Bathroom (elec.) Wiring for TV

[Jimbo]

I recently completed a bathroom remodel and the wife came home with a

19" LCD TV and swivel mount that she wants mounted on the wall a foot or so above the garden tub so she can watch/listen to TV while in the tub or getting ready in the a.m. and there is no GFCI outlet near the tub. Can I tap into the GFCI circuit supplying the outlets near the sink and add the run/outlet to the wall near tub down from the attic? Or, can I add an elec. box to the wall, snip the TV plug and hardwire into an existing run in the attic (GFCI or not)? I'm not sure about placement as far as code goes but I imagine if GFCI is OK near a sink, it's OK near a tub. I'm in Phoenix, AZ.

Any ideas on how to tackle this short of having an electrician do it?

Thanks,

Jimbo

[Pop]

[ameijers]

Like the other guy said, if you have to ask how, you should hire it done. I wouldn't mount it that close to tub- just asking for trouble from humidity and water splash. LCD would be safer than conventional TV, but there is still power there. Do NOT hardwire it- when it dies (and they all do, eventually), what do you do then? 19" is pretty big, unless your wife can't see w/o glasses. I'd mount it on the wall up high, on opposite wall, and near the exhaust fan so screen doesn't fog up. Picture how TVs are mounted in hospital rooms.

Must be pretty nice to have that much dawdle time in the mornings. I'd put the fancy flat TV in the kitchen, and buy a shower radio that has TV band coverage, for the bathroom. But that is just me.

aem sends...

[buffalobill]

in secondary bathroom, our conventional 13" cable tv with remote control is plugged into a GFI with an extension cord on a plastic shelf opposite the toilet, viewable also thru the clear shower curtain as you stand in the shower. you must also GFI. your outlet can be on the LOAD side of an existing GFI nearby so it trips when the test button is pushed. or it can be its own GFI on an extension of a circuit. check the lcd tv to see how wide the viewing angle will be, will it serve all bathroom viewers without needing to be swiveled back and forth? you will be running antenna or cable or satellite to the tv as well. always consider doorbell cams and baby cams and phones and intercoms and internet wiring needs for any new outlet projects. see electrical code article link discusses GFI requirements:

you also need more info about how far from the tub you must be.

[Chris Lewis]

According to Jimbo :

Our electrical codes essentially say you can't have anything electrical within 4 feet of a tub or shower (some exemptions apply, but not outlets for TVs) even if it's GFCI'd, unless it's explicitly rated for it.

A 19" is big enough to move farther away from the tub.

[BocesLib]

If you need it go with a lcd. Otherwise I wouldnt even bother. TV in the bathroom, put a small radio in there and be done with it. I wouldnt be a fan of putting an outlet near the tub. Yes it does have to be GFCI'd. but I would still consider it to be a bit dangerous.

[Jimbo]

Thanks for the information folks. I looked at the TV last night and I was mistaken, it's a 15", not 19". In any case, I think I'll take the advice to consult with an electrician. If it can't be placed where I originally intended due to code (or risk), I'll consider mounting it up high or on a different wall like another poster suggested. I'll follow up with the outcome.

Jimbo

[Don]

"Chris Lewis"> wrote

Which code is that? My shower has a light in the ceiling and a switch and outlet on the outside wall, 4" away. The other bathroom has a tub with a spa motor/pump in it, within inches of the water. The house is 3 years old and was built to exceed the codes and passed all inspections.

[Goedjn]

Cut a window in a convenient interior wall, plug the window with lexan, and mount the TV in the adjacent room.

(or, conversely, you could kill your television and teach your wife to read)

[Jimbo]

***Cut a window in a convenient interior wall, plug the window with

Oh yeah...that's way easier than running an outlet. Conversly...AH

[mm]

I have a theory that if the heater or tv falls into the tub, it won't kill me if I just don't touch it when I'm getting out. Perhaps you could test t hat for me, and let me know if anyone in your family buys the farm. I haven't got the nerve to test it myself.

You go to the bathroom in the garden? I'm confused.

Remove NOPSAM to email me. Please let me know if you have posted also.

[mm]

I had a 9 inch tv at the far end of the counter from the tub. I take baths in the evening and they usually last 30 minutes. I have the speaker board from a record player from the 1930's mounted above the tub. It has a woofer and a smaller speaker (tweeter?). I have a jack where the tv is, and a volume control with a plastic knob mounted in the wall next to the tub. I was careful that my hands were not dripping water when I adjusted the volume.

I paid 2 dollars for this B&W tv in 1983 and it lasted 19 years with no repairs.

Now I have a 9 inch color tv with remote control. There is NO electrical risk from using a remote control when in the bath. Or a cordless phone.

Remove NOPSAM to email me. Please let me know if you have posted also.

[Chris Lewis]

According to Don :

Canadian. NEC is very similar, but not exactly the same.

1) The show ceiling light will be a unit specifically designed/rated/approved for this purpose. 2) the spa tub is also obviously specifically designed/rated/approved for it. 3) The switch & outlet within 4" of the shower _should_ have been rejected even in the US.

You're not supposed to be able to stand in the shower or tub and reach a switch, outlet or fixture - _unless_ it's explicitly approved for that purpose. There are some specialized exemptions, but switches and outlets aren't one of them.

[Beachcomber]

If I had to have a LCD in the bath, I would at least make it a 12 volt automobile model and make sure the power supplies AC connection was far away from the bath. This doesn't make it 100% safe, but it does make it a lot safer.

Beachcomber

[Norminn]

Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. Standing in tub, touch TV to change channel, moisture has caused a short in wiring, and ....

[Don]

"Goedjn" wrote >

Or she could take a shower and be done with it.....

[Don]

Yep.

Which counters your assertion above that ANYTHING within 4 feet.....

Its done all the time around here. Same with the garbage disposal switch close to the kitchen sink. The code here requires circuits in wet areas to be GFCI.

Well, I guess the US has surrendered completely to socialism yet. Yet.....

[kevin]

Well, Chris didn't actually assert "ANYTHING", you see. He said "anything", preceeded by "essentially", and followed closely by "some exemptions apply". The items you listed (rated and approved lights, spa motors/switches, etc. ) fit nicely in the "some exemptions apply" category. A TV does not, as was stated, nor does a light switch or outlet.

Well, see, he said "tub or shower". He didn't mention sinks, or kitchens for that matter, or wet areas in general. I've never seen a general light switch or outlet within 4 inches of a shower or bathtub, and I'd be pretty spooked if I did. I don't know code, but I'd be surprised if that were allowed

[Chris Lewis]

According to Don :

-----------------------------------

Here too, but it doesn't make it right.

A kitchen sink isn't a shower or bathtub.

Code here too.

No, it's going the other way.

[Chris Lewis]

According to kevin :

Point of clarification: when I said "rated and approved for the purpose", I specifically meant that UL (or CSA) has approved the device (ie: light fixture) for use in wet areas (ie: overhead in a shower).

You can't take any old UL/CSA approved light fixture and stick it in a shower. You _have_ to use one that's approved _specifically_ for that environment (wet).

My SO mentioned seeing on one of the home decorating TV shows, the designer wanting to put a small chandelier into a (large!) shower enclosure, and someone off camera said "that's a MAJOR code violation, we can't do that! Especially on TV!".

The "exemptions" I was referring to were regarding devices that weren't explicitly rated for "wet". For example, as I recall, recent Canadian Electrical Code now permits ordinary thermostats and baseboard heaters within 4' of a tub or shower, as long as the thermostat (or baseboard's thermostat, if equipped) doesn't have an explicit off switch/position. [I had once figured out the reason for that unusual distinction, but I forget...]