Trying to understand bathroom 'shaver point' regs

S_D

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Hi all!

I'm just finishing up my bathroom refurb, and will shortly be looking to sell up and move after living here for over 6 years.

I have a late 1970's house and in the bathroom there is an existing shaver point in zone 2 above the sink (and within 600mm of the bath also). I've chased back the wiring and it's connected into the lighting socket. The consumer unit is a touch old and does not have RCDs, nor is there any other FCU or isolation point in the circuit for this point.

Without changing any wiring I "could" swap this out for a cabinet/light/shaver combo. However, of course I want to remain safe and legal whilst doing so.

Would such a new cabinet require an RCD fitting, bearing in mind the circuit is already in place?
Ditto is it notifiable, bearing in mind the circuit is already in place?

The shaver point would be a modern 'isolated' type.

I've tried reading around but am unclear on what the rules are where the wiring already exists. Does it come under 'a like for like' swap, and similarly come sale time how do I prove that I haven't worked on the wiring itself?

Thanks in advance!

Simon
 
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Firstly, the rule for notification in bathrooms is:

"any addition or alteration to existing circuits within the zones".

New work should have RCD protection.
New circuits would be notifiable anywhere.

There is no like for like mentioned; the word used was replacement, although, since the relaxation of notification requirements that no longer applies - just the above.

Shavers to BS EN 61558-2-5 are allowed in zone 2.
 
...there is an existing shaver point in zone 2 above the sink (and within 600mm of the bath also).
Perhaps surprisingly, a sink does not create a 'zone', but if it's within 600m of a bath it is, indeed, in Zone 2.
I've chased back the wiring and it's connected into the lighting socket. The consumer unit is a touch old and does not have RCDs, nor is there any other FCU or isolation point in the circuit for this point. Without changing any wiring I "could" swap this out for a cabinet/light/shaver combo. ... Would such a new cabinet require an RCD fitting, bearing in mind the circuit is already in place?
Opinions will probably vary. Current regs require that every circuit supplying a bathroom (even if not within 'zones') should be RCD protected. Although that requirement is not retrospective, many would argue that any 'substantial change' in a bathroom would invoke the requirement to satisfy that requirement. However, many would also argue that what you are proposing would not be a 'substantial change'.
Ditto is it notifiable, bearing in mind the circuit is already in place?
Again, opinions will probably vary. Given that the work is within the zones, it would be notifiable if it were regarded as an "addition or alteration to an existing circuit". I can see people arguing both ways, but would personally be inclined to say that what you propose would not come into that category.
The shaver point would be a modern 'isolated' type.
It would have to be.
...and similarly come sale time how do I prove that I haven't worked on the wiring itself?
One could also ask how 'they' could prove that you had!

Kind Regards, John
 
Thanks both for responding so quickly!

One quick clarification - when I mistakenly typed 'lighting socket' in my first post, I did indeed mean 'lighting circuit', as you both obviously worked out :)

So, I think it's fair to say that there is some room for argument on this one, and the rules aren't 100% clear? I just want to be beyond question come sale time, but if it's feasible for me to add some functionality and bathroom appeal then I certainly would like to do so.

So with the above in mind I'm 'good to go' or am 'better of leaving it'?

Many thanks

Simon
 
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So, I think it's fair to say that there is some room for argument on this one, and the rules aren't 100% clear? I just want to be beyond question come sale time, but if it's feasible for me to add some functionality and bathroom appeal then I certainly would like to do so. ... So with the above in mind I'm 'good to go' or am 'better of leaving it'?
Only you can really decide that, but if you did go ahead, you could certainly produce an argument that you believed the regs/rules did not require either RCD protection or notification in relation to the work you propose.

Having said that, RCDs are a good idea, so I would think that "come sale time" a prospective buyer is likely to be much more concerned about an electrical installation without any RCD protection than the 'bureaucratic' questions of who changed the shaver socket or whether the work was notified - so it might be worth giving consideration to having your CU upgraded (which is certainly notifiable work) one of these days!

Kind Regards, John
 

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