Fused spur or unswitched socket outlet?

[fingertight]

Hi Guys, i've been taught from the start that a normal 3a plug on a boiler is a big no no, that it has to be a fused spur every time. However, today i've read that a plug can be used as long as its plugged into an unswitched socket? is this correct...one corgi chap told me using a plug was riddor reportable!

 

[Biggles..]

As the boiler is a fixed appliance BS7671 recommends it be hard wired however there is nothing wrong with it going on a plug as long as the socket is unswitched(because removing the plug interupts both poles)

Riddor for what?

 

[DP]

The requirement is to have both conductors isolated. A swiched spur does that.

Having a switched socket can still leave the appliance live (if mains is reversed making neutral live and live neutral). So, moving the switch on the socket to OFF may not depower the socket/ appliance. BUT having an unswitched socket is a lot different. If you are going to work on the appliance and you want to depower. How do you do that? You pull the plug. No chance (just like for the switched spur) of appliance staying live due to incorrect wiring.

May not be acceptable to someone who cannot think.

 

[fingertight]

Thanks chaps. I was taught this at college last yr Our gas tutor at the time said it would be classed as I.D if it was put on a plug..and that knowingly putting it on a plug would be classed as poor workmanship.
I.D + poor workmanship= riddor.

Accorns to oaks ey, at least i know now..fused spur and unswitched socket fine every time.

 

[namsag]

As they say if you can`t do the job become a teacher.

 

[JohnD]

puling the plug will remove the earth connection. So I think if it is plug-connected you would need to provide a permanent earth connection in some other way.

 

[heatingman]

Prefer the spur,as JohnD rightly stated it ensures an earth. Also stops anyone unplugging boiler to do the hoovering, and then ringing because the boilers locked out

 

[DP]

John why would an earth cvonnection be required when both live and neutral are not connecetd?

 

[JohnD]

i'm thinking of all those copper pipes, some of them with immersion heaters, pumps or showers on the other end, which may still be live and possibly (though probably not) faulty

 

[Biggles..]

John why would an earth cvonnection be required when both live and neutral are not connecetd?

To add to that seeing as all manufacturers now stipulate cross bonding of pipework regardless of location, i can only ask why would removing the earth connection through a plug be of any significance?

I was too slow but seeing as supp bonding will be install and main earth bonding it becomes irrelevant.

 

[bengasman]

Thanks chaps. I was taught this at college last yr Our gas tutor at the time said it would be classed as I.D if it was put on a plug..and that knowingly putting it on a plug would be classed as poor workmanship.
I.D + poor workmanship= riddor.

Accorns to oaks ey, at least i know now..fused spur and unswitched socket fine every time.

Ah, the old college tutor. Leaving out the 1 in 10 or 20 as the exception, the old adage still stands; if you can, you do, if you can’t, you teach.

Riddor in only applicable to gas and flue faults, you could hook up the phase with a 10mm cable to the earth clip on the boiler and it would still not be riddor.
Bearing in mind that as an outstanding installer you would have made sure that there is a 10mm cable from the gas pipe and the water pipe to the MEB, my example would give a bit of a fault and something would give in a very tiny split of a second.
One could even argue that a unswitched socket is better as it cannot fail when you pull the plug out. A spur, at least theoretically, could be faulty.

 

[snb]

Not sure where you are getting the info about boilers must have supplementary bonding.

This has not been in the regs for a number of years now and is not in the current 16th or the new 17th edition either.

As far as bonding goes the gas and water must be equipotential bonded with 10mm .

The only area that would require supplementary bonding is if the boiler was installed in a room containing a bath or shower.

 

[toptec]

How about a cable from the boiler, (sited in the loft), to a 5amp 3 pin plug, which is plugged into a 4 way extension box, 300mm to the left of the boiler, the box is screwed to the wall, the cable then runs down the wall, through the ceiling into a bedroom wardrobe and into a 13 amp switched socket outlet in that bedroom below.

This frowned upon?

 

[JohnD]

Not sure where you are getting the info about boilers must have supplementary bonding.

boiler manufacturers seem to want it

 

[bengasman]

How about a cable from the boiler, (sited in the loft), to a 5amp 3 pin plug, which is plugged into a 4 way extension box, 300mm to the left of the boiler, the box is screwed to the wall, the cable then runs down the wall, through the ceiling into a bedroom wardrobe and into a 13 amp switched socket outlet in that bedroom below.

This frowned upon?

putting it mildly