Omega Owners Forum

Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: Tony H on 23 September 2012, 21:12:02

Title: One for those with electrical knowledge
Post by: Tony H on 23 September 2012, 21:12:02
Evenin' all, can anyone tell me if it is o.k. to run the pump on a gas boiler of the upstairs lighting circuit? The reason I ask is my daughter has just had a boiler fitted in the loft and the installers have tapped into the lighting circuit to feed the pump, I would have thought that this wouldn't be "best practice" but I could be wrong.
TIA
Tony
Title: Re: One for those with electrical knowledge
Post by: Marie on 23 September 2012, 21:25:23
I couldnt tell you personally but my dad is a plumberand heating engineer, cant call him tonight as its now a bit late but i can tomorrow for you if youd like
Title: Re: One for those with electrical knowledge
Post by: jonny2112 on 23 September 2012, 21:30:56
Lighting circuits are lighter than normal mains, and whilst I have no real knowledge, I would have thought it should have been off the mains  :-\
Lighting is 1.5mm whilst the mains is heavier at 2.5mm.
I guess it will depend on the boiler requirements.
Title: Re: One for those with electrical knowledge
Post by: TheBoy on 23 September 2012, 21:32:55
I thought all parts of the central heating should be off a dedicated circuit  :-\
Title: Re: One for those with electrical knowledge
Post by: Tony H on 23 September 2012, 21:33:59
I couldnt tell you personally but my dad is a plumberand heating engineer, cant call him tonight as its now a bit late but i can tomorrow for you if youd like
Thanks for that Marie I would appreciate it  :y.

Title: Re: One for those with electrical knowledge
Post by: jonny2112 on 23 September 2012, 21:35:50
I thought all parts of the central heating should be off a dedicated circuit  :-\

Yes, I would have thought a boiler should definitely have its own circuit.
Title: Re: One for those with electrical knowledge
Post by: Marie on 23 September 2012, 21:45:32
I couldnt tell you personally but my dad is a plumberand heating engineer, cant call him tonight as its now a bit late but i can tomorrow for you if youd like
Thanks for that Marie I would appreciate it  :y.

noworries Tony could you post the make and model of the boiler for me and the pump if you can get it and ill ring dad at lunch tomorrow andlet you know.
Title: Re: One for those with electrical knowledge
Post by: Martian on 23 September 2012, 21:49:11
No it's not alright.

A switched FCU should be fed using a minimum 2.5mm˛ cable as it is capable of being fitted with a 13A fuse.
The feed to the boiler should have been taken from an RCD protected ring main, or from it's own dedicated MCB/RCBO in the CU.
The person fitting it also needs to be Part P certified.
Title: Re: One for those with electrical knowledge
Post by: Andy B on 23 September 2012, 21:52:54
....
The person fitting it also needs to be Part P certified.

hence self contained boilers having a plug on them ........ therefore no need for the cert.  :y :y :y
Title: Re: One for those with electrical knowledge
Post by: Kevin Wood on 23 September 2012, 21:53:16
.. and the pump should, more often than not, be fed from the boiler as a lot of modern boilers have a pump overrun feature that keeps the pump running until the boiler has cooled off after firing.
Title: Re: One for those with electrical knowledge
Post by: Martian on 23 September 2012, 22:08:19
....
The person fitting it also needs to be Part P certified.

hence self contained boilers having a plug on them ........ therefore no need for the cert.  :y :y :y
Still need to sign off when you fit either the socket or FCU that is supplying it though (if it's not there already as in the OP's case)  ;)
Title: Re: One for those with electrical knowledge
Post by: Andy B on 23 September 2012, 22:13:42
....
The person fitting it also needs to be Part P certified.

hence self contained boilers having a plug on them ........ therefore no need for the cert.  :y :y :y
Still need to sign off when you fit either the socket or FCU that is supplying it though (if it's not there already as in the OP's case)  ;)
:y :y :y
Which goes to show that there must be loads of houses that wouldn't pass muster ........  ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: One for those with electrical knowledge
Post by: Rods2 on 24 September 2012, 02:36:11
Yeeh har! What was the companies name Tonto and the Lone Ranger Plumbers Ltd. 1, Cowboy Trail, Texas :o :o :o :o

Are they Gas registered and do they have part P. I suspect not for the latter, what about the former? No it is a big no, no, to take the boiler or pump feed off a lighting circuit.

Sounds like they have cut more corners than The Sweeney in a high speed car chase.  :D :D :D

Yeeh har!
Title: Re: One for those with electrical knowledge
Post by: tigers_gonads on 24 September 2012, 08:56:57
As Martian says  :y

Your boiler should be run from a seperate circuit on your consumer unit.
If its just a standard domestic combi boiler, you can run the cable in 1.5mm T&E with a 6 amp breaker at the consumer unit end and a 3 amp fuse fitted into the switched fuse spur.
The circuit must be rcd protected.

It "should" be signed off by a part p sparky  :y
Title: Re: One for those with electrical knowledge
Post by: Elite Pete on 24 September 2012, 09:03:11
I take it your daughter doesn't live in Liverpool then Tony or the boiler would have been wired into next doors :P ;D ;D
Title: Re: One for those with electrical knowledge
Post by: STMO123 on 24 September 2012, 09:11:05
Quote from: Elite Pete li :Pnk=topic=107555.msg1345689#msg1345689 date=1348473791
I take it your daughter doesn't live in Liverpool then Tony or the boiler would have been wired into next doors :P ;D ;D
You never miss a chance, do you? Everyone knows you wire them from a convenient lamp post.  :P
Title: Re: One for those with electrical knowledge
Post by: Elite Pete on 24 September 2012, 09:13:29
Quote from: Elite Pete li :Pnk=topic=107555.msg1345689#msg1345689 date=1348473791
I take it your daughter doesn't live in Liverpool then Tony or the boiler would have been wired into next doors :P ;D ;D
You never miss a chance, do you? Everyone knows you wire them from a convenient lamp post.  :P

 ;D ;D :y
Title: Re: One for those with electrical knowledge
Post by: Tony H on 24 September 2012, 19:17:39
Quote from: Elite Pete li :Pnk=topic=107555.msg1345689#msg1345689 date=1348473791
I take it your daughter doesn't live in Liverpool then Tony or the boiler would have been wired into next doors :P ;D ;D
You never miss a chance, do you? Everyone knows you wire them from a convenient lamp post.  :P
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"Is right" :y ;D
Title: Re: One for those with electrical knowledge
Post by: Tony H on 24 September 2012, 19:22:12
I couldnt tell you personally but my dad is a plumberand heating engineer, cant call him tonight as its now a bit late but i can tomorrow for you if youd like
Thanks for that Marie I would appreciate it  :y.

noworries Tony could you post the make and model of the boiler for me and the pump if you can get it and ill ring dad at lunch tomorrow andlet you know.

Sorry Marie couldn't get that info back to you before lunch, thanks anyway. Looking at the replies it look's like the fitting is a no no anyway, but if you could run it by your dad the next time you speak that would be good. Ta Tony
Title: Re: One for those with electrical knowledge
Post by: Martian on 25 September 2012, 10:01:33
Tony,

From an electrical loading viewpoint, you can sleep easy because nothing is going to catch fire.
From your description of how it was fitted, the only thing that is really wrong is that the electrical side of the installation does not confirm to current regs.