Should a shower isolator have a pull cord? Surely just a switch attached to the ceiling or on the wall near the ceiling would be better? Accessible enough for a plumber, inaccessible enough not to be turned back on by accident (e.g. by someone thinking it's the light switch). And it would disabuse householders of the notion that they're supposed to turn it off after each shower use. And once RCBOs become more-or-less universally double-pole switching, perhaps shower switches can be consigned to the annals of history?

Should a shower isolator have a pull cord? Surely just a switch attached to the ceiling or on the wall near the ceiling would be better? Accessible enough for a plumber, inaccessible enough not to be turned back on by accident (e.g. by someone thinking it's the light switch). And it would disabuse householders of the notion that they're supposed to turn it off after each shower use. And once RCBOs become more-or-less universally double-pole switching, perhaps shower switches can be consigned to the annals of history?

wallywombat said:

Should a shower isolator have a pull cord? Surely just a switch attached to the ceiling or on the wall near the ceiling would be better?

That depends who the intended user of the isolator is. If it's the user of the shower, rather than the plumber, then not really.

The instructions often, however, tell users to make sure the shower is switched off at the isolator when not in use (as well as requiring one is installed). In which case, it's not really a BS 7671 issue and would have to be taken up with the manufacturer.

gkenyon said:

The instructions often, however, tell users to make sure the shower is switched off at the isolator when not in use (as well as requiring one is installed). In which case, it's not really a BS 7671 issue and would have to be taken up with the manufacturer.

Then perhaps the shower manufacturers should supply a suitably robust isolator as part of their kit?

Chris Pearson said:

Then perhaps the shower manufacturers should supply a suitably robust isolator as part of their kit?

That does, of course, assume that the isolator is always the cause (rather than the symptom).

If it's something else other than the isolator, then the a symptom could be moved somewhere else (cable damage, or damage to other products ... possibly fire) - even if we over-rate or over-test the isolator.