electric appliance in kitchen

[nigel]

I rent out my house and recently invited an electrician to inspect the property and issue an electrical certificate for it. He declined to give the certificate on the basis that a washing machine was in the bathroom and that it was running off an extension cable that originated in the kitchen.

I spoke to the agents that manage the house and they consulted their electrician who apparently said that the washing machine was ok in the bathroom so long as it was boxed in and could not be touched. The extension cable would be ok so long as it was some special sort of cable that would be ok if the ground got damp. This all cost me in excess of £250 to do.

Now I spoke to a third elecrician who tells me that the second electrician should not have issed the certificate as the washing machine should not be in the bathroom at all.

What am I to make of all this?

[Bob Watkinson]

As yet another electrician, and in my opinion the siting of a washing machine in a bathroom puts you in breach of the following IEE regulations. Possibly 601-04-01 depending on your ELI and protection type, possibly

601-04-02 depending on any equipotential bonding, possibly 601-08-01 depending on how far away from the bath it is, 601-10-02 if you have a socket in the bathroom. I'm sure I could find other problems if I really tried. The bathroom is a really c**p place to put an electrical appliance.

Regards, Bob

[nigel]

was abroad and I came back to find the builders had fitted it in the bathroom. I did'nt like that but space in the kitchen was lacking and I did'nt realise how bad it was in terms of regulations (the builders were respectable and I assumed their electrician and plumber had a legal obligation to comply with IEE regulations. Then of course another electrician tells the agents that all I have to do is box it in etc.. Seems like it will have to come out of the bathroom. But it annoys me, because as a landlord, if a tenant gets electrocuted, I will get all the c**p , even though I have 1 builder, 1 plumber, several electrcians and a housing agent telling me its ok to have it in the bathroom.

[ARWadsworth]

I would fail it on 601-08-01 which says even when located outside zones 1, 2 and 3 that socket outlets are not allowed in a bathroom. An extension lead into a bathroom is a sure way of an electrical inspection failure regardless of the type of cable used. The extension lead would break 601-04-01 rules anyway (I cannot see a trailing lead on an extension having the correct supplementary bonding). If done properly there is no reason why a washing machine cannot go in a bathroom but in this case the job is not done properly. Adam

[Gel]

I'd suggest you take up with Builder & demand his installer rectify so complies at THEIR EXPENSE. Builder may be in professional body. Installer certainly would be in ECA or NIC and if you find their name, take up with them

[a.n.other]

Who gave the contract to the builder, plumber and electrician. If this was the agent, I wpuld seriously consider taking legal action against them for the cost of correction.