Disconnection time for a Shower

[RobFurn]

Is a shower considered fixed equipment?
If for example you were using a BS1361 fuse to protect what is the correct Max disconneciton time 0.4s or 5s i.e. is it considered fixed equipment or not?
I understand that a bathroom is a special location but I can find nothing in the regs to suggest that as its a shower the disconnection time has to be 0.4s.

 

[ricicle]

0.4 seconds for fixed equipment in bathrooms

 

[RobFurn]

Thought so, many thanks. Is there a particular regulation number that states this in in BS7671. Be interested to look it up

 

[ricicle]

Sorry regs book at work - just got home.Anyone.......?

 

[RF Lighting]

601-04-01

 

[ebee]

5.0 seconds - it used to be 0.4 and personally I think it still should be

 

[Adam_151]

It might be heading back the other way in the next regs, less bonding? and more RCDs (40 ms at 5X, so thats... um... 0.04 second disconnection )

 

[markthebuilder]

It might be heading back the other way in the next regs, less bonding? and more RCDs (40 ms at 5X, so thats... um... 0.04 second disconnection )

stick it on the RCD side of a board or on an RCBO and future proof

 

[securespark]

Not that this is much help, but Reg 471-36 (15th Ed, 1981) says:

For circuits supplying equipment in a room containing a fixed bath or shower, where the equipment is simultaneously accessible with exposed conductive parts of other equipment, or with extraneous conductive parts, the characteristics of the protective devices and the earthing arrangements shall be such that in the event of an earth fault, disconnection occurs within 0.4s. This requirement does not apply to equipment supplied by SELV circuits.

I can't find any reference to disconnection times in the 14th Ed. (1966), although they must be there. Funny how things change...

 

[Spark123]

Pre 2001 16th edition was 0.4s disconnection too

 

[securespark]

Yes. And in the 1st ED (1882), it says shower disconnection times must be within 5 days...

 

[RobFurn]

5.0 seconds - it used to be 0.4 and personally I think it still should be

You sure its 5 seconds ebee? others say 0.4s I have been trawling throught the regs and can only find the following on the subject 471-08-01 which talks about the requirement of 413-02 and goes on about installations of increased risk such as those in Part 6, it continues to say that additional measures may be required such as: (iii) reduction of max fault clearance time.

 

[Spark123]

Ebee is correct, it is now 5s.

 

[RobFurn]

Ebee is correct, it is now 5s.

Your right you knoW! just phoned the IEE Wiring Regulations helpline Tel:01438 765599 if ever you need to call and they told me its defo 5s and is stated on Page 15 of Guidance note 7

Thanks a lot