Shaver socket in cabinet not accepting toothbrush? Help please

[aimz1987]

Good afternoon

I have recently had a bathroom makeover and had the existing shaver socket removed as I purchased a cabinet with socket enclosed. However, my oral b toothbrush 2 pin doesn't fit into thr 230v 2 pin socket in the cabinet whereas i had no issues with the previous socket.. I'm not sure what I need to buy in terms of replacement charger as they all look the same to me when searching online and not really sure why there is a difference?.
Any advice/help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Amy

 

[westward10]

Can you show a pic of this socket.

 

[aimz1987]

Can you show a pic of this socket.

 

[westward10]

By convention the shape of that denotes 115v. In what way doesn't it fit are the pins too wide apart.

 

[aimz1987]

By convention the shape of that denotes 115v. In what way doesn't it fit are the pins too wide apart.

The width/ space between the pins don't appear to be the issue. It's as if the pins are too 'thick' to go into it best way I can describe it?

 

[pirate]

What is the country of origin of your cabinet with built-in shaver socket, please?
There are many different types of 2-pin configurations. Some are wider-spaced, some have thinner/thicker pins...the thinner pin versions tend to have some leeway so they can be forced wider or narrower.
You might have to consider an adaptor of the dodgy variety to fix this...it can be done...but I would not recommend that.
I have 3 different "pitches" of 2 pin plugs here in Spain, and a variety of adaptors...always find a combo that works, but would not leave in-situ for any length of time.

 

[aimz1987]

What is the country of origin of your cabinet with built-in shaver socket, please?
There are many different types of 2-pin configurations. Some are wider-spaced, some have thinner/thicker pins...the thinner pin versions tend to have some leeway so they can be forced wider or narrower.
You might have to consider an adaptor of the dodgy variety to fix this...it can be done...but I would not recommend that.
I have 3 different "pitches" of 2 pin plugs here in Spain, and a variety of adaptors...always find a combo that works, but would not leave in-situ for any length of time.

Thanks for your reply. I'm in the UK but unsure where the cabinet was made! I am thinking I need one with thinner pins but reluctant to buy one online incase it isn't correct (pin size specifically doesn't appear to be on any specs of the chargers etc I'm looking at so can only go off the photographs)

 

[littlespark]

There is an argument somewhere on here that shaver sockets are just for shavers and nothing else…. But no one told the toothbrush manufacturers.

Do you have a shaver or something else with the same style of plug to see if it fits?

 

[Lucien Nunes]

This is a bit odd.

The socket has the correct symbol for a UK shaver socket to BS4573. In the UK, shaver sockets are tightly regulated because the variety incorporating an isolating transformer is the only type of socket permitted to be installed in certain zones of a bathroom. There are many other kinds of plug with two round pins in use around the world, but the only shaver sockets permitted in the UK are to BS 4573 and must accept a BS4573 shaver plug. And, the plug on your toothbrush looks like one of those. The pins of a shaver plug are clearly different to those of the Europlug (widely used around Europe and not specific to shavers / toothbrushes) by being shorter, thicker and parallel not inclined inwards.

So it seems the socket, or perhaps the plug, is not correctly dimensioned. Like @littlespark I would be very keen to try another shaver plug in it. If that doesn't fit, clearly the socket is wrongly manufactured and that might indicate that it doesn't include the relevant safety devices required in a UK shaver socket. That is reason behind @pirate's question. I would not use an adaptor as a workaround for a non-compliant socket outlet. We have safety regulations for a reason!

 

[aimz1987]

There is an argument somewhere on here that shaver sockets are just for shavers and nothing else…. But no one told the toothbrush manufacturers.

Do you have a shaver or something else with the same style of plug to see if it fits?

Unfortunately not! I might have to check with the neighbours incase they have something that I can try.

 

[aimz1987]

This is a bit odd.

The socket has the correct symbol for a UK shaver socket to BS4573. In the UK, shaver sockets are tightly regulated because the variety incorporating an isolating transformer is the only type of socket permitted to be installed in certain zones of a bathroom. There are many other kinds of plug with two round pins in use around the world, but the only shaver sockets permitted in the UK are to BS 4573 and must accept a BS4573 shaver plug. And, the plug on your toothbrush looks like one of those. The pins of a shaver plug are clearly different to those of the Europlug (widely used around Europe and not specific to shavers / toothbrushes) by being shorter, thicker and parallel not inclined inwards.

So it seems the socket, or perhaps the plug, is not correctly dimensioned. Like @littlespark I would be very keen to try another shaver plug in it. If that doesn't fit, clearly the socket is wrongly manufactured and that might indicate that it doesn't include the relevant safety devices required in a UK shaver socket. That is reason behind @pirate's question. I would not use an adaptor as a workaround for a non-compliant socket outlet. We have safety regulations for a reason!

Thanks for you help, I'll definitely source another plug and see what happens!