There's a big gap where my hot water cylindar used to be. There's an FCU in the kitchen for the old immersion heater (rated 16A) at the consumer unit. Would it be reasonable safe or wise to fit an electrical socket in the airing cupboard where the connection exists for the old immersion?
Assuming the cupboard doesn't come under other regs - like perhaps in a bathroom - it's ok. You appear to state it's basically a radial circuit direct from the CU with its own breaker so you could remove the FCU.
It's a cupboard of the corridor so it sounds ok. It does have it's own FCU in the kitchen and I was just going to leave it as is since it would probably be more of a hassle to remove it. The consumer unit has a MCB rated 16A for it.
I still have a concern regarding another connection in the airing cupboard. It used to connect to the cylindar thermostat and according to my wavy wand that tells me if something's live it appears to have a mains connection. So I've still got a bit more research to do to trace that. Perhaps it's on the same circuit as the old immersion. Oh well, time to shut the PC down and start switching of MCBs...
If you are still using it as an airing cupboard, you could use the power supply to fit a low power tubular heater which works wonders for airing clothes. Don't forget to buy the protective cage shown in the small picture:
It's not considered good practice to fit sockets in airing cupboards. The max. rated ambient temperature for BS 1363 (13 A) plugs and sockets is 30 deg. C and airing cupboards can get hotter than that.
What would the socket be used for though? If it's only for some specific light-current application like the tubular heater(s) mentioned then I wouldn't worry too much, although using a fused connection unit is still preferable.
Thought it was an airing cupboard as was - not anymore with the removal of the storage cylinder?
It would have been fed off the boiler supply - but should have been disconnected when (presumably) your combi was fitted. Sounds like typical plumber's botched wiring.
correct. But I do like the idea of the cylinder heater. That's kinda along the lines I was thinking of anyway, but using a low oil heater on its frost protection setting. But getting a dedicated tubular heater as Bruce mentioned is a far more elegant solution.
We used one of those for the airing cupboard in the previous house - seemed to do the job nicely. You can go for a slight posher solution and connect one via a suitable mechanical room stat - that way you only need to heat the cupboard to "hot enough".
I wonder if the running costs of that negates any fuel savings a combi might bring - let alone the inconvenience?
Not quite getting this. We get 30 C quite regulalrly in summer. Well, some summers. And we surely must see temperatures even higher in rooms with high insolation levels.
It's only 60 watts. I put ours on the immersion heater timer so it was on for only 3 hours a day. That was enough.
Ah, OK. I've just checked the current (1995) versions of BS 1363 and it now gives an ambient temp range of -5 to +40 deg. "with the average over a 24 h period not exceeding 25 deg."
The 30 deg. limit must have been in older versions. In any case the advice not to use plug & socket connections in airing cupboards mainly relates to the connection of 3 kW immersion heaters - where you have the combination of sustained full load and high ambient temp. - and is still good advice, IMHO.
I'd say summer room temperatures exceeding 30 deg. are still pretty rare actually (lofts excepted), and when they do occur you're not likely to be using electric heating. Kitchen loads like washing m/c heaters are of fairly short duration, and don't cause too much worry, provided the terminal screws and fuse clips are tight. A 13 amp plug fuse dissipates very close to one watt at its full rated current.
Thanks - makes much more sense with a bit more info.
(BTW we did get 10 days on the trot of 30 or over - back in one of
2003/4/5. Anyone remember that?)
Having a condensing boiler has made a huge difference in convenience and saving. The old system was a relic and it wasn't possible to have the CH on without HW. I take your point about the airing cupboard costs but on my balance sheet it is simply down as 'nice to have' and it's interesting to consider the possibilities. I suspect leaving the (sliding) doors of the airing cupboard open might have a similar (and cheaper) effect to putting a low wattage heater in there. I'm not even sure there is any great benefit to having a heated airing cupboard at all.
Neither of those means you have to get rid of the storage system and go to a combi. I've recently replaced my boiler with a condensing one and kept the storage system and therefore airing cupboard. But plenty of plumbers will tell you this isn't possible - and plenty seem to think condensing means combi.
Could be - mine is in the bathroom and therefore a good place to keep clean and crisp towels. ;-)
Checking my records I have from an outdoor sensor (in the shade) going back to November 2003, there's only one record of >= 30C...
Jul 19 2006 15:45:43 Temperature - Outside 30.0
Could have been Summer 2003, which predates my logs.
I had actually just visited the met office and read that bit of temperature history - but had closed the page and didn't think it worth scrabbling back to check the year.
I too have an outdoor sensor - three actually. Nothing fancy (Oregon). All in shade (not proper screens just convenient places). One was at
29.6 just the other day - before the latest batch of wind and rain. But I know the sensors do vary among themselves so don't put much weight on the absolute readings.Just found this - which makes you look right about 2003:
August 2003 - Hot spell
[skipped lots]Hot spells, with consecutive maximum temperatures over 30 °C
During the long hot summer of 1976, temperatures exceeded 32 °C (90 °F), somewhere in the UK, on 15 consecutive days starting on 23 June. This year, 32 °C was exceeded on three consecutive days between 4 and 6 August and then on five consecutive days between 8 and 12 August, somewhere in the UK (temperatures failed to reach 32 °C at any of the real-time stations on 7 August).
During the summer of 1976, Heathrow had 16 consecutive days over 30 °C from 23 June to 8 July (their highest number of of consecutive days above 30 °C). This year, Heathrow managed three consecutive days above
30 °C between 4 and 6 August 2003, and five consecutive days between 8 and 12 August 2003.During the summer of 1976, Enfield had six consecutive days over 30 °C from 23 June to 28 June, and sevon consecutive days between 2 July and 8 July. This year, Enfield has had ten consecutive maximum temperatures over 30 °C from 3 to 12 August 2003 (their highest number of of consecutive days above 30 °C, using patchy digital records back to 1960's).
During the summer of 1976, Wisley had six consecutive days over 30 °C from 23 June to 28 June, and eight consecutive days between 1 July and 8 July. This year, Wisley has had ten consecutive maximum temperatures over 30 °C from 3 to 12 August 2003 (their highest number of of consecutive days above 30 °C, using digital records back to 1959).
During the summer of 1976, St. James Park had six consecutive days over
30 °C from 23 June to 28 June, and seven consecutive days between 2 July and 8 July. This year, St. James Park has had nine consecutive maximum temperatures over 30 °C from 4 to 12 August 2003 (their highest number of consecutive days above 30 °C, using digital records back to 1959).During the summer of 1976, East Malling had six consecutive days over 30 °C from 23 June to 28 June. This year, East Malling has had nine consecutive maximum temperatures over 30 °C from 4 to 12 August 2003 (their highest number of consecutive days above 30 °C, using digital records back to 1959).
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