Adding spurs to immersion heater circuit

Question

About 25 years ago we had a shower fitted and the plumber added a fused spur to the immersion heater circuit for the pump. 
 I want to upgrade our heating system by fitting an ebus controller in the airing cupboard. This needs a mains supply and there is no accessible ring circuit. Is it permissible to add another fused spur to the immersion circuit? 
 Mike

mapj1 · Accepted Answer

Regs wise an immersion heater circuit is nothing special, just another radial circuit for a fixed load, and as such it may as well be extended for fans, pumps,timers lights etc. I would be a little wary of adding a 13a socket as there is a temptation for excessively large loads like a heater to be added, but even if that happened, assuming the breaker and cable protected by it are suitably co-ordinated, all that happens is the breaker trips first. Cold bathwater is a nuisance, not a serious danger. 
 What you propose is fine, just label it up clearly so any future user knows which breaker isolates what items. If you were putting it in today it would need RCD protection, but if it is already there and hasn't I'd not lose too much sleep so long as it is all done in a way that it stays dry and is positioned so it is unlikely that a wet handed person would have hold if it and something else to complete a fault path at the same time. 
 Mike

MikeD · Answer

Thanks Andy. Yes I'm aware that it's not an ideal location for electronics, although the existing controller has been fault free in there since 2009. 
 Mike

Adding spurs to immersion heater circuit

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