Correct Methods for Wiring a Bathroom Mirror and Light Ask questions and find answers to many subjects relating to electrics and electrical work

[cmackenz]

Looking to fit a bathroom Mirror / light and wanted to check that Im go about it correctly.

Looking to take a spur from an existing double socket adjacent to the bathroom and run 2.5mm cable from the socket to the bathroom light / mirror. Is it as simple as this or do I need to link via a switched spur with an appropriate fuse.

All help appreciated.

Thanks.

[ericmark]

Simple answer is I don't know. What you need to know is how the double socket is fed? It could be a radial, and ring final, a fused spur or unfused spur until you know which you don't know if another item can be taken from it or not.

Plus likely to be legal either a scheme member electrician needs to fit it or you pay the council silly money to DIY either Part P or building warrant it changes according to which part of UK you live in.

England did remove some of the restrictions but I live in Wales so have not kept up with changes, Scotland does not interest me.

Electrical to get it to work quite easy, it is the rules and regulations which make it hard.

[ericmark]

Thinking about what you want I have missed asking a very important question. What is RCD protected? Any new installation comes under the new rules, existing stuff does not need altering however.

Of course people do break the rules, however in the main they are there for your safety. Over the years things have changed when I was a boy everyone had a simple ceiling rose with a bulb and lamp shade then people started to fit fancy light fittings some which were metal so the rules changed to match.

So today all items in a bathroom need RCD protection. It is not hard to add but it could change how you do things. Today lights in a bathroom have RCD protection but back in 2008 it was not required. It goes both ways because we have RCD protection bonding in the bathroom is no longer required.

In my house where everything is RCD protected I would power a mirror light and if fitted heater from the lighting circuit that way it is switched off with main light.

Paperwork can be a problem. In a rented house you really have dot all the i's and cross all the t's or if you have any non family members in the house hold. However I do realise that some people don't like the idea of paying the council over a £100 to be able to DIY and will take a chance. I really don't want to know. But I feel helping some one keep it safe is far more important than following a law.

I feel using a RCD FCU with a 1 amp fuse is not going to overload and socket and even if it does not comply it would be a reasonable method. However where it all falls down is where some one then comes along and thinks since there is a RCD FCU the circuit must be XYZ because other wise you would not be allowed to fit it.

It is in real terms a risk assessment will what you do cause a danger now or in the future but personal or financial if it results in a court case. The trade papers are full of DIY jobs that went wrong in rented property but in owner occupied it is very rare.

[cmackenz]

The double socket is fed through a 32 amp ring main. I plan to take a switched spur from this socket (15A Fuse) and then run 2.5mm from the switched spur to the Mirrored Light. The Mirrored light is drawing 12A.

Is this a viable method?

I will also look at the regulatory requirements for a bathroom.

[ericmark]

The double socket is fed through a 32 amp ring main.

That's good so not problem taking from that socket is it already RCD protected?

I plan to take a switched spur from this socket (15A Fuse)

Unlikely you can use a 15A fuse they will not fit in a FCU 13 is max.

and then run 2.5mm from the switched spur to the Mirrored Light.

That's OK

The Mirrored light is drawing 12A.

A you sure? The room I am typing this in has a 0.44A bulb (10W) to use 12A would be 2.76kW it would bake you.

[cmackenz]

Again, thanks for getting back to me.

The socket is RCD protected. i will double check what the mirrored light is drawing.

Cheers

[cmackenz]

ericmark - thanks for getting back to me.

Apologies for the late response I have just recently received the mirror. There is no indication on the paperwork what amperage this light draws, but looking at similar lights, this would draw very little.

As the socket circuit Im drawing from is RCD (30amp) protected, can I then not bother with a FCU and just feed direct from the socket to the light. I read that as long as the bathroom is 30amp RCD protected, should be OK.

Thanks.

[ericmark]

I hope you mean 30 mA that is 1000 times smaller than 30A? And yes you can connect direct to a 30 mA RCD with a 5 or 6 amp fuse/MCB/RCBO however I would use some method which allows easy double pole isolation so if it does go wrong I can isolate and still use all other lights in the house. As to if that is required it depends how you read the regulations it is a grey area.

[cmackenz]

Thanks mate, after all that. I'm now going to run a line from my bathroom ceiling light to the mirror. I may add a FCU (1 amp) to enable isolation of the mirror.

Thanks for all your help.