Isolator location

Robbie.G

Here's one I've a housing estate I'm looking after and there is a walk in hotpress in the kitchen
There is a 24in single immersion fitted and the isolator is a double pole switch located in the kitchen about 2.5mtrs from the door of the hotpress.Im after replacing the immersion with a dual imm and fitted a dual switch beside the heater still controlled by the dp switch.
The clerk of works is telling me I'm wrong that there shouldn't be a isolator at the heater as the one in the kitchen is good enough.
Even if I fitted a single immersion I would still isolate locally
What's everyones opinion on this

2011

I think what you did is perfect.
Local isolation is best and it must be clear what is fed from the isolator.
An isolator 2.5m from the door on the other side of a wall is too far from the immersion element.

The isolator is for maintenance purposes.
Theoretically someone could switch on the isolator outside the hot press while someone is replacing the element.
That wouldn't be very safe now would it?

Dardania

Maybe the clerk is pushing back because the switch is in the hotpress? Isn't there that reg in ET101 about the switch being outside, so people can see if they left the immersion on (the horror!)?

2011

Dardania wrote: »

Maybe the clerk is pushing back because the switch is in the hotpress? Isn't there that reg in ET101 about the switch being outside, so people can see if they left the immersion on (the horror!)?

Yes, but as you have said the idea of having the switch outside the hot press was to deal the the problem of immersions being switched on and forgotten about. In this case there is a switch outside the hot press so the requirements of ET101 are met.

meercat

Dardania wrote: »

Maybe the clerk is pushing back because the switch is in the hotpress? Isn't there that reg in ET101 about the switch being outside, so people can see if they left the immersion on (the horror!)?

a switch device controlling an immersion heater shall not be located inside an airing cupboard or other similar enclosure.(555.6.2)


as op has said that this is a walk in hotpress so this reg may not apply

Dardania

2011 wrote: »

Yes, but as you have said the idea of having the switch outside the hot press was to deal the the problem of immersions being switched on and forgotten about. In this case there is a switch outside the hot press so the requirements of ET101 are met.

meercat wrote: »

a switch device controlling an immersion heater shall not be located inside an airing cupboard or other similar enclosure.(555.6.2)


as op has said that this is a walk in hotpress so this reg may not apply

I would say the reg has been met, per the letter of the reg (thanks meercat for transcribing!)...however: if the spirit of the reg was to prevent people from leaving the immersion on by the switch being in the hot press, that is still possible. People can use the bath/sink switch for primary control

Robbie.G

Dardania wrote: »

I would say the reg has been met, per the letter of the reg (thanks meercat for transcribing!)...however: if the spirit of the reg was to prevent people from leaving the immersion on by the switch being in the hot press, that is still possible. People can use the bath/sink switch for primary control

Yes it's possible for the dual switch to be used I've instructed the tenant to leave the switch on and use the dp switch as the mains
The dual switch is just been used as a selector switch and a local isolator as when your at the immersion you can't see the dp switch
The previous single immersion was terminated in a flex outlet plate
So technically to comply with regs I would need to only fit single immersions in this estate and leave them connected to the flex outlet

meercat

i thought the regulation was for prevention of a fire risk where the switches were covered with clothing if inside the hotpress

2011

meercat wrote: »

i thought the regulation was for prevention of a fire risk where the switches were covered with clothing if inside the hotpress

Incorrect in my opinion. Remember you may have switched spur outlets for shower pump, zone valves etc. within the hot press which is permitted.

In my opinion the regulation 555.6.2 is aimed at a switch for control (not isolation) and the intention is that switches for this purpose are easily accessible as they have to be used frequently. This would avoid having a light switch in the back of a cupboard.

Maintenance isolators should always be close and preferably within arms reach of the associated appliance. Additionally it should be impossible for someone to energize the appliance without the person working on it being aware for obvious safety reasons.

Robbie.G

meercat wrote: »

i thought the regulation was for prevention of a fire risk where the switches were covered with clothing if inside the hotpress

Originally that was the case and you were to fit switch under lowest shelve so it couldn't be covered then that was changed to could be anywhere in hotpress once it wasn't able to be covered and now not allowed in hotpress

2011

Robbie.G wrote: »

Originally that was the case and you were to fit switch under lowest shelve so it couldn't be covered then that was changed to could be anywhere in hotpress once it wasn't able to be covered and now not allowed in hotpress

When properly selected and installed a switch should not get hot.
Any heat generated is the product of the resistance by the square of the current.
So very low restance in the switch means negible heating.

I would think that the idea of installing the switch under the shelf was so that it could be visible (to reduce the chances of not leaving it on) and to make it accessible.