Slowly figuring out what's what in a new house. This is in a bathroom cupboard, I assume for a water heater or similar, any ideas if I'm right. Would like to get power into the cupboard (regs allowing), not sure yet if there's power to this though.
Identify this socket?
- Thread starter elprimo
- Start date
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A picture would be most helpful!!
Just copy and paste picture or drag to reply box.
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15A round pin ?
You are right. It should be just a 15A circuit. Do you still have fuses in a fuse board?
You can swap for normal socket(s) but will be limited to 15A.
Ahh. Not a new house, then. Just new to you?
Most definitely not new. As I say, I'd assume this was for heating / hot water before the gas went in, given the location in a bathroom cupboard full of pipes. I'll be getting a sparky to take a look at putting a double socket in here one way or another, assuming they're ok with doing that in a bathroom cupboard (reading on here makes me think it'll be ok) for charging toothbrushes and vacuum cleaners.
Thanks for the help, any more info welcome, if only for my idle curiosity about the house...
Thanks for the help, any more info welcome, if only for my idle curiosity about the house...
All circuit breakers - two boxes, one of which is labelled with stuff like 'storage heaters'. There aren't any in the house. There's one labelled 'downflow' which I've figured out powers the boiler. I'll wager this is wired up to one of those, if it's wired to anything, but there's nothing to indicate which one.
Sockets are not permitted in bathrooms unless they are more than 3metres from a shower or bath.
So forget having a double 13A one there to plug in the hair dryer!
On another point. It sounds like you have an old off peak system (fuses for storage heaters).
Check your electricity tariff and make sure that you are not still on an Off peak (Economy 7,eg) tariff. This will make your normal electricity more expensive. Tell your supplier you want to change if it’s still on an off peak tariff.
So forget having a double 13A one there to plug in the hair dryer!
On another point. It sounds like you have an old off peak system (fuses for storage heaters).
Check your electricity tariff and make sure that you are not still on an Off peak (Economy 7,eg) tariff. This will make your normal electricity more expensive. Tell your supplier you want to change if it’s still on an off peak tariff.
My understanding is that as it's a cupboard, with door, it'd be permitted under regs, but that sparkies may well not be willing. For reference
https://electrical.theiet.org/media/1450/section-701.pdf
.
If I can't find a willing sparky, I'll drop the idea. But it's two adults, no kids, no chance of that changing or the house selling in the near future, so I'd hope to get it done.
Will try and do that later, but my lunchbreak fun must come to and end for now...
Thanks for help!
Yes, I think that's all true.
I would personally say that a lot depends upon the intended usage. For the toothbrush charging and vacuum cleaners you've mentioned, it would be fine, but if one were thinking of hair dryers, fan heaters etc. with long leads, it would rather defeat the point of the regulations!
Some electricians might be hesitant because, regardless of what you might say about your intended usage, no-one can know what a future occupant might plug in. However, I wouldn't think it would be difficult to find an electrician who was willing/happy to do it (it's not uncommon).
Kind Regards, John
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