I suppose that it means that if the toothbrush runs low, it gets put on charge there and then, rather than putting it down, getting on with a shower and then forgetting to take the toothbrush away to charge. It also avoids another member of the family coming to use the toothbrush and then having to go off elsewhere to retrieve it from charging - of course not bothering to make the journey to put it back on charge if it was only half-way through.
Having more than one means no need to change the heads each time someone else wants to brush their teeth.
Once a fortnight might become once every two or three days for a large family.
I can see no requirement for multiple transformers if you are using a central one feeding multiple plain sockets.
The requirement is that the feed to the socket is "floating" and has no reference to earth - so touching either side of the output will not give you a shock. Normally that is done with a combined socket and transformer, but that does not mean that is the only way to do it.
Apart from the obvious problem that the sockets on that won't take a shaver plug (being designed for euro plugs with longer thinner pins), and that the plug on it won't plug into a shaver socket (being designed to plug into a Schuko socket...
However the other problem is that the normal isolating shaver sockets designed for bathroom use, only having fairly weedy transformers - often good for no more than 20VA, and possibly then not even rated for continuous load. So you risk blowing the (non replaceable) thermal fuse in the transformer if you start powering multiple loads.
En-suites with two toilets next to each other[1] seem to be the "in thing" for those that have money to burn these days. Another favourite of the "in thing" is that the en-suite no longer has a door between the bedroom and the en-suite.
[1]Fitted alongside matching double sinks and bidets of course.
Could you have one transformer outside feeding three Euro sockets (provided you bought equipment fitted with Europlugs as I have)? This would be neater.
Yes, a fully open plan bedroom/bathroom has been a favourite of architects revamping houses in "Islington borders" for some years. I've assumed their clients consider themselves such fragrant people they have nothing to fear.
My one is 4+ years old and doesn;t even last the day. But I charge it in the spare room along with other things that need charging and have annoying lights. So when I get up in the morning. Collect my shaver and toothbrush and go to the bathroom.Then return items to the 'charging' room. Same thing at night before bed, sort of got used to it I''m as likely to forget to charge my toothbrush as I am to leave the house without shoes on.
That makes sense I still have an even older one that hardly works but handy as a manual brush if afriend stays over or I need to clean something else. Even used it once on PCB and flux remover. But of course changed the head when a friend visited. Wonder what flux remover tastes like.
yuo can use electric ones manually although haven't considered the coist of heads compared to replacing a whole toothbrush. considered getting some bamboo ones to save the planet.
Not really, since a euro socket is a general purpose socket, and would allow (easier) use of appliances in the bathroom. (which is what the rule is designed to discourage)
Having said that, it's your bathroom, so you choose!
what even when using your phone charging while in the bath. Darwinism strikes again. Why nto float a coffee machine in your bath so yuo can have coffe whiloe taing a bath ?
But I don;t like leaving my toothbrush near the toilet or even in teh same room due to fetal matter, even though I always close the lid before flushing, not everyone does.
Ok, not an en-suite as it was across the yard but I recall the days of my youth when the 'privy' was a double seater and the paper was torn up newspaper with a hole punched into the corner for the string to hang it on a nail.
I don't see an issue with having a BS4573 socket with a separate isolation transformer, which is what was being proposed upthread. Not a euro socket (which somebody else proposed). A Europlug can today be plugged into a UK shaver socket - it's what people with European shavers do - and there's not an issue of 'discouraging' or 'encouraging' that use. What is more likely to discourage is the strict current limit applied to shaver sockets, which you would need to replicate.
A 'shaver socket' isn't an item set in stone, it is just a socket that happens to have an isolation transformer conveniently in the same housing, with a cutout when you remove the plug.
The regs (not that I have a copy to look it up) are typically written not to stipulate any specific form of product, but describe the requirements the system must meet. In this case they need no current to flow between live and earth, and RCD protection if it does so. That would seem to be met by having an isolation transformer hidden away somewhere. When people say 'product X is not allowed' what they typically mean is that X on its own doesn't meet the regs, but don't consider it if composed with other protection in a system design.
There are additional stipulations about use in zones, eg SELV required in some zones and IP rating. A shaver socket wouldn't meet SELV, but it could meet IPX4 in zone 2 if suitably chosen. A euro socket probably wouldn't be IPX4.
In other words I think you could design a system to meet the regs, but you'd need to understand them and think it through. Which would be more than just slapping in a pre-made shaver+transformer socket.
Yup, for the avoidance of doubt, a proper shaver socket - even the type normally not intended for bathroom use (i.e. no transformer) would (IMO) be acceptable if fed from a suitable upstream isolating transformer.
That is also fine, and not discouraged (the pin size mismatch is not in the direction that could damage the socket terminals).
The area which would be more questionable would be providing euro sockets (CEE 7/16) in a bathroom (isolated or otherwise) less than 3m from zone 2.
The cutout common on modern instances is not a requirement - older ones were wither permanently live or manually switched.
Agreed - as with all these things you need to look at the intent of the rules as well as the letter.
Yup agreed. Hence why personally I would be happy with 3 x "not for bathroom" shaver sockets fed from an upstream 60VA isolating transformer.
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