I'm fitting a shaver socket (the type with a double wound transformer) in our bathroom, close to the washbasin but well away from the bath.
Can it just be wired directly into a ring circuit or should it be via an FCU? ... and should it have an isolation switch, i.e. is it a 'fixed appliance' or just a socket?
They're commonly wired into the lighting circuit, where they need neither. Usually easier since ring mains aren't normally run into a bathroom. If spurring off a socket outside as the easiest way, I'd fit an unswitched FCU.
On 21 Apr 2004 14:02:33 GMT, in uk.d-i-y snipped-for-privacy@isbd.co.uk strung together this:
Somewhere round that area will be ok.
It needs to be via a fused spur if it's off the ring, 3A will be fine. They're usually wired of the lighting circuit though, they're only rated at 20VA. No need for an isolator for it, it's just a socket.
I suppose a lighting circuit would be no more difficult to get at, thanks.
If you've got ordinary floorboards and it's a first floor bathroom, it might be easier to pick up the lighting circuit from the ground floor.
Your only problem with that might be sourcing a suitable shaver socket.
This might be only a gap in the MK product range, but certainly when I was trying to get a suitable socket about 2 years ago the one that was suitable for bathrooms (ie including isolating transformer) was marked as not being suitable for installation on a lighting circuit, and the one marked as suitable for installation on a lighting circuit did not include an isolating transformer and therefore could not be installed in the bathroom.
I'm hoping that one of the lekkie tekkies here might be able to comment on the potential dangers of installing the isolating transformer model on a lighting circuit that has ample spare capacity to take the load.....
-- Richard Sampson
email me at richard at olifant d-ot co do-t uk
True, but that would be non-intuitive to someone working on the socket that would expect it to be powered by either the socket circuit on the same floor of the bathroom or the lighting circuit serving the bathroom.
-- Richard Sampson
email me at richard at olifant d-ot co do-t uk
I can't think of any reason, given that low voltage lighting can use an isolating transformer that presents a *far* more difficult load...
On Thu, 22 Apr 2004 10:33:25 +0100, in uk.d-i-y "RichardS" strung together this:
True, but you should always test, not assume that equipment is dead.
On Thu, 22 Apr 2004 10:30:46 +0100, in uk.d-i-y "RichardS" strung together this:
You know, it amazes me the troule some people have getting hold of things that any electrical wholesaler will carry on an ex-stock basis. The other problem people doing diy have is that there is far too much reading of instructions going on. Buy shaver socket, screw to wall, simple!
Never trust intuition when working on anything potentially live. What is intuitive to *you* may not be to others.
I wouldn't *expect* a shaver socket to be fed from a ring main.
If you need to remind yourself of something 'non intuitive' to you, leave a note inside the box.
Glad you said that - that's exactly what I did in the end (the isolating transformer version!). I could see no reason why it would present a problem.
This _was_ in a wholesaler that I had difficulty - this may have been us reading rather too much into the wording of the MK catalogue, though.
-- Richard Sampson
email me at richard at olifant d-ot co do-t uk
Not really, in this case access down the inside of the (dry lined) wall from the loft will be the easiest option.
Coo, I'll have to check the one I've got, I haven't looked at its instructions yet. It certainly has an isolating transformer as it says that on the outside. It's not hugely important, I can run it off an FCU if that's what it insists on.
I ran mine from a fused switch RCD... Jolly glad when I was changing the screws holding it while it was live & accidentally put my fingers across the terminals...
Ah well...
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