Building regs compliance in bathroom

[justbigboned]

Hi everyone,

I'm refitting an ensuite at home and just wanted to ask for some advice if thats OK.

We have two electrical fittings in the bathroom. A shaver socket and a down light. The down light is of the enclosed type and is directly above the shower enclosure. The shaver socket is some distance away.

We are not planning on removing these fixtures, so my plan is to temporarily terminate them in a choc block whilst I'm doing the rest of the work. I'd leave the earth on the shaver socket back box if there is one. Once the tiling is complete, I would replace with new fittings and reinstall.

Would the above be acceptable and is the replacement of fittings with new fittings of a different design considered notifiable?

My second question relates to the zone distances. Our current bathroom has a quadrant shower enclosure with tray. The new bathroom will be similar to a wet room with frameless glass panels, which would shield the location of the shaver socket. The shower tray would be flush fitted into the floor. We will likely have a fixed showerhead with a hand shower also. I would anticipate the distance from the hand shower at maximum extension to the shaver socket would be under 1.2m.

Is the shaver socket allowed in such a situation or must I look into removing it?

Many thanks and stay safe

 

[flameport]

Replacement of existing items is not notifiable.

The distance for zones is measured from the fixed outlet on the wall where the hose attaches. Length of any hose attached to that is not relevant.

 

[ericmark]

Notifiable jobs include new circuits back to the consumer unit, and extensions to circuits in kitchens and special locations (bathrooms, etc) and associated with special installations (garden lighting and power installations, etc).

I live in Wales so this is valid for me, you don't give location. I got into trouble for not notifying the LABC when I wanted to put a wet room in my mothers house, I had expected the builder to do it, I have read

Work to refit a kitchen or bathroom with new units and fittings does not generally require building regulations approval, although drainage or electrical works that form part of the refit may require approval under the building regulations.

If a bathroom or kitchen is to be provided in a room where there wasn't one before, building regulations approval is likely to be required to ensure that the room will have adequate ventilation and drainage, and meet requirements in respect of structural stability, electrical and fire safety.

It seems the room we used was not in a room where it was before, hence need, I thought the builders had already applied so when they ran off without completing I phoned up to find out how we could take over the job. In hind sight a mistake. However these regulations are hard to keep up with, did not realise you had to be fensa registered to change a front door until I came to sell the house, it seems only required if more that 50% glazed, carefully measured and only 40% so got away with it.

However unless doing it to rent or sell, unlikely to be a problem. Who would now what you have done, unless you kill some one.

So to ensure you don't kill anyone, all electrics in a wet room must be RCD protected.

 

[justbigboned]

Thanks gents. I think we're all good unless we decide to opt for under floor heating near the wet area.