I need to fit a shaver socket in my bathroom. I have got one which is the appropriate type with an isolating transformer etc.
I thought they were generally wired into the lighting circuit.
However there is a fused outlet near the ceiling and was considering using this.
Should I wire it into the lighting circuit or into the fused outlet?
Lighting circuit would be my preference. The fused outlet might have been for heater thats been removed.
Whilst we are on the subject, historically why do the majority of shavers come with a two pin plug that needs an adaptor?
We use a 3 pin to 2 pin adaptor for UK electrical items when we travel to mainland Europe.
Why does that matter (assumeing OP doesn't want another heater in the bathroom)?
I assume the thing about using the lighting circuit is that the socket circuits may not be so accessible from bathroom, whereas the lighting circuit is, and the load of these things is low enough to be on the lighting circuit.
Can't see a problem connecting up to the FCU, suitably fused of course.
Either. But if using an FCU, fit a 5 amp or less fuse.
wrote | Whilst we are on the subject, historically why do the | majority of shavers come with a two pin plug that needs | an adaptor?
Because they're intended for shaver sockets, which are (a) two-pin (b) the only type of socket that may be installed in a bathroom (c) unearthed because shavers are double insulated (d) shaped that way so that you can't plug anything other than a shaver (or toothbrush etc) into them.
| We use a 3 pin to 2 pin adaptor for UK electrical items | when we travel to mainland Europe.
Which is fine *provided* your equipment is double insulated. Even the French are installing earthed sockets these days.
Owain
It just seems silly. Surely, the bathroom is one of the places where you would want an earth.
Graham
Electric razors, etc, are always double insulated with no practical possibility of the metal blades becoming live.
But the principle behind an isolating transformer is that neither 'output' has any potential referred to earth. So assuming some strange fault on your razor made either wire short to the blades, you could shave while holding an earthed tap etc and not be in danger. The only way you can be in danger from an isolating transformer is by touching both output wires at once. And the design of the socket and plugs used makes this impossible too. The only obvious way would be with a badly damaged flex.
"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote | Graham wrote: | > It just seems silly. Surely, the bathroom is one of the | > places where you would want an earth.
It's preferable to have plastic pipes and nothing earthy, if that can be achieved.
| Electric razors, etc, are always double insulated with no | practical possibility of the metal blades becoming live. | But the principle behind an isolating transformer is that | neither 'output' has any potential referred to earth. So | assuming some strange fault on your razor made either wire | short to the blades, you could shave while holding an | earthed tap etc and not be in danger. The only way you can | be in danger from an isolating transformer is by touching | both output wires at once. And the design of the socket | and plugs used makes this impossible too. The only | obvious way would be with a badly damaged flex.
And as shock can occur only between the two outputs, which are usually close together, whether in the flex, appliance or whatever, the shock path is likely to be across one hand, which is comparatively safe, whereas a shock to earth is likely to run hand-torso-feet or hand-torso-hand, in both cases running close to the heart.
Owain
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