Question. Would a room containing a 'Shower' but not a shower tray, be classed as a special location. Scenario that made me ask this is a dog parlour, it has a Triton 7.2Kw next to a sink, the isolator switch is right next to the shower itself. I'd say this is, shower tray or sink, its a shower. Was installed by a Full Scope who told the owner this wasnt classed as a special location as its not domestic nor a bathroom and contains no shower tray, theres plugs etc and everything in a room about 3M square.
Well the regs say a special location is a room containing a bath or a shower, straight forward you would think, all we have to do now is work out what a shower is. A bath is something you lie down in to get clean so I would imagine a shower is something you stand up in to get clean. I wouldn't class something that heats water up as a shower in itself if its used elswhere.
A shower is a shower, whether you stand or shower in the sink, it's a shower - in a room. A shower room. Mr. HandyAndy - Really
A shower tray does not define a shower. Lack of a tray just extends zones 0 and 1 into what would be zone 2 if there were a tray. A shower is a spray of water you immerse yourself in to clean your body. Anything else may use the exact same parts as a shower, but is essentially nothing more than a hose.
If you build a room, screw an electric shower to the wall and put a shower tray down for the sole purpose of washing your dog I would say that is not a special location and could have sockets and switches in it (maybe outdoor type though due to water splashing)
It's the same as hair salons too. You need to be sensible. It is not a shower room. You are not getting naked and wet, reducing your resistance and making shocks more likely to be lethal. You are washing your dog, as you would with a jug.
Isn't a kitchen a 'special location' because of the facility of the sink being in the room? Mr. HandyAndy - Really
A kitchen is not a special location under bs7671, never has been. It was under part p, due to dodgy kitchen wiring being commonplace, but no longer is.
Yeah, that does make sense. I'm not stiring anything up there, im just looking to install an a extraction fan and it made me wonder if a "Shower" alone makes an area a special location, I would've thought so but to be honest, I do see what your saying. I am glad to hear varying answers, sometimes its hard to see past the Black and White.
Black and white is often the problem,BS7671 is not enforceable by law,however it can be used in law to prove good practice.There is nothing to say you have to do a certain job in the way "the book" advises,however if you departed from the regs and anything did go wrong then you'd have to be able to justify your actions in court.However this shouldn't prevent common sense being applied,unfortunately some people will not apply common sense,they have the attitude that "the book says" so it has to be done this way.
Forums
Facebook
Twitter
You Tube
Instagram
Shop