Shaver sockets

Those that say not for bathrooms are for bedrooms, where there will be no excessive condensation, and less likely to have a wet naked body fumbling with electrical appliances.

Means it's not got an isolating transformer - so cheaper. It would be suitable for a room where bathroom regs don't apply - guest bedroom, etc.

I guess it was in the department selling chocolate teapots and ashtrays for motorbikes. :-)

The normal shaver socket for a bathroom with 240 and 110v outlets has an isolating transformer and is precisely for use in bathrooms. It's off that they have one on sale that isn't.

A typical product would be MK part number K701WHI

This deep mounting box requirement caused me lots of grief when I fitted one in our bathroom recently, it's fitted on a plasterboard (dry lined) wall near the washbasin and I just couldn't find any deep enough dry lining boxes anywhere. (Not to mention the hassle I had routing the cable but that's an aside)

In the end I cut a neat little hole in a standard dry lining box to accomodate the bit of the transformer which stuck out. Not exactly an ideal solution but I can't see any problem with it in reality.

Although it must have an autotransformer to manage 110v, so it seems rather silly to cripple the product.

You can get "wings" for standard metal boxes to convert them to drylining type. However, I avoid drylining boxes where possible. I prefer to stick a wooden block behind (or noggin between studs) and mount a metal box to that if at all possible.

Christian.

On 25 Nov 2004 15:13:56 GMT, snipped-for-privacy@isbd.co.uk strung together this:

I never have, I usually just go to an electrical wholesalers and say"can I have deep double dry liner please"? If they haven't got any they can easily obtain one so a no hassle process.

Might be done electronically.

I set out to buy a bathroom shaver socket, and discovered that it was cheaper to buy a 60 watt tubular shaver light with isolating transformer from Wickes for £9.99. This won't really help you unless you want to recharge your toothbrush with the light on, but it surprised me.

Does anyone else recess the plasterboard/plaster under the lip of the dry-liner box so that the flush sockets do actually sit flush with the wall? It only takes a couple of minutes with a stanley knife to do the job.

Yes, especially if the box is close to a vertical studding that would interfere with the wing.

Phil The uk.d-i-y FAQ is at

I hate the things and never use them. Of course, I'm not charging out my time. I fix two battens to the back of the plasterboard - either side - and screw a metal box to them. End result is as strong as the plasterboard.

Works on lath and plaster too.

This was in a dormer window so the woodwork behind was complicated, as I said I had an awful time routing the cable, playing games trying to provide a support for a metal box would have taken even *more* time. As it was it took almost a whole day to simply install a shaver point which seemed a bit excessive!

Thanks for all the info - I think I'll just avoid B&Q and go to a proper electrical factor!

I think that the regs need revising on this matter.

An isolating transformer only protects you if you come in contact with just one of the conductors - you could be touching a live wire for months without realising it.

An RCD will protect you in the event of coming into contact with both or either; indeed, an isolating transformer will completely nullify the effect of an RCD, by balancing out the flow and return.

Could be.

Indeed. That's the main benefit. But surely if a cable was damaged to allow this it would be obvious? Not seen any metal cased shavers for a while.

You'd need a local RCD - perhaps a 10mA type, and it might well cost more than an isolating tranny.

It will also greatly restrict the current availability should you contact both. Also since neither of its legs are connected to anything resembling a general earth, it would be much harder to contact both lines in a dabgerous way (i.e. hand to foot etc, causing current flow across the chest).

If you were well isolated, then the RCD may not detect you connecting to both contacts, since you could look just like a circuit with little or no loss to earth.

If you fit them to a plasterboard wall before you skim, then you can skim them flush that way.

Yes, of course. I was referring to the cases where either the p/b is not planned to be skimmed (yuch, but it happens), or the retrofit case where it is already skimmed.

Phil The uk.d-i-y FAQ is at