Electricity power outlets in Bathrooms..

[tony sayer]

Now my French missus has taken to using a hair straightener in the
bathroom most of the time, and to that end has an extension lead going
in there!.

Now the greatest risk that is when in the dark I tripped over the lead
and went arse overhead!.

Now over en France, there its common practice to have power sockets in
bathrooms and no one it seems has been killed while using them. Now as
we have RCD protection etc why cannot we have them here anybody any real
reasons or is it just nanny state UK?......

 

[dom]

The next (17th) edition of the wiring regulations will allow this -
probably coming into force about a year from now.

 

[Owain]

Now my French missus has taken to using a hair straightener in the
bathroom most of the time, and to that end has an extension lead going
in there!.
Now the greatest risk that is when in the dark I tripped over the lead
and went arse overhead!.
Now over en France, there its common practice to have power sockets in
bathrooms and no one it seems has been killed while using them. Now as
we have RCD protection etc why cannot we have them here anybody any real
reasons or is it just nanny state UK?......

Under the forthcoming 17th Edition IEE Regs such continental
perversities as sockets in bathrooms may be permitted.

Next people will be expecting telephones in colours other than black, in
places other than a draughty hall...

Owain

 

[Doctor Drivel]

Under the forthcoming 17th Edition IEE Regs such continental perversities
as sockets in bathrooms may be permitted.

With RCD protection I'm sure. And then the bodge it DIYer will connect one
without and kaboom.

 

[:Jerry:]

With RCD protection I'm sure. And then the bodge it DIYer will
connect one without and kaboom.

Only if they then do something as equally stupid, Darwinism will be
alive and healthy though...

 

[Andrew Gabriel]

Now my French missus has taken to using a hair straightener in the
bathroom most of the time, and to that end has an extension lead going
in there!.

Now the greatest risk that is when in the dark I tripped over the lead
and went arse overhead!.

Now over en France, there its common practice to have power sockets in
bathrooms and no one it seems has been killed while using them. Now as
we have RCD protection etc why cannot we have them here anybody any real
reasons or is it just nanny state UK?......

As people have said, it looks like 17th edition regs will
allow this. The RCDs we have nowadays do seem to be quite
reliable (quite unlike the ones in the US which seem to
routinely fail unsafe).

 

[Doctor Drivel]

As people have said, it looks like 17th edition regs will
allow this. The RCDs we have nowadays do seem to be quite
reliable (quite unlike the ones in the US which seem to
routinely fail unsafe).

Why?

 

[[email protected]]

The next (17th) edition of the wiring regulations will allow this -
probably coming into force about a year from now.

As the wiring regulations are not laws they might be allowed now.
But which zone as Part P is a law that says what can be put in a bathroom.

 

[Andy Wade]

Under the forthcoming 17th Edition IEE Regs such continental
perversities as sockets in bathrooms may be permitted.

But such sockets must be 3 m or more horizontally beyond the boundary of
zone 1 (i.e. at least 3m away from the edge of the bath and/or shower
tray. Many bathrooms simply will not be big enough to be allowed a 13 A
socket.

The relevant 17th edition regulation in the public draft is 701.512.3.

 

[Doctor Drivel]

As the wiring regulations are not laws they might be allowed now.
But which zone as Part P is a law that says what can be put in a bathroom.

The building regulations are law. If they point to the 17th, then that is
law too. British Standards are recommendations only and you don't need to
follow - if the Building regs point to a BS it is law in that context.

 

[tony sayer]

Is it where the best mirror is upstairs? Solution would be to put a
nice mirror somewhere where she can sit and do it.

In the bathroom and shes female .. I know better than to argue these
things as I never win;!....

 

[Andrew Gabriel]

Why?

The [lack of] quality of US electrical accessories has been
covered in this newsgroup before.

 

[[email protected]]

The building regulations are law. If they point to the 17th, then that is
law too. British Standards are recommendations only and you don't need to
follow - if the Building regs point to a BS it is law in that context.

Not quite. The Building Regulations are law, but in this case the
requirement Part P of Schedule 1 to the Regulations says, "reasonable
provision shall be made in the design, installation, inspection and
testing of electrical installations in order to protect persons from
fire or injury". That is the only legal requirement.

The Approved Documents details _how_ the requirement can be met, and
AD P references BS7671: 2001 Chapter 13. The preamble to the Approved
Document, however, also says, "however, if [a named standard] has been
revised or updated by the issuing standards body, the new version may
be used as a source of guidance provided it continues to address the
relevant requirements of the Regulations". If the 17th edition has
been published as a 'proper' standard, then it can be used as
guidance.

You should also remember that the wiring regs are the /minimum/ standard and
a competent person may well do it a different way that is safer.
The basic rule is that the regulations are there to guide the people that
don't know how to do things which is why they have clauses like "shown by
calculation" in them so that people can vary them if they wish.
I personally have never wired 30/32A rings in 2.5mm as in my judgement the
cable should *always* be larger than the breaker, its not to the average
electricians understanding of the "regs" but it is safer, the cost saving is
minimal these days.

 

[Owain]

I personally have never wired 30/32A rings in 2.5mm as in my judgement the

cable should *always* be larger than the breaker, its not to the average
electricians understanding of the "regs" but it is safer, the cost saving is
minimal these days.

Without going down the rings/radial argument, 2.5mm is the *minimum* for
a 32A ring final circuit in PVC, 1.5mm in MICC IIRC, and larger cables
might well be required with derating factors.

Owain

 

[zikkimalambo]

With RCD protection I'm sure. And then the bodge it DIYer will connect one
without and kaboom.

Why?

My father used his electric shaver attached to a 2 pin unsheilded
socket in the bathroom for at least 20 years. It was arranged in such
a way that he could have rropped the other end of the lead into a
basin full of water. There was no RCD in the whole house. Never was
there a kaboom. I don't say it couldn't have happened, just that the
presence of a socket doesn't mean it will.

 

[:Jerry:]

Why?

My father used his electric shaver attached to a 2 pin unsheilded
socket in the bathroom for at least 20 years. It was arranged in
such
a way that he could have rropped the other end of the lead into a
basin full of water. There was no RCD in the whole house. Never was
there a kaboom. I don't say it couldn't have happened, just that
the
presence of a socket doesn't mean it will.

Exactly, in other countries people learn to respect electricity (or
what ever) and take care, in the UK we legislate for idiots and then
wonder why we have so many people who can't see a tone weight swinging
their way - of course, this is not helped by the ambulance chasers...

 

[zikkimalambo]

Exactly, in other countries people learn to respect electricity (or
what ever) and take care, in the UK we legislate for idiots and then
wonder why we have so many people who can't see a tone weight swinging
their way -

Indeed! Still, it keeps the Darwin Awards in business.

To the OP, if you ever get the socket fitted, and get fed up with your
wifes constant demands, you could always get her one of theese :=))

http://www.wayodd.com/electric-rubber-ducky/v/7298/