Socket in shower

[Andrew Gabriel]

Can anyone remind me of the URL for the picture of a double socket outlet in a shower? Thanks.

[Sam Farrell]

Thinking of fitting one, its great really livens up the whole showering experience :-)

[Lobster]

[405 TD Estate]

That's got to be in a showroom or something .......right

[Lobster]

You'd think so, but no:

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Ah - ideal for a foot spa?

[405 TD Estate]

On a more serious note I need to put a shaving socket in the bathroom

- I assume this is just a straight 240v supply to the socket?

[The Natural Philosopher]

Yes, but the socket itself contains an isolation transformer.

[405 TD Estate]

Aah OK So that limits potential current right... yet voltage is still at 240.

I have read in several places that it takes only a few milliamps to kill you and it is the voltage which is required to start using your body as a short so how is this safer? It's a question i'm not having a go or anything.

Put it this way if I had to touch either a 12v car battery with 300A available or 240v with (say) 1/2 A available in a wet bathroom I know which i'd go for (12v!)

[Frank Erskine]

But if you have an isolating transformer you would have to touch

*both* terminals to receive a shock. One terminal alone to earth wouldn't complete a circuit.

[Stuart Kenny]

The transformer also serves to isolate the mains voltage from earth so if there is a single pole fault then current can't return through you to any nearby pipes/radiators. You correctly mention that the transformer does limit current and a typical rating of 15VA does serve to reduce danger but by reducing the energy hazard which is mainly prevention from burns as something overheats. The main concerns with a car battery are the potential to cause massive heat in the event of a short. There's always the interesting danger of hot acid when the battery itself overheats.

50mA is enough to cause irreparable tissue damage with 100mA being almost always fatal. Any major shock can cause a heart to stop but consider the difference between AC and DC. A muscle spasm caused by DC will remain in place until the current is removed and it's the long times involved that can cause horrific harm (cooking flesh). An AC shock at UK mains frequencies will cause muscle spasm but one that has the cause removed after 10ms (or less) as the polarity changes and there's the chance to react and pull back from contact.

Sorry for the rather serious email. I'd much rather the shower conversion was a piece of DIY and candidate for an upcoming Darwin award.

Stuart

[Jon]

300A at 12v would leave you with very nasty burns, assuming you survived at all.

I'd go for the 240v with .5 amps. Bit of a jolt, nothing more.

[Bill]

In message , Jon writes

Bye. RIP

[Lurch]

On Fri, 18 May 2007 20:22:03 GMT, Bill mused:

Not neccesarily. Depends where and how long.

[Andrew Mawson]

having a

survived

50mA could kill you never mind 500 !

AWEM

[The Natural Philosopher]

The real issue is that no human body is low enough impedance to pull

300A off a 12v supply. Probably around 1-2mA at the worst.

Actually, 30mA can be lethal. 100mA is very dangerous, and 0.5A is probably instant death.

[405 TD Estate]

Glad somebody explained the transformer thing - makes me feel safer.

I was assuming at 12v no current would be drawn - didn't a scrap heap challenge team make a 12v submarine with all electrics exposed simply because 12v is not enough volts to break down H20 molecules.

[<me9]

We used 25 KV at work, and used H2O as coolant at 25KV to earth. The leakage wasn't enough to trip an RCD. The path length was a little larger than that in 2.5mm T&E.

[The Natural Philosopher]

well its not that bad except in seawater.

There it will corrode electrolytically damned fast.

[The Natural Philosopher]

yes..distilled water..once you get any dissolved salts the conduction is WAY up.