Electrical socket in bathroom

[cgk]

I have an electrical socket in my bathroom - It is not a ring socket. It is radially connected from somewhere. It is mounted on the wall high up close to the ceiling.

It is on the opposite wall to the shower and approx 2 meters from a standard hight sink. It used to po

My question is: Is it legal according to the UK IEE reguilations?
I have removed the heater and plugged in instead a transformer to power my portable radio (6 V). Is this allowed?

Thanks.

 

[owls]

is some of your post missing mate?

the section that ends with "it used to po"

 

[Dellsmp]

Shouldnt really be in there at all, but regs depend on height and distance from bath/shower,not measured from sinks/basins, there are diagrams elsewhere on this forum, I cant remember where you'll need to search or have a look on the niceic website, bathroom electrics are very well explained there, better than I can put in words

 

[plugwash]

sockets aren't allowed in bathrooms by the IEE regs but theese are not statutory.

 

[owls]

i thought the only socket outlets allowed in a bathroom were SELV or shaver sockets?

 

[Dellsmp]

plugwash, see 601-08-02, plus sockets are allowed in zone 3 when selv.
601-08-01 also states that the requirements for fixed equipment in the zones dont apply when the equipment is suitable for use in that zone ie complies with the IP ratings in 601-06-01.
So you could comply with the regs if all your accessories were IPx4 or higher rated.(not too pretty in your lovely tiled bathroom) Of course as you say the regs are not statutory and as long as you can prove your design is safe then you can do whatever you like
Plus as we are in the EU, as long as you follow an EU member states regs then you are ok, and the French allow sockets in bathrooms, but you'd have to comply with the rest of their regs then! so not such a good idea eh?
So CGK lose the socket, change the heater for a plumbed in radiator or towel rail and keep the electrics out of the bathroom, its easier

 

[coloumb]

The German way...

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f26/bencolomb/Image027.jpg

wheres the shower?

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f26/bencolomb/Image028.jpg

 

[owls]

The German way...

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f26/bencolomb/Image027.jpg

wheres the shower?

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f26/bencolomb/Image028.jpg[/QUOTE]

are the sockets protected by an RCD or anything? Or are the germans just hard?

 

[Steve]

no, they're senible and dont put their hands in water while drying their hair. Its called common sense, and the UK regs makes no allowances for it, hence no sockets in bathrooms.

 

[owls]

no, they're senible and dont put their hands in water while drying their hair. Its called common sense, and the UK regs makes no allowances for it, hence no sockets in bathrooms.

common sense?

madness!!!!

 

[JohnD]

are the sockets protected by an RCD or anything?

Yes, and I understand German installations have been RCD protected (one per installation) since the English were painting themselves with woad! An electro-mechanical RCD is a pretty simple device.

 

[coloumb]

One can only wonder as to why it's a double gang socket...

 

[Adam_151]

French allow sockets in bathrooms

Oh, more than just france, just about everywhere in the world except the UK, Ireland and Malta AFAIK

but you'd have to comply with the rest of their regs then! so not such a good idea eh?

Heard of somone installing a german socket in a bathroom and getting it past LABC, fed from a dedicated 16A breaker, via 3 core insulated cable with none reduced CSA CPC by vertical conduit, and with 30ma RCD protection, and the german equivelent of a minor works cert translated into english

 

[ebee]

Part P just requires it to be safe not actually to BS 7671.
The approved doc mentions any EU standard .
Even Australlian or american Standards should suffice.
But what a nightmare when LABC or others are defecting to BS 7671 but the install is to an alternative acceptable standard.
Shambles? I ask

 

[plugwash]

i heared that someone managed to get a schuko socket in the bathroom installed to german standards and certified using a translated version of a german cert past LABC

mixing standards may be harder to convince them on though (and T&E isn't acceptable by german standards).