Sockets in bathrooms

MsFixIt · 30-01-2026 12:08AM #1

I know it’s an old subject but I need to add my two cents worth. Ireland is the first country I have lived in that doesn’t allow sockets in bathrooms. I was an electrical engineer in the US and there, and every other country that uses their code, an outlet is REQUIRED in every bathroom. That is much safer than using an extension cord through the door to power their hair dryer or portable heater. Then we moved to Italy and lived in a house that was totally renovated in the 1990s. Every bath had an ordinary 230v outlet. I can see prohibiting sockets within the area of the shower or tub, but keeping them away from the vanity makes things more dangerous. I have heard of a couple instances where a person died from shock going barefoot in a garage, but never in a bathroom.

MsFixIt · 30-01-2026 12:11AM

Forgot to mention - RCDs were invented to prevent death by shock.

con747 · 30-01-2026 12:12AM

OK, I'm getting my popcorn.

drunkmonkey · 30-01-2026 12:24AM

there’s a been a few deaths in the bath between here and the uk, people want to charge their phone while in water.

Case in point, https://www.echolive.ie/nationalnews/arid-41715369.html

MsFixIt · 30-01-2026 12:26AM

Bring me some! Yum.

con747 · 30-01-2026 12:31AM

Let the true MsFixit show themselves 😂

dinorebel · 30-01-2026 01:21AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124191535#Comment_124191535

Natural selections working well.

MsFixIt · 30-01-2026 09:54AM

While being shocked in the bath is certainly tragic, I don’t see how having a socket at the vanity would have added to the likelihood of the deaths. People will do what they do, and extension cords are easily available. First, why didn’t the RCD shut off the power, and second, phone chargers put out a maximum of 20 volts, not enough to kill, assuming the end of the extension cord was not in the water. In fact, having the charger plugged in at the vanity instead of a cord might have prevented the deaths.

malibu4u · 30-01-2026 10:03AM

I think the rules are right here. If a socket was allowed in a bathroom, it would increase the liklihood of a stupid person putting a plug in radio or something beside or above the bath for example?

drunkmonkey · 30-01-2026 10:12AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124191839#Comment_124191839

you can have a socket for a shaver or electric toothbrush etc provided it’s in zone 2 of the bathroom, what you can’t do is put in a 3 pin socket beside the bath or shower. I think that lady ran in an extension cable from a different room to charge her phone and it fell into the bath.

Padre_Pio · 30-01-2026 10:29AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124191839#Comment_124191839

I don't think any details were released whether the shock was caused by the extension cable or the charger, or the state of their MCB and whether those protections existed.

Buffman · 30-01-2026 04:38PM

Definitely a cultural thing, as I've never had any so can't say I've ever missed them at all, especially in these days of battery appliances, but I can see how if you're used to them from another country you might miss them.

That is much safer than using an extension cord through the door to power their hair dryer or portable heater.

Apart from construction, I can't think of any pressing reason you'd need to run an extension lead inside a bathroom, using a portable electric heater in there is asking for trouble, it should have proper heating installed. And just dry your hair another room.

smuggler.ie · 30-01-2026 07:53PM

I guess (could well be wrong) this rule to not permit mains outlet in zones is partialy "liability" measure - as correctly noted, consumer will do all sorts , but here you cant blame builder/contractor/spark. Mostly(98%) i agree with rules from regulator here.

Rules made to be broken/bent.

On other hand, i would not like to boil the kettle in the bedroom - kitchen is the place for it , as bath is for hair-drying and washing, this is "wet room business" (not everyone have designated utility!) and i prefer that moisture to be extracted from there as it has means for it by design(forced ventilation).

So.. i am on the edge.

After all, outcome will be derived by end-users ignorance and stupidity to have 220-240v power cord IN THE BATH - :"it was an accident, it fail in". No "Bi***", you "set" it all for it to happen.
Sad, but yes - natural selection.

PS: i think its not the V that kills human(or any other living), regardless, relying on RCD/MCB "insurance" is as good as it gets, but not 100%, so better use common sense.

SteM · 30-01-2026 07:57PM

How did I ever live without a socket in the bathroom? Sure we're deprived so we are!

fael · 30-01-2026 08:06PM

Common in Europe as well. Dead handy to be able to plug in the hair dryer or straightener somewhere near the mirror.

Boggles · 30-01-2026 08:43PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124193448#Comment_124193448

Dead Handy.

user1842 · 30-01-2026 08:59PM

The zones are far too restrictive in Ireland and the UK. This really should be looked at in the next version of IS10101. We changed twin and CPC wiring for the better, now we should look at allowing sockets in some areas of bathrooms. No risk here, if there was the number of people per capita getting electrocuted in western mainland Europe would be higher than the number getting electrocuted in Ireland. It is not, it's actually lower.

ted1 · 30-01-2026 10:25PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058431839/sockets-in-bathrooms

who uses a portable heater in a bathroom ? No radiator or heated towel rail or fixed electric heater??

Dry your hair in a different room

Busman Paddy Lasty · 31-01-2026 10:04AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124193571#Comment_124193571

It could be looked at with an intrinsic safe design and zones. A specification for a bathroom socket could be outlined and only one type allowed to be manufactured and installed.

In theory that could save lives as there would not be the temptation to run an extension from a room. Many old houses only have 20A breakers no RCD protection or whatever it is that prevent electrocution. AFAIK 420mA can kill.

user1842 · 31-01-2026 12:15PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124194429#Comment_124194429

100% and not that difficult to do.

zilog_jones · 05-02-2026 09:50AM

The topic of hair drying always comes up regarding this. Is there any particular need to want to do this in the bathroom? I'm not a long hair owner, but using a hair dryer in the bedroom has never been an issue for me, and large vanity mirrors are fairly commonplace in bedrooms around here for this purpose.

I've just moved into a house with a bedroom probably last decorated in the '80s, and with wiring mostly from the '60s. There's a built-in wardrobe with a vanity section in the centre, nice big mirror, and the bedroom's sole mains socket is right underneath that.

fael · 05-02-2026 10:01AM

It is interesting that a lot of comments say you should go and dry your hair somewhere else. I'm assuming that's because that's what you have done all your life and don't know any different.

I think the point here is that Ireland doesn't give you the option to do it in the bathroom and thus will force you to do it elsewhere.

If sockets were an option in the bathroom then Irish bathrooms would be designed different.

For example some Dutch friends I know have bigger bathrooms where they would do all their makeup and styling. Dryers, straighteners, etc are easily shared that way between family members without having to run into each other's rooms or having to buy multiples. I've also had similar bathrooms when renting in the US. Although there every bathroom in the apartment was massive.

The Dutch normally have just one big bathroom that is shared. No ensuites. Don't think I could live without one of those.

Why not give Irish households that choice and let them decide for themselves? Seems to work in the rest of the world.

CelticRambler · 05-02-2026 12:56PM

What little hair I have dries in the wind, so I don't need a socket for that … but it's much handier to plug my various shavers (including hair cutter) into a bathroom socket and spread the cut hair all over the bathroom floor than any other room in the house.

It's a culture thing. My French bathroom/shower-room/toilet all have sockets in them, as well as light switches inside the room with the relevant light. Causes no end of confusion when the Irish family members turn up …

Busman Paddy Lasty · 05-02-2026 01:29PM

So are have the UK and Ireland just stayed on the side of caution? Historically we have a lot of pre war housing stock that didn't have central heating combined with a damp climate.

When I go to family in Asia I can have a shower right beside a washing machine. Fling dirty clothes into it, have shower, then wet towel goes in too.

Sockets in bathrooms

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