BS7671  does not mandate local isolation for any household appliance.

In a rented property I would have a full RCBO board with SPD.  It is also not realistic for a frail person to move an appliance to isolate it.  That being said the test (EICR) should be done to the edition of the install so some people would say code as C3 to try and bring the install upto the current standards.  I would also advocate PAT (Portable Appliance Test).  Being a rented property in England I assume, it is worth testing the smoke alarms for functionality and note the date of expiry.  Don't forget there should also be a carbon monoxide alarm in any room that burns fuel. 

I agree - what makes you sure that 537.3.2 requires a dedicated switch for each appliance ? I do not think it does.

This wiring matters article seems to agree that it can be OK to omit,  if it does not contradict the maker's instructions.. In my mind, what you describe is a C3 at most.

From the other side, where is the potential for danger that justifies a C2 ?. Perhaps a stupid design, awkward, certainly, but not especially dangerous...

Mike.

how do you figure a contravention of 537.3.2  ?  

or any reg.

It certainly contravenes current regulation 537.3.2.

How so? Who says the socket is the intended means of switching off for mechanical maintenance? As you say the MCB or RCCB or main switch could be selected - and if it had been how can that be a contravention of BS 7671?

If there's no contravention there can't be a code, not even a C3.

   - Andy.

The consensus seems to be that the arrangement is compliant and I agree. I assume that the  appliance has some form of on-off switch in which case 537.1 (ii) would not apply. Bearing in mind Grenfell, the circuit could be isolated at the CU should the appliance catch fire so I do not think that indent (i) applies either. If 537.1 does not apply, the whole of Section 537 does not apply.

A local isolator feeding an unswitched socket is nice to have, but not necessary.

I wonder whether matey tested these sockets. I would not so they would be put down as a limitation.

Hi Chris

Just trying to play devils advocate a bit and also understand why in general the industry seems to believe that local isolation is required for kitchen appliances. That's certainly the overall consensus from what I have seen on face book, not saying they are right but the opinion has to be based on something.

Also

The statement, assuming the appliance has some form of on off switch is interesting.

The two appliances in question were a fridge and a washing machine

To my knowledge fridges don't have on off switches.

My current washing machine does not have an on / off switch, just a rotating controller, when in the top position it's in a standby mode and the touch screen still works.

Looking at this article https://professional-electrician.com/technical/isolation-and-switching/ they mention that mechanical maintenance includes changing a bulb.  

 they mention that mechanical maintenance includes changing a bulb.  

Indeed it does - checkout the definition in section 2 of BS 7671. Which brings us nicely to another tangent - these days the requirements for switching off for mechanical maintenance are pretty much the same as for full isolation - i.e. ordinary lighting plate switches won't do (fine for functional switching, but not for isolation or mechanical maintenance) - so to replace a lamp in the front room already requires use of the MCB or main switch. So if it's acceptable to plunge an entire floor into darkness to replace a lamp, what's the problem with throwing the MCB on the kitchen power circuit before working on a kitchen appliance?

   - Andy.

Alan, I see the point.

Our older appliances (dishwasher and tumble drier) have mechanical on-off switches, but there are still cables between the flex and the switch internally, and I doubt that either switch would directly isolate the heating elements.

The older fridge-freezer has mechanical on-off switches, but again I am sure that they are not isolators as such. It is, however, necessary to turn off the freezer from time to time for defrosting. The newer one has a touch screen and either section may be turned off, but it does remarkable things including not frosting up in the first place. It is, however, incontinent occasionally.

The washing machine is the cleverest of the lot. It does have an on-off switch (and a touch screen) but not a mechanical one, so in a sense it is never off.

All our appliances are free-standing, but only the dishwasher is in a niche. However, smarter kitchens (and laundries) have built-in appliances. Naturally, they can be disassembled just as they were assembled in the first place, but you are certainly not going to pull them out to unplug so I suppose that they do need on-off switches somewhere in the room.

Perhaps that is why the need for local isolation has become an urban myth?

Hello Alan. I don’t believe there is a specific requirement in BS 7671 for appliances to have a local means of disconnection or isolation; the consumer unit can be used for this purpose. However, some manufacturers of built-in appliances advise that the appliance should be able to be disconnected when it is installed. Therefore, the need for a local means of isolation may vary, but in the worst case, it would be a C3 (134.1.1) defect in my opinion.