no sockets in bathroom

karloseqm · 26-01-2017 01:51PM #1

Hi , just wondering why Ireland and UK have no plugs in bathrooms and other EU countries have? If you tell me that's for safety reasons so why I have plug next to my sink in kitchen ? ðŸ˜„

Tuco88 · 26-01-2017 02:12PM

It shouldn't be right next to the sink, well at least with common sense away form it.

aido79 · 26-01-2017 02:13PM

karloseqm wrote: »

Hi , just wondering why Ireland and UK have no plugs in bathrooms and other EU countries have? If you tell me that's for safety reasons so why I have plug next to my sink in kitchen ? ðŸ˜„

How often do you use electrical appliances in the kitchen in your bare feet when the floor is wet?
There is more chance of this happening in a bathroom than a kitchen so that's one of the reasons for allowing them near a kitchen sink but not a bathroom sink. There are also different zones in a bathroom according to the regulations where sockets aren't allowed to be placed.

karloseqm · 26-01-2017 02:21PM

Sorry but that make no sense to be honest. They should change law you can make plug next to mirror to use dryer. If 200 million Europeans using plugs in bathrooms why Irish or English shouldn't? That's another stupid law not proof my anyone , I ask electrician to install and he told me that's dangerous. I can't agree with him

aido79 · 26-01-2017 02:33PM

karloseqm wrote: »

Sorry but that make no sense to be honest. They should change law you can make plug next to mirror to use dryer. If 200 million Europeans using plugs in bathrooms why Irish or English shouldn't? That's another stupid law not proof my anyone , I ask electrician to install and he told me that's dangerous. I can't agree with him

Technically it's not a law..it's a regulation but it amounts to the same thing. It doesn't really matter if you agree with him or not...neither he nor any other electrician in Ireland will install the socket for you.

26-01-2017 02:56PM

aido79 wrote:

Technically it's not a law..it's a regulation but it amounts to the same thing. It doesn't really matter if you agree with him or not...neither he nor any other electrician in Ireland will install the socket for you.

Believe it or not I found one on the ceiling of a shower cubicle. This was scary enough but I then found that the 8.5kw shower was fed from this socket. I cut shower cable as short as possible so it couldn't be used & disconnected it from the socket. I can only hope that they got an electrician out to do it properly. I was happy enough that I had rendered it unworkable as best I could, not being an electrician myself

aido79 · 26-01-2017 03:26PM

Sleeper12 wrote: »

Believe it or not I found one on the ceiling of a shower cubicle. This was scary enough but I then found that the 8.5kw shower was fed from this socket. I cut shower cable as short as possible so it couldn't be used & disconnected it from the socket. I can only hope that they got an electrician out to do it properly. I was happy enough that I had rendered it unworkable as best I could, not being an electrician myself

It's amazing what people will try to do to save money. I actually wouldn't be against allowing sockets in bathrooms in the right places but what you describe is just plain dangerous and you were right to disconnect it. I assume the socket wasn't fed from a separate rcbo either?

cursai · 26-01-2017 03:31PM

aido79 wrote: »

Technically it's not a law..it's a regulation but it amounts to the same thing. It doesn't really matter if you agree with him or not...neither he nor any other electrician in Ireland will install the socket for you.

i got one installed. One of the shaver 2 prong ones. Its above the sink to the left.
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16357253_10206610960471466_394106828_o.jpg?oh=df1f3cf42f5dfc5def174b1777bb8fe7&oe=588C3F54

aido79 · 26-01-2017 03:35PM

cursai wrote: »

i got one installed. One of the shaver 2 prong ones. Its above the sink to the left.

These are allowed. They use an isolating transformer so you can't get a shock from it.

rorymcgrory · 26-01-2017 03:40PM

I installed a double plug in my bathroom. One for razor /tooth brush charger and one for a music player.

exaisle · 26-01-2017 03:43PM

cursai wrote: »

i got one installed. One of the shaver 2 prong ones. Its above the sink to the left.

That's not the same as a standard socket. As far as I know, the amount of current that you can draw from one of these is around 200mA....enough to run an electric razor but not enough to run a hair dryer....

BTW I'm open to correction by any electricians here!!

cursai · 26-01-2017 03:43PM

aido79 wrote: »

These are allowed. They use an isolating transformer so you can't get a shock from it.

Couldn't live without it. For shaving and for Bluetooth waterproof speaker. Luxury!!!

26-01-2017 03:46PM

aido79 wrote:

It's amazing what people will try to do to save money. I actually wouldn't be against allowing sockets in bathrooms in the right places but what you describe is just plain dangerous and you were right to disconnect it. I assume the socket wasn't fed from a separate rcbo either?

It was on a chain of sockets. Only 2.5 t&e feeding the socket that was feeding the shower. It was the only time I've deliberately sabotaged a shower like that. I don't think I would have been legally liable if I left it & something bad happened but I wouldn't have been able to sleep at night thinking something dangerous would happen.

gctest50 · 26-01-2017 03:48PM

and how else would you plug in the washing machine ?

rorymcgrory · 26-01-2017 03:56PM

gctest50 wrote: »

and how else would you plug in the washing machine ?

Lol. That's like a room out of Borat. Where did you pull that picture from?

gctest50 · 26-01-2017 03:57PM

exaisle wrote: »

That's not the same as a standard socket. As far as I know, the amount of current that you can draw from one of these is around 200mA....enough to run an electric razor but not enough to run a hair dryer....

BTW I'm open to correction by any electricians here!!

Currents around 100 to 200mA will probably kill you - heart goes into fibrillationz and you die

A proper good one above 200mA and it will just clamp up and you'll be grand - bar the burns and stopping breathing maybe

26-01-2017 04:18PM

exaisle wrote: »

That's not the same as a standard socket. As far as I know, the amount of current that you can draw from one of these is around 200mA....enough to run an electric razor but not enough to run a hair dryer....

BTW I'm open to correction by any electricians here!!

They are generally around 20 VA. These units have a deliberately limited output so they simply would not have enough power to push 200 mA through a person.

To get a shock from the output of one of these someone would have to be in contact with both outputs at the same time.

ozt9vdujny3srf · 26-01-2017 04:43PM

Never in a home environment, but I have seen a couple of instances of wall mounted hair driers in bathrooms in Swimming Pools / Work Changing facilities. Maybe it's possible to do this in Ireland?

26-01-2017 04:48PM

Saylor Dead Schoolroom wrote: »

Never in a home environment, but I have seen a couple of instances of wall mounted hair driers in bathrooms in Swimming Pools / Work Changing facilities. Maybe it's possible to do this in Ireland?

Yes, once the equipment is suitably rated for the zone that it is installed in and properly installed.

aido79 · 26-01-2017 05:00PM

Sleeper12 wrote: »

It was on a chain of sockets. Only 2.5 t&e feeding the socket that was feeding the shower. It was the only time I've deliberately sabotaged a shower like that. I don't think I would have been legally liable if I left it & something bad happened but I wouldn't have been able to sleep at night thinking something dangerous would happen.

That's a bit scary! It's exactly why people shouldn't mess with electricity.

eeguy · 26-01-2017 05:04PM

2011 wrote: »

Yes, once the equipment is suitably rated for the zone that it is installed in and properly installed.

That's a special case. Bathroom lighting has a specific rating too.

26-01-2017 05:13PM

eeguy wrote: »

That's a special case. Bathroom lighting has a specific rating too.

I never suggested otherwise

mikewest · 26-01-2017 05:35PM

exaisle wrote: »

That's not the same as a standard socket. As far as I know, the amount of current that you can draw from one of these is around 200mA....enough to run an electric razor but not enough to run a hair dryer....

BTW I'm open to correction by any electricians here!!

The thinking behind this is why so many people feel that the regulations here and the UK around wet room/bathroom wiring are just stupid.

200mA is enough to kill you twice over and leave change in fact 60mA can be enough hence the reason for the upper rating available on a RCD/RCBO/GFCI being 30mA for life injury protection.

If you have a RCD/RCBO/GFCI installed which you must have according to the same regulations then the "protection" offered by the shaver socket is redundant as the circuit would trip at a lower amperage than the max available from the isolating transformer in the event of a ground fault (or using the socket with a damaged or faulty implement while standing on a wet floor in bare feet).

It is a legacy regulation which no longer makes sense in a new correctly installed situation, however getting it changed will probably never happen.

eeguy · 26-01-2017 05:41PM

mikewest wrote: »

The thinking behind this is why so many people feel that the regulations here and the UK around wet room/bathroom wiring are just stupid.

200mA is enough to kill you twice over and leave change in fact 60mA can be enough hence the reason for the upper rating available on a RCD/RCBO/GFCI being 30mA for life injury protection.

the idea with the isolated transformer is there is no return path to ground. So in theory you should be able to touch the live wire without a shock. That's why it's used in high humidity, wet environments.

In real life there's a chance for earth leakage, but the resistances involved should limit current flow to a less than lethal value.

Point being, don't touch the live.

Idbatterim · 26-01-2017 06:11PM

lads just a quick question, those shaver sockets, do new hotels still install them or are they redundant?

ninja 12 · 26-01-2017 06:18PM

gctest50 wrote: »

and how else would you plug in the washing machine ?

Fairly common in Denmark .

My fathers place had the washing machine in the bathroom beside the shower .

Not sure I'd want it running if using the shower though

Steve · 26-01-2017 07:07PM

2011 wrote: »

They are generally around 20 VA. These units have a deliberately limited output so they simply would not have enough power to push 200 mA through a person.

To get a shock from the output of one of these someone would have to be in contact with both outputs at the same time.

They are also CTE which limits the voltage.

Interesting that 20VA @ 120V can deliver 166mA, this is enough to kill (from what I was told in college).

ptogher14 · 26-01-2017 07:11PM

aido79 wrote: »

Technically it's not a law..it's a regulation but it amounts to the same thing. It doesn't really matter if you agree with him or not...neither he nor any other electrician in Ireland will install the socket for you.

Aido can you post a link to the reg stating you can't install a socket in a bathroom?

punisher5112 · 26-01-2017 07:12PM

ptogher14 wrote: »

Aido can you post a link to the reg stating you can't install a socket in a bathroom?

You could but it would want to be one big bathroom.

Steve · 26-01-2017 07:19PM

ptogher14 wrote: »

Aido can you post a link to the reg stating you can't install a socket in a bathroom?

ETCI regs aren't available anywhere online AFAIK.

0lddog · 26-01-2017 07:21PM

rorymcgrory wrote: »

Lol. That's like a room out of Borat. Where did you pull that picture from?

There is nothing Lol about this at all.

It is the norm in most of Europe that small to mid size apartments have washing machines located in the bathroom.

In my experience it is a good location for same

no sockets in bathroom

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