I have recently purchased a flat which has the plumbing for the washing machine and a RCD power point in the bathroom,(an RCD plug Socket) its in a old airing cupboard with the door removed (Washing to big to fit in with door). Is this legal. Should the washing be hard wired to the RCD output ? Any advice appreciated
Thanks
Steve Jones
Take a look at zoning.
You are allowed RCDed sockets at a certain large distance away from the shower/bath (2.4m I think), provided the room isn't a dedicated bathroom. I suspect you could get away with saying it is a utility room and thus compliant.
I think you could install in Zone 3 (0.6m to 2.4m away) if it is hard wired into a FCU protected by a 30mA RCD. I'm not sure, though, and I don't have the regs with me to check.
Christian.
The RCD out let would come under Zone 2. The valliant boiler which is mounted in the same cupboard specifies connection to the mains supply shall be made via a fused 3 pin plug to a unswitched shuttered socket, both complying with BS1363 (Alternatively, connection may be made via a 3amp fused double isolator having a contact seperation of at least
3mm in all poles amd supplying the boiler and controls only). Why cannot the same apply to the washing machine ?Thanks again
Steve Jones
"Stephen Jones" wrote | The RCD out let would come under Zone 2. The valliant boiler which | is mounted in the same cupboard specifies connection to the mains | supply shall be made via a fused 3 pin plug to a unswitched shuttered | socket, both complying with BS1363
That's acceptable from the boiler manufacturer's point of view, but the boiler manufacturer can't rewrite the IEE Wiring Regs that say you can't have sockets in a bathroom (and I think Christian's suggestion that putting a washing machine in it makes it a utility room a little bit naughty :-)) so in a bathroom you must use
| a 3amp fused double isolator having a contact seperation of | at least 3mm in all poles supplying the boiler and controls only).
^ one of them.
| Why cannot the same apply to the washing machine ?
The same does apply to the washing machine.
Owain
I still haven't got the regs with me, so I'm not speaking with any confidence. This is all from my rather hazy memory.
However, my understanding is that the boiler probably wouldn't be compliant either. I would have though it should be in Zone 3 or outside the zones. I seem to recall that the socket or FCU (which must be 30mA RCDed somewhere) should be outside the zones. The boiler must also be room sealed. Open flue is not allowed in a bathroom.
The zones are basically: Zone 0 = under water Zone 1 = wet Zone 2 = dry, but within reach of shower/bath Zone 3 = dry, but you might still be wet and undressed Outside = dry, probably towelled yourself off and got dressed by now
You can make any area outside the zones if you box it in and require tools (i.e. a key) to gain entry. The regs consider it unlikely that you will remove the inspection panel in the nod. So, the FCUs could be in the airing cupboard with a small MDF cabinet surrounding them with a removable panel that requires a key to remove (or just screwed down so you need a screwdriver).
Christian.
So if I Put in a inline RCD followed by two fused double pole isolators, one for the Boiler 93A) and one for the washing machine (13A) that would be acceptable ? Is there some way that the washing machine could be disconnected quickly in a emergency, say some sort of screw in plug? That would be better but if there isn't I could use the switched Isolators. Thanks
1m from the bath is Zone 3. However, I don't think that (I'm not quite sure) the outlets may be positioned here, even if the appliance may be. The outlets can be made outside the zones by 3 methods:
Christian.
I found the following document which makes it all clear
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