Safely removing elec shower / making cable safe

[WaterTight]

It's got electrical isolation in the cupboard next door and is being replaced with mixer.

What's 1) the law 2) safest proceedure / best practice for a plumber (with no elec quals) to isolate, test isolation has worked and safely remove shower and make cable safe in cavity?

Seems OTT to get spark in for it but maybe it's not?

 

[R1CKY]

The safest way would be to disconnect the cable from the consumer unit, but not a good idea to go poking around in there if you are not competent. Easiest way would be to isolate the supply at the consumer unit and physically disconnect the shower cable from the isolation switch in the cupboard (the cable going from the switch to the shower, not the consumer unit to the switch!). You could also remove the switch and replace it with a blanking plate, just make sure to safely terminate the wires inside!

Not too sure what the law is, I did a defined scope Part P course a few years ago, which allows me to carry out minor work and tests on electrical systems, I'd imagine that technically you probably aren't allowed to touch it!

 

[erpkid]

Yes this is a bit of a grey area. Us mere plumbers are not allowed to add circuits but there is nothing about removing them. Assuming you are confident opening the box the risk would be that the IP rating could be compromised if a fat 6 or 10 mm cable was withdrawn leaving a hole greater than 1mm. However if the hole was safely plugged that would be covered.

 

[Guest123]

If you disconnect the cables (and I'm not advising you to do so), current regs are for the cables to be safely protected in a waterproof "choc box" especially if in a cavity. I'd get a spark in mate. If something went wrong or worse still someone in the future drilled into your live cable, you'd end up in jail.

Get a spark to remove it completely and all the way back to the consumer box and remove the fuse or isolate rcd for it.

 

[AlexGas]

Hi all, hope you’ll find this interesting:

From BS 7671:2008 (Electrical Regs - 17th edition to you and me)

114 RELATIONSHIP WITH STATUTORY REGULATIONS
114.1 The Regulations are non-statutory. They may, however, be used in a court of low in evidence to claim compliance with a statutory requirements. And it goes on ……………………….

Basically, as long as you know what you are doing - you can do whatever you want (almost) but when you are end up in the court – the Regs (17th) will be used to make sure everything you’ve done is up to scratch.
If you are not sure – get someone in who knows – a competent person.

From the same regs:

134 ERECTION AND INITIOAL VERIFICATION OF ELECTRICAL INSTALLATIONS.
134.1 ERECTION
134.1.1 Good workmanship by competent persons or persons under their supervision and proper materials shall be used in the erection of the electrical installations. Blah, blah, blah….

If you are doing it yourself – make sure you do it right. Keep safe!