Shaver light question

[Chris Hogg]

I have a shaver socket / light over the hand basin in the bathroom, with 240/110 volt outlets. The light is fluorescent, not LED, operated by a pull-switch. I noticed the other day that one end of the casing is permanently slightly warm, irrespective of whether the light or shaver socket is in use. Is this normal? Is there an isolating transformer inside? If so, is it right that it should be permanently drawing power when not in use, even if only a watt or so?

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

Yes, that is quite normal.

[Martin Brown]

It is fairly common for such sockets.

Likely to be an auto transformer across the mains tapped to give the

110v output. If you want to shave a bit off your base load you could do away with the 110 output unless you regularly have US visitors.

Even then their poxy US mains powered shavers do not work at all well on UK 50Hz since they rely on 60Hz mechanical resonance. Aren't most shavers now rechargeable so the thing has outlived its usefulness?

[Scott]

Otherwise you would need to leave the light on to charge an electric tootbrush.

[John Rumm]

Many modern shaver sockets only power the transformer when a plug is inserted into one of the sockets.

[DerbyBorn]

Scott [e-mail]> wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Don't some have a switch operated by inserting the plug - that switches on the Primary?

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

Martin Brown submitted this idea :

No, they have to be an isolation transformer, no electrical connection between 240v mains and the secondary output.

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

DerbyBorn used his keyboard to write :

I would imagine most of the modern ones are switched internally.

[Chris Hogg]

Mine is only a couple of years old, but doesn't seem to have that function :-(

[Roger Hayter]

Could it be the lamp ballast that is getting warm? Even if the transformer primary is always on they don't usually get very hot off load.

[Dave W]

My old shaver socket has an isolating transformer, and is slightly warm at all times.

- Dave W

[John Rumm]

At least one of mine does - you can hear it hum when a lead is inserted

- although you can hear it best from the other side of the wall its fixed in! I will have a listen to the other and see.

[Chris Hogg]

Thanks for the replies. I'll assume that there's an isolating transformer permanently connected. Not a lot I can do about it, but it only gets very slightly warm, so no great problem. I'm a little surprised, though...

[Roger Hayter]

Is that an open circuit lead? Mine has no switch but hums loudly when a load is attached.

[John Rumm]

It certainly does with an electric toothbrush base with no brush inserted (although the latter may include a SMPSU). I might go investigate with an old style shaver lead and report back...