there any other electrical work?
Were there any other electrical things in the bathroom already?


The shared neutral is not really a reason for NOT fitting an RCD but may involve more work (for which you would obviously have to pay).

 

[Tay7]

What makes you think the lighting circuit isnt protected by a RCD?

 

[JohnW2]

What makes you think the lighting circuit isnt protected by a RCD?

Maybe the fact that he's been discussing with his electrician the possibilities of fitting one might indicate that one is not already present?!

Kind Regards, John

 

[sparkwright]

If there are problems with the existing lighting circuit which means fitting an RCD is difficult, then either;
a) the existing fault is rectified
or
b) a new lighting circuit for the bathroom is provided. If a new shower cable is being run back to the mains, then it is simple to run a new lighting cable too.

Another way of doing this could be to run off the existing lighting circuit to an RCD unit, then to the bathroom, if one is happy to add to a circuit with a shared neutral.

Seems to me these installers are plain lazy.

 

[dormermike]

Thank you for the replies.

The electrician and his crew originally wanted to put the RCD IN the bathroom then when I said I didn't like the idea of that they suggested the attic above the bathroom. Think they just wanted the easiest approach possible which is now not to have an RCD due to it being mildly complicated by the shared neutral.

Total electric work in this bathroom included underfloor heating, towel radiator, heated mirror, and 7 downlights (ip65).

The consumer unit is literally on the other side of the wall, I might add!
Oh and the underfloor and rad is on a RCD because they reused the old RCD which is a enclosure type separate unit which was originally powering the bath pump which is now gone. I'd have preferred a new RCD but they said they'd test existing and reuse if OK. How would I know they actually tested it?

 

[Adam_151]

The electrician and his crew originally wanted to put the RCD IN the bathroom

Its more normal for the bathroom companies to put them above the door on the outside..... there is a slight disagreement in some corners about exact interpretation of the regulations about the exact wording and whether just protecting the part of the circuit that enters the bathroom is strictly in accordance. But its the generally accepted practice....... As to inside the bathroom, while it would be acceptable if installed outside of the defined zones (google bathroom zones), I do not like the idea the humidity isn't likely to do them must good, even if installed in a suitable IP rated enclosure.

then when I said I didn't like the idea of that they suggested the attic above the bathroom. Think they just wanted the easiest approach possible which is now not to have an RCD due to it being mildly complicated by the shared neutral.

It should be readily accessible, having to go in the loft to reset a breaker I would not consider acceptable

The consumer unit is literally on the other side of the wall, I might add!

Shouldn't be too hard to have taken a new bathroom lighting feed back to it then... if sufficent ways present (picture?) ooi, is property a bungalow?

Oh and the underfloor and rad is on a RCD because they reused the old RCD which is a enclosure type separate unit which was originally powering the bath pump which is now gone. I'd have preferred a new RCD but they said they'd test existing and reuse if OK. How would I know they actually tested it?

The certificate will have trip times for 1x and 5x recorded for the device

 

[dormermike]

Great.. thanks for the info. I was hoping someone would confirm that the certificate would/should document the test results.

Guess I need to chase the cert. In meantime have asked installation company (whom my contract is actually with - not the electrician) about the lighting RCD and for their comment.

Bungalow - correct!

Thanks again everyone for your help.

 

[dormermike]

Yet to see cert but have been told the comments say "NO RCD PROTECTION ON LIGHTING CIRCUIT. NEUTRAL ON LIGHTING CIRCUIT HAS PREVIOUSLY BEEN DISCONNECTED. NEUTRAL HAS BEEN PICKED UP OFF ANOTHER CIRCUIT." (sic)

So sounds to me that the bathroom lights originally had only a live going to them and they've borrowed a neutral themselves to make the circuit work?

I wouldn't mind so much if this was all 12v but there are 240v lights in the shower albeit ip65 rated, but still.

Fortunately I have a building control person coming here tomorrow for another job so I will try and pick their brains.

Think this is going to boil down to me getting another spark in to fit an RCD.

Edit cert shows they didn't test existing RCD.

 

[Iggifer]

Post a picture of your consumer unit/fusebox and your options may become clearer