Why do new-build houses have bathroom / toilet light switches outside of room?

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I've observed that modern houses typically have the bathroom or toilet light switches outside of the room. As I understand it, electrical fittings are permitted inside of bathroom / toilets as long as they are outside zones 0-2.

Can someone explain why the switches aren't positioned inside the rooms when this feels more convenient?

Thanks in anticipation!
 
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I've observed that modern houses typically have the bathroom or toilet light switches outside of the room. As I understand it, electrical fittings are permitted inside of bathroom / toilets as long as they are outside zones 0-2.
That is correct.
Can someone explain why the switches aren't positioned inside the rooms when this feels more convenient?
It's far from universal, so you'd probably have to ask the builders/electricians in question - maybe for their 'convenience'? Some ('cheap') modern houses have bathrooms so small that it's hard to find a sensible place for a light switch which is outside of zone 2 - although, provided that the room is at least 2.25m high, there's always the option of a ceiling pull switch.

Kind Regards, John
 
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Can someone explain why the switches aren't positioned inside the rooms when this feels more convenient?

At the architects' training school, they went paintballing on the "basic electrics" day.
 
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Nonsense. Everywhere else in Europe the light switch and the socket outlets are in the bathroom.

I've lived in 4 houses in mainland Europe and they all had the main lightswitch outside the bathroom door. All also had a 16A socket right next to the sink and some also next to the sink had a switch for the light above the mirror. However, the switch for the main bathroom light being outside the bathroom door is certainly normal in at least some areas of Europe.
 
In 4 out the 5 USA spec (1 in UK, 4 in USA) houses I've lived in the Bathroom light switch was outside the bathroom. The exception was in a house in Colorado Springs.
 
In Turkey where the wet room is the norm then can see why switches outside, oddly the Turkish style wet room under UK rules could have a socket in the room, as there is no bath or shower in the room, just taps and loose bowls.

But in the UK no real reason for switch outside the room, however dads house 1954 a block of 4 switches did living room, best room, hall and stairs + landing all in the hall, not a clue why they were not put in the rooms, and we would regularly in error flick the wrong switch, so living room lights switched on without realising when going to bed.

I will guess some historical reason for having switches outside the room, but the wall gas lights were at the light its self, and ceiling gas lights often pull chain. So no idea why switches were not in the room.

It was normal to have pull cords in bathroom and toilet so wet hands would not matter, but if you have wet hands it does not matter if switch outside or inside the room you still have wet hands, so still needs pull cords or switches designed for wet conditions.

So see no real reason for switches outside the room, what ever the room is.
 
AFAIC the 'standard' position for the bathroom or toilet switch was outside back in the 50's and into 60's then the pull switch gradually took over.
I did a fair bit of work in the 70's for a builder and I reckon it was >80% pull cord by then, maybe even >90%.
I think some of it now is down to the types of accessories being installed at new build. My observation, which is in no way conclusive!, seems to be:
white accessories = pull cord switch but
chrome = wall switch outside door.
 
But in the UK no real reason for switch outside the room, however dads house 1954 a block of 4 switches did living room, best room, hall and stairs + landing all in the hall, not a clue why they were not put in the rooms, and we would regularly in error flick the wrong switch, so living room lights switched on without realising when going to bed.
I've come across this arrangement several times in [dare I say] council house rewires, in one there was a row of 4 2G switches, not even mounted straight with 25mm white plastic conduit floor to ceiling.
 
Try legrand

Good to know. I turned a box room into a new shower recently and bought a pull cord from B&Q. Bloody noisy. Was planning to look for quieter options.

Although, since putting movement sensor bulbs in the corridor, I might do same in the bathroom anyway. So nice not having to turn the lights off after the kids!
 

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