Electric showers

[Richard]

Is a surface run even allowed in a bathroom? I thought that all cables had to be buried and untouchable. The rules are full of IP ratings, isolation, remote switches and the like. The isolator is apparently supposed to be outside of the room according to the apparently current rules, (which were different in 1992) or so it appears. Dealing with the current rules is a game for those really in the know, no one else should try to play.

[blacklion1725]

Yeah you are right – I will follow the expert. The DP switch is outside the bathroom, cable can be re-run easily if needs be – but as per all the advice on here will see what the man in the know says later this week.

Thanks All

[Bob Williams]

The control for my electric shower is a ‘Pull’ switch, from the ceiling, about 18″ across horizontally, maybe 2 feet vertically, from the actual shower, in our Wet Room. If this is illegal, knowing our incompetent Housing Association landlord, I am not surprised. Who else fits a Riser Bar pole, rising about 3 feet from the shower head position? If scrap prices were not so poor now, I would cut off 3 feet and sell it!

Come to think of it, I might have a use for it….  Now where is my stepladder and hacksaw? #There may be trouble ahead … #

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Ed P]

Richard wrote:

Dealing with the current rules is a game for those really in the know, no one else should try to play.

You are not wrong! The rules changed again some time in the ‘noughties’, as perfectly legal light fittings suddenly failed to meet the latest standards when I had a new extractor fitted!

Water-proof, shatter-proof covers required on a light that just happened to be in the shower-room. I would have had to grab the shower-head and step outside the shower cubicle just to get within soak range of the fitting.

Oh what a Nanny state we live in – bring back Darwin’s rules I say!

[Bob Williams]

Ed that is another regulation that my landlord appeared to know nothing about, I had to inform them and force them to carry out the work. As they are one of the biggest Social Housing groups in the country, with their own Direct Labour, that was disgusting. But not surprising.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[The Duke]

Bob there is no excuse for a landlord to not abide by the minimum requirements. Given its an association, they must employ professionals. Seems really strange.

Unless the last referb was done prior to the 2000s regs change.

I fitted my own shower when I was I moved the walls around upstairs, in the mid 2000s, I put the isolator (red)  switch outside above the light switch. I had the room above as I put the light switch low down, (hip hight), mainly cos we had young kids, but now I think that fits in with disability regs. Though they wouldn’t be able to reach the shower isolator.

The shower  took out, a type had the 20amp (iirc) wire, isolated with a pull cord in the bathroom, which was normal back then, and they ran the wire down the inside of the wall,on top of the tiles from the ceiling into the shower, and the cold water supply also surface mounted running upwards in to the bottom of the shower.

It now all exits out the room, straight behind the shower. Though in 20 years, this practice will no doubt be frownd upon too.

[Bob Williams]

Steve, our landlord was great when it was just a local East Lindsey trust. Then it changed name twice and became a charitable Trust. Then it was amalgamated into a massive group: Waterloo Housing Group. Because the old New Linx Housing Trust had a Direct Labour setup and the Waterloo Group had none, they found themselves in the driving seat. What followed was a move from Louth to Solihull, Birmingham by all the Lincolnshire admin staff and they wound up in charge of the whole Group. Now we have a situation where only the Repair & Maintenance workforce are here in Lincs, with all their transport, materials and tools. If we need R&M repairs, we either phone and wait, or use the world’s clunkiest website to report issues. I have made several complaints about the website and phone service, all of which were ignored. Yesterday I made a call to the head of R&M and blew my top, stating that I was writing to the Housing Minister with copies of my emails and letters, and their replies, which include several dated references to answers in “10 working Days”. All of which have expired. I was not aggressive or obnoxious, kept my voice down, but let them know they were in trouble if they did not sort things out.

The workmen are great, some have been on the books for years and all are good, competent, reliable workers. But they are not supported by their absent bosses. Bearing in mind that this was Sheltered Housing and at 72 I am one of the youngest here, this is the after-hours routine for emergencies:

We have a pull-cord system which used to go to the HQ in Louth and was answered quickly. Now it goes to Chubb Security in Leeds. They pick up (sometimes takes over an hour) listen to the problem and then transfer to Solihull.  Solihull then talks to the tenant, which can be an 80 or 90 yo Lincolnshire senior, trying to understand a Brummie or Asian accent. If it is an electrical, plumbing or other domestic emergency, Solihull calls out one of the workers and a van. They will be here in Lincs. It’s a bloody farce, you could not make it up. If we did not love the lcation, we would not be here.

Sorry about the Rant, feel better now. Well, a bit.???

 

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

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