Socket in the bathroom

Scr55

Hi All.

I don’t want to open a can of worms but I have a question in relation to sockets in the bathroom. I want to have Amazon Dot speaker but it requires an electric socket. Do you have any ideas how I can install it in the bathroom?
Thanks for suggestions.

MrMusician18

I've never seen any socket other than a shaving one in an Irish bathroom. Use that? Dot is like probably 10watts max.

Is it IP rated? Unlikely to last that long if its not.

wandererz

PlusAcc Battery Base for Google Home mini, Dot 3rd Gen, Google Home Mini - Portable Battery Station Accessory (Battery Only)

https://amzn.eu/d/0fxDVQGr

wandererz

If you know anyone in the UK you can ship to, the above may be an option

blackbox

Could you wire it in using one of these instead of a socket?

https://www.screwfix.ie/p/crabtree-capital-20a-unswitched-flex-outlet-white/29716

Scr55

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122406198#Comment_122406198

I appears Dots are not waterproof so this could be an issue. Power adapter is 15W. What is the limit for bathroom applainces for shaver socket?

Scr55

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122406498#Comment_122406498

Thanks for reply. I was even thinking about installing weatherproof (outdoor) socket and hide it inside one of the cabinets. Is it possible to have an electric cable (of course sheathed ) coming from the wall and connected to that outdoor socket e.g. https://www.screwfix.ie/p/british-general-ip66-13a-2-gang-dp-weatherproof-outdoor-switched-socket/67928

Then that socket is hidden in the cabinet.

My understanding is that since this socket is approved to be used outdoor as it is weatherproof then it should be possible to use it in the bathroom. It does not look good so must be hidden but will do the trick.

What do you think?

Deagol

Its not the socket being the issue. Do you really want a non-waterproof 230vac electrical item in the bathroom with you and your family / friends?

Splashes of water could get into the item and provide a path for mains power to be present on a surface etc. Honestly, it's a very small chance, but bare feet, water and electricity are an absolute deadly mix. 40 thousandths of a second of 230vac at tiny current travelling through you is enough to stop your heart - permanently.

Is it really worth chancing it so you can listen to music or whatever while you brush your teeth?

Padre_Pio

Lets be hones

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122406692#Comment_122406692

Bit of a hysterical statement. An Amazon echo is not mains powered. The plug is an AC/DC converter. We don't have outlets in bathrooms as we tend to copy UK wiring regs. Bathrooms in European countries have sockets and light switches. It's a bit of a joke to be honest.

OP I would put a socked in the attic above the bathroom and run the cable down, mounting the echo high on the wall. Less risk of splashes getting on the fabric.

You can buy specific battery power bank bases for them too which looks decent.

2011

I ceiling mounted my Google Home mini in my bathroom. The socket is in the attic. Sure the Google Home isn’t waterproof or IP rated but just like the Amazon Echo it’s not mains powered so perfectly safe. It’s been there for at least 4 years and has performed perfectly the entire time.

Scr55

Thanks Folks for your comments and suggestions.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122406692#Comment_122406692

I know that electricity and water don't mix but I was using socket in bathrooms for many years (mainly for washing machine, hairdryer) and I am still alive . What's more I don't know anyone from my family or friends who died or got hurt for that reason. It is all about common sense but I don't want to argue here and I respect your point of view too.

Unfortunately, I can't put any socket in the attic as I had my attic converted.

BTW. Do you know what is the max wattage for shaver socket? I heared it is 20W but I am not sure. I want to use it for charging my toothbrush and I know it should be fine. However, I also want to plug a water flosser and I presume it should be ok too. According to Amazon I can get this device with a bathroom plug.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122406635#Comment_122406635

It's not an issue of the socket been weather proof, the issue is the significantly higher chance of death by electrocution in a bathroom. It's not allowed in wiring regs for a reason.

Also if you do something to your wiring which is not compliment you invalidate your insurance.

The only socket allowed in a bathroom is a shaver socket because it's nearly impossible to kill yourself with a current limited transformer.

They do this on the continent because every socket is individually fused which significantly reduces the risk. They are not comparable scenarios.

Don't second guess the whole of the electrical industry for a bit of convenience.

drury..

Fact check

" if you do something to your wiring which is not compliment you invalidate your insurance." ?

Doolittle51

Fact: Your insurance company has no idea if you do something to your wiring, unless you ring them and tell them.

drury..

He's talking nonsense about killing yourself too

Its the isolation that makes a bathroom trafo safe

Neither pin has a voltage with respect to earth

wandererz

Contact this guy. He doesn't say no.

2011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122433633#Comment_122433633

You are suggesting that this is safe based on a small only on your own experience i.e. a sample size of just one.

When you look at the HSA statistics for electrocutions across the country you will see that the bathroom is the place in a house where you are most likely to be seriously injured or killed from electrical shock.

Scr55

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122436270#Comment_122436270

I am just suggesting that common sense + proper installation (no cowboys) and proper ventilation will prevent any issues from happening. But I understand that for regulators it is easier to ban something rather than to find some workable solution. Thanks all for your comments. It wasn’t my intention to open a can of worms 🙂

Scr55

I just feel that some requirements are very nonsensical and there is no logic behind it. For example, I can’t have electric socket in my bathroom due to a potential risk of electrical shock. However, it is ok to have an extension cable (without any IP rating) under my sink in the kitchen where the risk of splashing is higher. Btw. That extension cable was installed when the house was built so I presume it was acceptable to leave it there 🙂 This is the type of logic I can’t understand. So, in other words it is not acceptable to die by electric shock but it is ok to die in fire 😉

2011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122437673#Comment_122437673

That’s not how regulations are written. When regulations are written the impact is always carefully considered. I know this because I have been directly involved (not on IS10101).

20/20

If you have power over your wash basin, maybe from a shaving light. Then replace it with a mirror that has bluetooth speakers built in. Also has a shaving socket and light.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/ELEGANT-Illuminated-Bathroom-Mirror-Demister/dp/B07NZT8MCW/ref%3Dsr_1_3?crid=3NT12AUSNJXWS&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.7uL37Fg6oFIXFfO24QXJ1r4PVcBJnkcJXw8GtdEADeI6tnQulzoIV4xLhlym5s_X_PBLH8PvlORz0CuzfEnaBZ55OCNymkOR7x36CZXx30QC2uZIRcuBXDHh7a3tylC1fFEzYGlEXH7VxGTAaPdSMjaqG5k1kgv9BHTGhlDCQOiDGPJwUM9YxBlz8EM7ogbZzcLxPLhWtLsyN0L-DFdex9NwITf00lqfaLIkssPyV215m9UU-epHYnTUMB6JI6TzacLRisjiqeGnCQwBuo8q1URHUvUJvqnaLstQFNxSDOA.iLlA_hrkJkbLfXGA494PgRoCpMOrTLp-2yUejuMKR8g&dib_tag=se&keywords=smart%2Bbathroom%2Bmirror%2Bbuilt-in%2Balexa&qid=1722193131&sprefix=mirror%2Bwith%2Balexa%2Caps%2C59&sr=8-3&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.d7e5a2de-8759-4da3-993c-d11b6e3d217f&th=1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122437730#Comment_122437730

An electrical socket in a bathroom is intrinsically less safe because there is both a much higher chance of splashed water and a much higher chance of someone been in there with no insulation between themselves and a conductive surface.

The Darwin awards was inaugurated to celebrate people who refused to accept the wisdom of experts and regulations designed to prevent deaths.

As to insurance, it only becomes an issue when someone burns the house down or seriously injured themselves - and they investigate why it happened. Like in a car if you lie or modify your vehicle without notifying them - no insurance and thats not open to discussion.

Doolittle51

And how would the insurance company know who has carried out the electrical work? Most houses are subject to multiple wiring modifications, many of which don't require certification, many of which will be carried out before the current owner moved in.

I think the original socket regulations in bathrooms were more to do with protecting people from accidents when using electrical appliances, rather than the socket itself posing a risk. For example, if a socket was close enough to a bath, someone could potentially use a hairdryer while still in the bath. Hairdryer slips and falls into the bath full of water, resulting in electrocution. Sockets in a kitchen pose just as much splash risk as those in a bathroom.