Sockets in bathrooms?

[Commander Kinsey]

So er.... we (can) have earth leakage breakers, so why don't they want us to (like they can stop us) putting sockets in bathrooms near water?

[jim.gm4dhj]

I found a bloke that had a washing machine in his bathroom .....

[Rod Speed]

I do too, works fine, no risk at all.

[Brian Gaff]

I have seen sockets in bathrooms, but there is also often an isolating transformer. Whether this in practice helps is anyone's guess. Brian

[SteveW]

When standing barefoot and wet in a bathroom, you could easily get a shock from a plug or a device, to ground. With transformer isolation, there is no circuit through ground, so you will not. You'd have to be touching both sides of the isolated circuit at the same time to get a shock - which is very unlikely.

[Scott]

I assume an isolating transformer is limited low currents such as shaver sockets and would not be suited to a double 13 amp socket. Would an RCBO not take care of the electric shock issue?

[charles]

You can get isolating transformers as large as you need. They used to be very common in tv repair shops.

[SteveW]

Isolating transformers can be any size (and voltage), but the regulations prohibit any utility socket (transformer isolated or otherwise), other than a dedicated transformer isolated shaver socket, within 3m of a bathroom special zone. You can have a normal 13A socket (non-isolated) as long as your bathroom is big enough to get 3m separation.

An RCD or RCBO does not guarantee that a shock won't kill you, only that it is likely not to. In a bathroom, wet, with bare feet and with condensation on and in devices, you are more likely to get a shock and probably more likely to be killed before the circuit trips.

[Scott]

This is useful knowledge. I didn't realise you could be killed in

40ms.

[jim.gm4dhj]

well it was against the law here in the past....due to europe you can probably do what the hell you like now...no standards

[R D S]

I put sockets in our bathroom but I have since learned that they don't meet regs, I think they have to be 3m from the bath, which they aren't quite. Makes sense I suppose, don't want her indoors lobbing her straighteners at me while i'm having a soak.

[Scott]

Have you checked to see if it breaches the terms of your home insurance?

[soup]

"They" can't but insurance companies can get very iffy about paying out.

"Leak in the cupboard under the stairs. Sorry you aren't covered you have performed illegal modifications to your home"

[R D S]

I'm pretty sure everything i've ever done breaches the terms of my home insurance. But good point, that might need loooking into.

[Scott]

Also, if you put your house on the market, it could present an issue.

[whisky-dave]

Maybe you shouldn't take a leak in your cupboard, use the toilet like most people do ;-)

Although I do know a friend that took a leak in a hotel cupboard as ladder fell on him while he tried to steady himself. He was well pissed and naked.

[Scott]

I heard of someone at Uni who (allegedly) accidentally whilst pissed took a leak in the shower then when he tried to flush got drenched.

[jim.gm4dhj]

I used to do inspections for letters of comfort when people came to sell....more people didn't bother with building warrants than did....and got what was coming to them at the worst time....tee hee

[Fredxx]

Please cite the 'law'.

There is nothing stopping you from using a fused outlet, not a socket, to power your washing machine. They also had/have studs for earth/equipotential bonding.

[David Wade]

Its so we have to buy extension leads to keep the iPad running when it goes flat while you are reading a kindle and having a bath...