Power to bathroom mirror light

[Chri5]

First check the light and see if you can move the switched live feed to the wall to a permanent live.

If that could be done I'd suggest fitting a fused spur then running from that to a shaver point and the light ( or new light).

Two feeds out from a fused spur is wrong, but since the light would be 60w or so and the shaver socket load minimal it is do able.

The full fat correct way would be a double outlet back box near the ceiling, two fused spurs and feeds from each, one to the shaver outlet and one for the light fitting.

Bathroom work needs notifying, and you must adhere to the zones. See the wiki. Uk electrics bathroom for further details.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

To what end?

To see if there was a simple solution to the problem by hopefully getting a good look at the internal connection and set up.
Is that not obvious?

Easier just to ask, surely?

Is it?
Well lets have a go!

budset
Without taking the cover off of the light could you please, explain how the the electrical connections are made? or you could just take the cover off, have a look and explain what is going on inside?
Don't bother uploading any photos as that will not be helpful at all!

Might just be as easy to install an additional shaver socket, independent of light.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Is that the only workable scenario? What if I changed the light unit itself?

If you got one where the shaver outlet was live all of the time, and you rewired the supply to it so that it had a permanent live, then you could have the toothbrush charging without the light being on.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

To what end?

To see if there was a simple solution to the problem by hopefully getting a good look at the internal connection and set up.
Is that not obvious?

Dunno.

Depends on what problem you were hoping to be able to resolve given photos of the internal wiring.

If it's

I have a light above my mirror in the bathroom with the plug sockets on it for shavers etc but it only work when the bathroom light is on.

then I'd be curious to know what you thought might be an internal wiring configuration which would make the light only work when the main light was on, because that's far from obvious to me.

Easier just to ask, surely?

Is it?
Well lets have a go!

Good idea:

Any ideas mate?

Can't see the internal wiring clearly enough.

Does the shaver socket work with the main light on and the shaver light off?

Nope

budset
Without taking the cover off of the light could you please, explain how the the electrical connections are made? or you could just take the cover off, have a look and explain what is going on inside?
Don't bother uploading any photos as that will not be helpful at all!

To what end?

 

[danechip]

Cut the wires to the transformer. Reconnect the wires from the transformer to the chock block where the mains come into the unit.

The light is switched, the isolation transformer is now permanently live.

Simples..

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Then rewire the supply cable at source to have a permanent live.

 

[tichtich]

Hi. I just got my shaver light/socket unit working, thanks to help in another thread, and I'm now faced with a similar problem to Budest. The main reason I wanted the unit working was so I could keep my toothbrush charger in the bathroom, charging from the shaver socket. But as with Budest the socket only operates when the light is on. Unlike with Budest the shaver unit is live when the bathroom light is off, but I would still have to leave the shaver light on all the time, which I don't want to do. My solution was to remove the light bulb from the shaver unit, since I value the convenience of having the charger in the bathroom more than I value the extra light for shaving.

But I wondered whether a socket marked "shaver only" was suitable for charging a toothbrush, so I googled the question and this thread was Google's second hit!

You should also check that shaver socket can continuously supply enough power to the charger. Many shaver sockets are designed for short periods of use and depend on the shaver only being used for a short time to be ableto use a small transformer safely. Prolonged use can result in the transformer heating up to a temperature that will either trip the thermal cut out ( good quality sockets self reset ) or cause the transformer to fail.

OK. I guess that's why they say "shaver only". I'll go back to keeping the charger in a bedroom (with an adaptor plug).

 

[danechip]

A toothbrush would be fine as it's only an induction coil to a tiny charger. The warning refers more to heaters and hairdryers.

 

[tichtich]

A toothbrush would be fine as it's only an induction coil to a tiny charger. The warning refers more to heaters and hairdryers.

Thanks. Then I'll go back to plan A, plugging the charger into the shaver socket and removing the shaver light bulb.

 

[EFLImpudence]

You should also check that shaver socket can continuously supply enough power to the charger. Many shaver sockets are designed for short periods of use and depend on the shaver only being used for a short time to be ableto use a small transformer safely. Prolonged use can result in the transformer heating up to a temperature that will either trip the thermal cut out ( good quality sockets self reset ) or cause the transformer to fail.

OK. I guess that's why they say "shaver only".

A toothbrush would be fine as it's only an induction coil to a tiny charger. The warning refers more to heaters and hairdryers.

I would disagree and think it means 'shavers only'.

Thanks. Then I'll go back to plan A, plugging the charger into the shaver socket and removing the shaver light bulb.

Are you both disregarding Bernard's warning?