Best option for wiring a bathroom cabinet w/shaver plug

[greenstarthree01]

Hi all,

We're replacing our bathroom and have just removed a wall mounted mirror cabinet which had a couple if built in lights (incandescent) and a shaver plug. We're replacing this with a similar (but much more modern!) one that has LED lights and a shaver plug. The cabinet says it requires a 240v mains supply.

The old cabinet's lights and shaver plug were supplied by the lighting circuit, which I thought was less than ok particularly because of the shaver plug (though I'm no sparky). So my thoughts were to try and find a proper mains supply for the new one i.e. run it off the sockets circuit.

Looking at what's nearby, we've got 3 options without major upheaval:

1. If it's actually ok to run the cabinet off the lights circuit, that would be easy as we could do a like for like swap. However with the new one specifying "240v Mains Supply Required" I'm not sure this would be suitable?

2. We've just removed an electric shower from the bathroom which is being replaced by a boiler-supplied mixer, so we have the old shower mains cable available to use. The cable is obviously much fatter, but could we realistically use it to supply the mirror cabinet? Obviously it wouldn't be drawing nearly as much current but my only thought was if the rating of that circuit at the RCD was too high for it to trip safely if there was an issue with the appliance / cabling?

3. There's a socket on the landing, in a wall shared with the bathroom where we plan to hang the cabinet. I thought we could spur off this, but it appears to already be a spur (only 1 cable going to it). Actually all the upstairs sockets I've checked so far have only 1 cable, maybe indicating that the upstairs sockets are all spurs off the downstairs ring, as I've read is quite common in houses built around the time of ours (70s). I will need to check the downstairs sockest to verify this though.
If that is the case, is spurring off that socket a no-no?

Thanks all.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The old cabinet's lights and shaver plug were supplied by the lighting circuit, which I thought was less than ok particularly because of the shaver plug (though I'm no sparky).

No - that was fine.

So my thoughts were to try and find a proper mains supply for the new one i.e. run it off the sockets circuit.

Your lighting circuit is a proper mains one.

1. If it's actually ok to run the cabinet off the lights circuit, that would be easy as we could do a like for like swap. However with the new one specifying "240v Mains Supply Required" I'm not sure this would be suitable?

It will be fine - your lighting circuit is "240V".

 

[Iggifer]

Always put shaver points and mirror cabinets on lighting circuits. Just the way it’s done. The load is minimal, particularly with LED

 

[ban-all-sheds]

We've just removed an electric shower from the bathroom which is being replaced by a boiler-supplied mixer, so we have the old shower mains cable available to use.

Something to consider:

I'm thinking of doing the same, but replacing the electric shower with one of these:

https://www.electric-heatingcompany.co.uk/shop/bonus-instant-water-heater/

installed in a cupboard, and plumbed with the hot from the combi and the electric heater going through an L-port diverter, like this:

Then if ever the boiler has a problem I can still get a hot shower.

 

[Iggifer]

Then if ever the boiler has a problem I can still get a hot shower.

What kW rating are those water heaters? Presumably fairly high to get a shower but I like the idea

 

[ban-all-sheds]

12kW - can't get a larger single-phase one. It's more powerful than the biggest shower you can get (only 10%, but more is more), but in the same price bracket (compared to a good electric shower with proper thermostatic control), and as it has no controls on it, it doesn't have to go on the wall in the shower.

 

[JohnW2]

Presumably fairly high to get a shower but I like the idea

As I said in the other thread (yes, it's getting potentially a bit confusing!), if one has more than one bathroom (or 'shower room') one can do as I do get the 'redundancy' by having a (virtually never used) electric shower in one of them, as a backup should the hot water supply for one's mixer showers become unavailable.

Indeed, even with only one bathroom, I suppose there's no reason why it could not have both electric and mixer showers.

Kind Regards, John

 

[greenstarthree01]

RE the instant hot water - those look like a good idea! We will eventually be putting a new electric shower downstairs as a backup and “post muddy run” shower though, so hopefully will be able to sort it that way (now that we know we won’t have to use that circuit)

RE the mirror cabinet, that’s good to hear, as it’s the easiest option! I figured the draw would be much less than the last cab, but wasn’t sure about the shaver plug. Is it based on the fact that the connector is different so you’re never able to plug something like a kettle into it? We’d only be using it for shavers and toothbrushes!

 

[greenstarthree01]

Also, I understand bathroom work is usually notifiable - would this be the case here if I’m essentially doing a like for like replacement, just taking a spur from a JB in the loft instead of a switch outside the bathroom?

 

[EFLImpudence]

New circuits are notifiable wherever they are.

Any addition or alteration to existing circuits - within the zones of a bathroom is notifiable.
https://www.diynot.com/wiki/Electrics:bathroom_zones


That's all that will concern your work.

 

[JohnD]

wasn’t sure about the shaver plug. Is it based on the fact that the connector is different so you’re never able to plug something like a kettle into it? We’d only be using it for shavers and toothbrushes!

Shaver sockets (sockets are not plugs) approved for use in bathrooms are special. They have an isolating transformer to reduce the risk of shock. They also limit current. The transformer allows them to provide dual voltage. You will notice they are thicker, heavier and more expensive than other sockets.

 

[greenstarthree01]

Cheers both.

RE the bathroom zones, sorry to get down to the weeds on technicalities, but if the circuit cabling is more than 60cm from the edge of the bathtub, but the appliance connected to it spills into that zone, is the work notifiable? Essentially if the cable for the mirror cabinet comes out of the wall 70cm away, but edge of the cabinet nearest the bath is 30cm away, for example?!

RE the shaver socket, yes sorry i didn't mean plug really! In this case I'd need to verify that the shaver socket built into the mirror cabinet we're thinking about has an isolating transformer, then. No such info on its product listing here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Illuminate...=merchant-items&ie=UTF8&qid=1518386235&sr=1-2

 

[JohnW2]

RE the bathroom zones, sorry to get down to the weeds on technicalities, but if the circuit cabling is more than 60cm from the edge of the bathtub, but the appliance connected to it spills into that zone, is the work notifiable?

That way around it's an easy question to answer. If any part of the appliance/accessory/whatever is within the zones, then the work is notifiable.

When I first read your post, I thought you were talking about the other way around (i.e. appliance/accessory outside of zones, but cable passing within zones), and that is far more debatable. One could argue that it would not be logical for it to be notifiable, but goodness knows what the regulation (which is not necessary logical!) actually intends. Others may have a view.

Kindest Regards, John

 

[greenstarthree01]

Cheers John. Unfortunately for me it is the first way around! What if it's a like for like swap though, as I'm just swapping the mirror cabinet that's on the end of the cable? Technically still counts as a mod to the circuit?
I'm not trying as hard to get around this as it sounds, honestly!

I had wondered about the other way though, because that would mean a light switch cable running in a stud wall with a shower backing on to it would be notifiable if changed? Or a mains cable that happens to run under the bath into the next room (although that is surely just not a great thing to do anyway!)

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Oh dear.

If you've not bought the cabinet yet, I strongly advise that you don't.