External switch for bathroom extractor fan?

stockhausen

stockhausen

stockhausen

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I believe that regulations were put out some time ago requiring bathroom extractor fans to have an isolating switch OUTSIDE the bathroom.

I can't find any reference to this regulation - can someone please point me in the right direction?
 
https://electrical.theiet.org/wirin...on-701-locations-containing-a-bath-or-shower/

Extractor fans
Are 230 V extractor fans permitted in zones 1 and 2 of a room containing a bath or shower?
Yes, a suitable 230 V extractor fan may be installed both in zones 1 and 2, and outside the zones. If an extractor fan is installed in zone 1 or 2 it must be protected against the ingress of moisture to at least IPX4 and be suitable according to manufacturer’s instructions. Regulation 701.512.2 requires that equipment exposed to water jets (for example, for cleaning purposes), shall have a degree of protection of at least IPX5.
An extractor fan supplied from a lighting circuit for a bathroom without a window should have its own means of isolation, as otherwise replacement or maintenance of the fan would have to be carried out in the dark. An isolation switch for a fan with an overrun facility will need to be triple-pole (switch wire, line and neutral), and must be installed outside zones 0, 1 and 2.


As long as you are outside of the above zones you can install switches inside the bathroom.
 
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That still doesn't prohibit the isolator being within the bathroom, as long as it's not in zones 0,1 or 2 (so essentially more than 60cm away from a bath, shower etc)
 
R.C.Anderson said:
That still doesn't prohibit the isolator being within the bathroom, as long as it's not in zones 0,1 or 2 (so essentially more than 60cm away from a bath, shower etc)
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So why does an electrician's inspection require the fitting of an external triple-pole isolation switch - other than the immediately obvious attempt to find work?

Incidentally, many thanks for the replies :)

As an aside, is any of this impacted by using a pull-switch?
 
stockhausen said:
So why does an electrician's inspection require the fitting of an external triple-pole isolation switch - other than the immediately obvious attempt to find work?

Incidentally, many thanks for the replies :)

As an aside, is any of this impacted by using a pull-switch?
Click to expand...

I'm not 100% sure if an isolator is required or not (I'm not a leccy, just quite familiar with the rules, as I'm in the process of a renovation), but it is normal practice to fit one (as the fan is usually still live, even with the light switched off).

Part P can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.g...achment_data/file/441872/BR_PDF_AD_P_2013.pdf

Essentially, if the switch is outside the "Special location" (check section 2.5 on page 14), then it's not notifiable. Again, not 100% sure, but I'd have thought for a pull cord, it would just class the mechanism bit (attached to the ceiling) as the location that matters (as you can't get electrocuted by a piece of string), so if your ceilings are at least 2.25m you could put the pull cord anywhere.

Personally, I've got an inline extractor in the loft, and I just put an isolator switch in the loft, near the extractor. After all, if you need to do work on the fan, you'll be there, where the switch is.
 
You can get triple pole fan pullcords that would be cheaper and easier to install than having an ugly surface box and standard 3 pole iso or having to chop it into the wall
 
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