Electric Shower Installers Stockport and Surrounding Areas
Combining electricity with water usually ends in fatal consequences which is why the safety aspect of any kind of electrical installation in a bathroom is so highly regulated. Electric shower installers must fit the criteria of being ‘a competent person’ and that’s where the electricians of N.I.C. Electrics come in. All of our professionally qualified electricians are legally classed as ‘a competent person’. An electric shower must be supplied on its own circuit directly from your fuse box.
Electrics In The Bathroom
Electric shower installers will make bathroom installations as safe as possible by carefully following wiring and building regulations, choosing specially designed equipment.
Everyone knows the types of electrical products that can be found in bathrooms: lighting, showers, fans, heaters, shaver sockets and towel rails. But what you need to be aware of are the rules for installation of these products that contractors must follow and how, using certified products, they comply with the regulations.
Regulations
The wiring regulations in the UK state that:
“All fixed electrical installations in dwellings must legally comply with BS 7671:2008 ‘Requirements for Electrical Installations.”
This standard provides guidance on design, installation, testing, verification and certification of electrical installations.
Within this standard, section 701 divides a bathroom into different zones which take into account windows, doors, walls, ceilings and partitions based on a perceived level of risk.
UK Bathroom Electrical Zones
Our electric shower installers will follow the relevant guidance for each of the following bathroom electrical zones which have their own very specific requirements regarding the electrical equipment that can be installed and used in that zone.
Bathroom Electrical Zone 0
This is the area occupied by elements such as the bath or shower. No devices are allowed in this zone, apart from suitable equipment or insulated pull cords. The minimum ingress protection rating here is IPX7.
Bathroom Electrical Zone 1
This is the area above Zone 0, extending up to a height of 2250mm. Only separated extra low voltage (SELV) devices are allowed in this zone, but any transformer must be located beyond zone 2. The minimum ingress protection rating here is IPX4.
Bathroom Electrical Zone 2
This is the area above or either side of zone 1, extending up to a height of 3000mm and extending horizontally to 600mm. Only separated extra low voltage (SELV) devices are allowed in this zone, but any transformer must be located beyond zone 2. The minimum ingress protection rating here is IPX4.
Bathroom Electrical Zone 3
When the size of bathroom extends beyond zone 2, portable equipment is allowed, however, they should be positioned so that their flex length doesn’t enable them to be used in zone 2.
IP (Ingress Protection) Ratings Explained
Our electric shower installers would only use electrical equipment such as lights or showers in your bathroom if it has an IP rating. IP stands for Ingress Protection and the letters IP are always followed by two numbers. The first number denotes the degree to which the product is protected from solid particles and the second number denotes the degree to which it is protected from moisture. The higher the numbers, the better the protection.
IP ratings explained
Examples:
A light with a rating of IP44.
4 = Protected against particles no greater than 1mm in size.
4 = Protected against water splashes.
A specialist bathroom TV with a rating of IP65.
6 = Dust-tight. Fully sealed and protected against any contact with dust.
5 = Protected against water jets.
Bathroom electrical zones: Further considerations
At this point, again, we simply have to state that you should never, ever attempt any electrical DIY in or around the bathroom yourself unless you are a qualified electrician. It’s always best to use electric shower installers who are Part P electricians. Got that? Good… let’s move on….
Additional Bathroom Electric Fittings
Sockets
The use or installation of sockets is not allowed in bathrooms or shower rooms unless they can be fitted at least 3 metres from the bath or shower. The only exception to this is a shaver-supply unit.
If you do have an electrical shaver point installed, it must be a safe distance (in metres) from the bath or shower to avoid splashes.
Lights
When choosing the style of light you have installed in your bathroom, it is recommended that you pick enclosed ceiling lights instead of the ones that hang down.
If you do have light fittings, that are not enclosed, they must be out of reach of anyone who is still wet from being in the shower or bath.
A typical everyday light switch is a danger due to the potential dampness and wet hands that might come into contact with it. A ceiling mounted pull cord is the safest option.
Enclosed Bathroom Ceiling Lights
Enclosed lighting, like these downlights, is recommended for bathrooms
Heaters and Towel Rails
When it comes to keeping your bathroom warm, central heating is possibly the safest option. However, an electric heater can be used as long as it is fitted a safe distance from the bath or shower.
Electric and gas water heaters can be installed in a bathroom providing they have been fixed and permanently wired, they can also be powered by a socket that’s been fitted three metres away from the bath or shower. The ideal way to control an electric heater is by fitting a pull cord or switch outside of the bathroom.
Request An Electric Shower Installation Quote
As professionally qualified electricians, N.I.C. Electrics in Stockport are electric shower installers who can safely install any and all electrical work in or around your home, not just the bathroom. We look forward to receiving your enquiry and being of service. Any enquiries after the point of installation are welcome and we will always be glad to help you. Give us a call on 01625 541794 or 07782 140782, or send us a message through our enquiry form.
