Terminating an unused shower cable?
Mathew J. Newton
advantage of this and other upheavals to fit a cable for an electric
shower.
My current shower is combi-fed hence I have no use for the cable
however I thought it would be of use if, for whatever reason, someone
wanted to fit an electric shower at a later date.
At the CU the cable is connected to an MCB and clearly marked as being
for the (currently unconnected) shower. What is the correct way to
terminate the other end? I am assuming the present 'taped end' is
insufficient given someone might accidentally turn the MCB on so
should I just use an appropriately-rated junction box?
As I'm writing this I'm beginning to think this answer is obvious
however I'll post it anyway for confirmation.
Perhaps a less obvious question - I've spared a metre or so at the
shower end to allow flexibility with the exact location of any shower
- is it okay to loosely coil this surplus? I recognise this doesn't
fall within the usual vertical/horizontal wiring to nearby surface
sockets/switches that one would expect in a wall and hence would
appreciate some advice. Perhaps some form of visible caution/warning
on the wall is required?
Mathew
Harry Bloomfield
> At the CU the cable is connected to an MCB and clearly marked as being
> for the (currently unconnected) shower. What is the correct way to
> terminate the other end? I am assuming the present 'taped end' is
> insufficient given someone might accidentally turn the MCB on so
> should I just use an appropriately-rated junction box?
>
> As I'm writing this I'm beginning to think this answer is obvious
> however I'll post it anyway for confirmation.
You could fit a junction box to the cable end, but more importantly,
you could disconnect it at the MCB.
--
--
Regards,
Harry (M1BYT) (L)
http://www.ukradioamateur.org
Mantric
"Harry Bloomfield" <harry.m1...@tiscali.co.uk> wrote in message
news:mesnews.8b317d43....@tiscali.co.uk...
When I had an electric shower removed for the same reason as you, the sparks secured the
cable and tagged it as 'shower' then disconnected it at the MCB, the pull cord the
bathroom was removed and the hole in the plaster filled in.
--
Mantric
nightjar
"Mathew J. Newton" <use...@newtonnet.co.uk> wrote in message
news:fd8027ea.0403...@posting.google.com...
> During the rebuild of my bathroom partition wall I decided to take
> advantage of this and other upheavals to fit a cable for an electric
> shower.
>
> My current shower is combi-fed hence I have no use for the cable
> however I thought it would be of use if, for whatever reason, someone
> wanted to fit an electric shower at a later date.
>
> At the CU the cable is connected to an MCB and clearly marked as being
> for the (currently unconnected) shower. What is the correct way to
> terminate the other end? I am assuming the present 'taped end' is
> insufficient given someone might accidentally turn the MCB on so
> should I just use an appropriately-rated junction box?
Personally, I would leave both ends disconnected, cut off suqare, but with
enough slack left to strip and connect them up. Then fit each end with a
permanent label that identifes both the cable size and the purpose of the
cable. Noting on the CU end where the other end of the cable can be found
might be useful too.
Colin Bignell
Mathew J. Newton
> "Mathew J. Newton" <use...@newtonnet.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:fd8027ea.0403...@posting.google.com...
> > At the CU the cable is connected to an MCB and clearly marked as being
> > for the (currently unconnected) shower. What is the correct way to
> > terminate the other end? I am assuming the present 'taped end' is
> > insufficient given someone might accidentally turn the MCB on so
> > should I just use an appropriately-rated junction box?
>
> Personally, I would leave both ends disconnected, cut off suqare, but with
> enough slack left to strip and connect them up. Then fit each end with a
> permanent label that identifes both the cable size and the purpose of the
> cable. Noting on the CU end where the other end of the cable can be found
> might be useful too.
>
> Colin Bignell
Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I'll follow the advice and
disconnect the CU/MCB end and label everything up.
Thanks again,
Mathew
Al Reynolds
news:fd8027ea.0403...@posting.google.com...
> advantage of this and other upheavals to fit a cable for an electric
> shower.
>
> My current shower is combi-fed hence I have no use for the cable
> however I thought it would be of use if, for whatever reason, someone
> wanted to fit an electric shower at a later date.
>
> At the CU the cable is connected to an MCB and clearly marked as being
> for the (currently unconnected) shower. What is the correct way to
> terminate the other end? I am assuming the present 'taped end' is
> insufficient given someone might accidentally turn the MCB on so
> should I just use an appropriately-rated junction box?
>
> As I'm writing this I'm beginning to think this answer is obvious
> however I'll post it anyway for confirmation.
Doesn't the circuit go MCB --> Switch --> Shower?
If you haven't fitted a switch then do what others say,
but if there is a switch there, you could just wire the
cable into the switch but not put any cable on the load
side of the switch. Depends on whether your cable is
just a contingency for a later date I suppose.
If it is just contingency for a later date, leave clear instructions
at the CU end about where the end of the cable is!
Al
Mathew J. Newton
<snip>
> If it is just contingency for a later date, leave clear instructions
> at the CU end about where the end of the cable is!
>
> Al
Spot on - I fitted the cable for potential future use. I though I may
as well given that the flooring from CU to bathroom (ground floor) was
all up so laying it at this stage was simple.
I don't really want to fit a switch given that I don't anticipate
*I'll* ever want an electric shower anyway - I'm still amazed how good
this combi-fed mains pressure shower is given I've been used to
gravity- and electric- showers my entire life!
I'll label the cable detailing it's location and any future owner can
then have the option.
Cheers,
Mathew