Discuss Sockets in bathrooms in the Electrical Wiring, Theories and Regulations area at ElectriciansForums.net

How long before BS 7671 allows socket outlets in bathrooms

  • Amendment to 18th

    Votes: 1 5.9%
  • 19th

    Votes: 5 29.4%
  • Never - far too dangerous

    Votes: 11 64.7%

  • Total voters
    17
  • Poll closed .
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I think I mentioned once installing a usb socket in a bathroom, but I’ve not done it yet due to being advised it wasn’t the same isolating transformer as a shaver point.
Might put it outside the bathroom by the light switch....

when my family visited my brother in law in New Zealand, they had an rcd protected socket in the bathroom. One of those power breaker branded types. It was right next to the basin, but across the room from the bathtub. Possibly a metre away?
different regulations of course.
 
when my family visited my brother in law in New Zealand, they had an rcd protected socket in the bathroom. One of those power breaker branded types. It was right next to the basin, but across the room from the bathtub. Possibly a metre away?
different regulations of course.

Common on the continent, too. I'm surprised people think it's too dangerous here. I think my friend decided that the trip hazard from the hairdryer cable going under the door from the landing was a worse risk than a socket near the mirror :D
 
Common on the continent, too. I'm surprised people think it's too dangerous here. I think my friend decided that the trip hazard from the hairdryer cable going under the door from the landing was a worse risk than a socket near the mirror :D

Yes UK electrical regulations can be very old fashioned at times, but have also been regarded as being among the safest in the world.
Should we lower our standards on some things to match what other countries do, or should they raise their standards to match what we do?

Of course we aren't perfect and there are areas where the UK needs to raise its standards to match the rest of the world, such as with TNCS supplies and earth electrodes.
 
Ive seen it a few times in park homes, or holiday homes (static caravans to you and I)
The space in the shower room, if theres enough room to fit in a washing machine or tumble drier or something.... so Danny DIY goes and fits a double socket.
Had to remove anything like that if we were tasked with selling the caravan on.

Some homes came new with the boiler cupboard inside the bathroom.... behind a cabinet door, turned out to be about 1m from outside the shower cubicle door...

All these newer units had an RCD mainswitch in their own CU, plus the 16A RCBO hookup from the park. (2 x 30mA in line.... never good)

I doubt if theres a difference in the electrical regs between a holiday unit, and whats classed as a residential unit... differences in the build. (higher ceiling, more floorspace in bedrooms) but should be no difference in wiring regs.

But back to the OP... Im certain no future editions will allow it. No one knows how long flexes could be? so you could have the situation of a radio, or small plug in heater sitting precariously close to a bathtub full of water and wet human.
If someone wants to do it with extension leads from the landing, then that's where Darwin Awards get their nominations from.
 
I don't understand what you would want a 1363 socket in a bathroom for?
I'd love to blow-dry my hair in the bathroom... nice big mirror in there too ! Where do you usually blow-dry yours ?
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But back to the OP... Im certain no future editions will allow it. No one knows how long flexes could be? so you could have the situation of a radio, or small plug in heater sitting precariously close to a bathtub full of water and wet human.
If someone wants to do it with extension leads from the landing, then that's where Darwin Awards get their nominations from.
We just need a rule against "stupidity"... and not just for wiring regulations either. Imagine if we had a law against "being stupid"... it would cover so much and make law enforcement far easier. I think I'm onto something here...
 
We just need a rule against "stupidity"... and not just for wiring regulations either. Imagine if we had a law against "being stupid"... it would cover so much and make law enforcement far easier. I think I'm onto something here...
Yes but look at the bunch of morons who get to decide what new laws are passed...
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I think I mentioned once installing a usb socket in a bathroom, but I’ve not done it yet due to being advised it wasn’t the same isolating transformer as a shaver point.
I guess a USB charger is small enough load to be fed off a shaver isolation transformer?
 
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I guess a USB charger is small enough load to be fed off a shaver isolation transformer?
Probably. But id have to supply the usb charger from the secondary side of the shaver transformer, which could mean soldering. Dont normally come with screw terminals on the outgoing.
Or a usb charger that just plugs in? European charger perhaps?
 
Probably. But id have to supply the usb charger from the secondary side of the shaver transformer, which could mean soldering. Dont normally come with screw terminals on the outgoing.
Or a usb charger that just plugs in? European charger perhaps?
Look to see if the isolating transformers are separately available, maybe to fit one half of a euro type modular plate and a deep back-box, or see if USB modules are available that fully meet the isolation requirements on their own.

A new market opportunity for someone?
 
I think there is a modular USB charger already on the market that has the isolating transformer (MK if i recall) , but not the one ive already bought.

Sorry, were taking this thread off subject a little way.
 
Somewhat back on track, sometimes come across appliances in bathrooms, sometimes in a cupboard sometimes not. Sometimes an inaccessible socket (albeit an isolator may be elsewhere outside the bathroom, sometimes no isolator). Sometimes socket clearly accessible.

Clearly an accessible socket is a no no but what are views on other scenarios?
1. In a cupboard but within 3m of zone 1?
2. Inaccessible socket due to position of appliance?
 
1. In a cupboard within zone, wouldn't worry me much. I have a socket in the bathroom cupboard where the hot water cylinder is located. It serves the pump for the shower and bath.
2. Inaccessible due to appliance. I'm not sure about this, but it is very common on the Continent, Spain especially, to have the washing machine in the bathroom. I guess you aren't going to drag that out to plug a hairdrier in, but an extension lead might be tempting...
 
I don’t see this “appliance blocking the socket” as being safe at all.

if it’s a washing machine, you’ve got a big lump of metal there.
if there’s a fault with the socket and everything else has failed, (ADS, RCD etc) then you could have a big lump of live metal there, possibly in a zone whereas the socket itself may be outside.
 
I don't think it's necessarily automatically dangerous to have a plug in a bathroom but more a case of it being that idiots will try to plug stuff in and perch it near the bath/shower etc. Lots of people get electrocuted every year from playing with plugged in phones/ipads etc while in the bath.

I think it's more likely that things like integrated speakers/smart TVs in the walls/bluetooth set ups etc will become more commonplace, 'smart' homes if you will. Then teenagers never ever have to look away from Facebook.
 

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