Infrared heater - wiring question

[a1topdog]

I have an infrared heater panel that I want to ceiling mount in a bathroom.
It is IP44 rated , 350W and comes pre fitted with a 5A fused plug. It doesn't have any controls.

I want to have it working off a timer with a separate isolator switch. I'm not worried about having a thermostat.

Questions:
1. Can I take a feed off a light circuit or does it have to be off a main circuit?
2. What Amp pull cord switch should I use , and should it be fused , if so what size fuse?
3. Any recommendations on a 7 day timer I should use?

Thanks in advance.

 

[bhm1712]

What are the dimensions of the bathroom? How far from the bath/shower are you wanting to fit the heater? This will be the installation of a new circuit in a "special location" and so is notifiable or must be done by a qualified electrician.

 

[Taylortwocities]

And also, any circuit in a bathroom must now be RCD protected. Many lighting circuits are not. Is yours?

Also you must look at the existing load on the circuit. 350W could well push your circuit over it limit, depending on what else is connected.

Where did you plan to put the timer, etc..

 

[a1topdog]

Thanks for the replies. The room size is L=2.5M x W=1.8M (its a small en-suite). The shower is at one end of the room and I was planning on either mounting the
heater panel either in the middle of the ceiling (its a 60cm x 60cm panel) or if necessary I can mount it at the opposite and of the ceiling , furthest away from the shower.

My circuits are RCD protected. All wiring / timers etc will be in the loft space.

 

[a1topdog]

I was thinking of running a spur off the mains circuit in the loft and using ones of these , and hard wiring the heater panel into it , and adding a separate isolator switch in the en-suite

http://www.screwfix.com/p/greenbroo...imer-spur-switch-230v/7643g?_requestid=194199

 

[Taylortwocities]

a spur off the mains circuit

Yes, but which one?

The common term "mains" refers to 230V circuits. All of the circuits in your house, powering both lighting and sockets, are 230V and would come under the heading of 'mains".

 

[a1topdog]

Yes, but which one?

The common term "mains" refers to 230V circuits. All of the circuits in your house, powering both lighting and sockets, are 230V and would come under the heading of 'mains".

I have both light and and socket circuits in my loft. It would be easier to run the spur off the lighting (currently has 4 lights and 2 extractor fans on the circuit) , but wasn't sure if this heater would overload the light circuit.

 

[JohnW2]

This will be the installation of a new circuit in a "special location" and so is notifiable or must be done by a qualified electrician.

If the heater is connected to an existing (lighting or sockets) circuit, it would not constitute a "new circuit" and, unless the ceiling is less than 2.25m above floor level, would be 'outside of zones', hence not a "special location", and hence not notifiable.

However, as has been said, it would have to be RCD protected.

Kind Regards, John

 

[winston1]

It is not normal to run a heater off the lighting circuit. You already have socket circuit in your loft RCD protected.

There are two ways of doing things, often the easy way which is wrong, or the more difficult way which is right.

 

[Taylortwocities]

It is not 'normal' now. Although you can still buy a 750W combination light and heater for a bathroom which, I believe, is intended to be powered from the lighting circuit.

If you think about it, only a few years ago, there would be no fears about connecting a 500W floodlight to a lighting circuit, a very common indeed. The heater that the OP plans is much less than that at 350W, so I see no issues with doing it, providing the loading, notification and protection issues are observed.

I do agree though, that if a socket circuit is easily available, this would be the better choice.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Perhaps we should stop referring to them as "lighting circuits".

 

[JohnW2]

It is not normal to run a heater off the lighting circuit.

That is true, but there is nothing magic about a 'lighting circuit' - merely that it is intended for more modest loads than is a sockets circuit.

As for what constitutes a 'modest load', times have changed. When I moved into my present house, the kitchen/breakfast room alone had 6 light fittings, each with 3 x 25W candle bulbs. That amounted to 450W (appreciably more than the OP's heater) for the lighting of just one room. The same room now has a lighting load of maybe 50W. Like (as I've just noticed!) TTC has already said, I would have no worries about running a 350W item (lighting or otherwise) off a so-called 'lighting circuit' these days.

Kind Regards, John

 

[JohnW2]

Perhaps we should stop referring to them as "lighting circuits".

Indeed. As I've just written, times have changed. The term may even be relatively new. I was brought up in a house which had 15A and 5A circuits (one or two of each), but both had sockets (15A and 5A respectively) and, although lighting was also supplied from the 5A circuit(s), I don't recall them being referred to as 'lighting circuits' at the time.

Particularly now that there are many low powered (primarily 'electronic') devices in use, were it not for the fact that we are now essentially stuck with just one size of plug/socket, it might well have made more sense to just call them 'low power' and 'high power' circuits, or something like that!

Kind Regards, John

 

[EFLImpudence]

Yes, we're going to get to the stage when people will be asking:

I have a 6A MCB protected circuit which, for some reason, is wired with 16A cable.
At present, there are ten 6W LED lights on this circuit, can I connect a 350W device to it?
Reply: NO, not normal, it's a lighting circuit.

 

[JohnW2]

.... "I have a 6A MCB protected circuit which, for some reason, is wired with 16A cable. At present, there are ten 6W LED lights on this circuit, can I connect a 350W device to it?
Reply: NO, not normal, it's a lighting circuit."

Quite - and if they worked on the principal of 'pro rata' arguments, if people asked them whether it was acceptable to connect, say, a 2,000W (or even 1,900W) load to a 32A circuit wired with appropriate cable, they might still get some sort of 'No' reply

Kind Regards, John