Sockets near a sink

Hi all, Daft question of the day time .... I know that there are regs regarding power sockets in bathrooms etc. but are there any guidelines about the proximity of power sockets near a sink. The reason I ask is that it appears that the builders have potentially f***ked up yet again on the wiring of our house and that the utility room double sockets are directly over the draining board which requires running of power cables to other appliances along the splashback area behind the taps. The plans of the house show that these are in the wrong place but I just thought I'd check my position legally/regs wise.

Thanks for any help, Keith

P.S. To make this on topic I'm considering a fix myself :-)

Reply to
KD
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Apologies for too many asterisks in the swearword :-)

Reply to
KD

Hi

Don't have an IEE Regs book to hand. I thought it used to be a prescibed distance was required between any outlet (that doesn't run through an isolating transformer, eg shaver socket) and a wet facility - the distance was something sensible to make it difficult to touch the socket *and* a tap at the same time - or be in a natural position to touch the socket with wet hands (near sink, bath, shower etc).

I might be talking rubbish - can't remember for sure.

Anyway - in such a case, common sense has some application - it's a bl**dy stupid place to site a socket and if it were me I'd move it or blank it off. Do you have RCD protection on that circuit at the consumer unit?

Of course - you want the legal position in case you can sue the builders - I'll have to defer to someone more knowledgeable :-(

Sorry I can't be of more help.

Timbo

PS - If you want a laugh, I remember using a shower in Italy 20 years ago (Rome IIRC), and the light switch was wall mounted *just* outside of the shower curtain.

The plumbing was crap too - flush the bog whilst draining a bath and bits of bog paper appeared out of the bath plughole. Yuk.

Reply to
Tim S

Hi There,

Reply to
vivienne wykes

Liquor is quicker. ;-)

Reply to
nog

But water sure cuts down on the alcohol bills.

Reply to
Graeme

There was no standard distance last time I looked (I don't have the absolute latest regs). However, there is a general rule that sockets must be suitable for the location in which they are installed. This is usually taken to mean

30cm from a sink. Personally, I wouldn't be too concerned with distance from a draining board, provided it is a reasonable height above the surface. OTOH, they aren't particularly useful there as the leads trail on the draining board, so an additional socket in a more convenient location would be better.

Christian.

Reply to
Christian McArdle

As it happens...I have just been a brand new house. A double socket was about 15" from the socket to the end of the drainer. the average kettle lead would reach the mixer tap. There was no socket on the basin side of the sink top. although CH programmer was on the walls here, that maybe precluded a socket. I assume this was installed to current regs.

Reply to
IMM

It must have been quite boring, just sitting there on a corner plot.

Christian.

Reply to
Christian McArdle

We have some at work like this. In the kitchenette area, there is a double socket into which is plugged a fridge and an instant boiling water thingy. The socket is located approx 3 inches behind horizontally and about 5 inches above the sink, on the wall immediately behind. I can touch the tap with my thumb and the socket with my finger on the same hand.

Reply to
caledonianstill

Former girlfriend's second kitchen has CU mounted approx 4" above draining board. To make matters worse she has had the house re-wired!!!!

Richard

Reply to
Richard Savage

Thanks for all the replies as of 23.00 on 24/08. It seems as though these is no real requirement for the sockets to be away from the sink which is a shame. It has taken over a year for these crap builders to replace a worktop and sink and now, when they've finally done it, I've realised that the sockets are in the wrong place according to the plans. Having no faith in the builders adherance to these plans and claiming that they can change them when they want I'm a bit disappointed to say the least. I was basically after a little more, possibly legal, ammo to get them to sort this out. To have my appliance, a breadmaker, in the utility room I will now have to dangle the appliance cord behind the sink and taps which I don't think is acceptable but YMMV. Oh well. Thanks once again for all help so far.

Keith

Reply to
KD

there are regs concerning this it`s reg 528-02 proximity to non electrical services

528-02-04 where a wiring system is installed in proximity to a non-electrical service it shall be so arranged that any forseeable operation carried out on either service will not cause damage to the other

so if when you turn on the tap and it splashes the socket it fails this reg or if when you plug in an appliance and the cable hangs in the bowl of the sink this would also fail having said that common sence would normally mean you wouldn`t put it that close but as common sence isn`t sold in boxes or tubes you`ll always get these probs hope this helps phil N

Reply to
Phil Nettleton

In message , Phil Nettleton writes

Phil, can you learn not to top post as is the convention in this NG please

Reply to
raden

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