Opinions on power in a bathroom

[TonyT]

22 minutes ago, ProDave said:

While we are discussing what the regs say and how you interpret them, I am STILL waiting to find the reg that everyone but me can find that says you must fit a fan isolator switch, and all those people who have found it and apply it have been unable to show me what and where it is..........

Maybe the one that’s says you have to comply with the manufacturers instructions.

 

agree they look horrible so hide them away in a cupboard.

[joe90]

1 minute ago, TonyT said:

Fit a fused unstitched spur next to the basin, hard wire the hairdryer in

Ha, was just going to post the same, they put hairdryers in swimming pool changing rooms like this!!!,

[ToughButterCup]

1 hour ago, Russell griffiths said:

...

I managed to exercise complete restraint and he had a lucky escape. 

...

 

No Russ, you had a little victory over yourself. The best sort.

 

1 hour ago, Russell griffiths said:

...

[ I ] want to put one in every bathroom for hairdryers  curling tongs and other stuff [ I ] need to make [me] look less ugly. 

 

Here's a start ....

 

I know its for shavers , but (one at a time) you'll still be able to get your legs up high enough to reach the shaver  won't you?

 

This particular mirror has a heating element in it to de-fog the glass. Which kind of hints at the possibility of connecting a hair drier (?)

 

[Onoff]

6 minutes ago, joe90 said:

Ha, was just going to post the same, they put hairdryers in swimming pool changing rooms like this!!!,

 

Different section in the regs for swimming pools. You can have socket outlets if certain requirements are met.

[PeterW]

4 minutes ago, ToughButterCup said:

This particular mirror has a heating element in it to de-fog the glass. Which kind of hints at the possibility of connecting a hair drier (?)

Really low power - think ours has a heater pad and LED lights and is rated at 45w max. 

[joe90]

When we wired our place I put a loop of a power ring in a corner of the walk in wardrobe just around the corner from the bathroom basin so I could add a socket for use within the walk in wardrobe or close enough to use the bathroom basin/mirror with hairdryer etc.

Edited February 14, 2021 by joe90

[ProDave]

10 minutes ago, TonyT said:

Maybe the one that’s says you have to comply with the manufacturers instructions.

 

agree they look horrible so hide them away in a cupboard.

So the search is on for a bathroom fan make that does not insist on an isolator be fitted.

 

It's not a case of them being horrible, my pet gripe is they are inappropriate for a rental property, the tenants turn them off then complain about the damp and the mould.  so i remove them from rental property.

 

I am tempted to fit a fish key isolator, but I have only been able to find a 2 pole fish key switch which would not isolate the neutral. That would be okay if the MI's did not specify that the isolator had to be 3 pole.

[Nickfromwales]

Use the fish key to isolate a triple pole relay?

[Nickfromwales]

2 hours ago, Russell griffiths said:

So after living abroad for a few years we have got used to having a double socket in a bathroom. 

 

The wife wants to put one in every bathroom for hairdryers  curling tongs and other stuff women need to make them look less ugly. 

 

Whats peoples opinions, my discussion with the electrician yesterday turned a bit ugly and I thought I might need to punch him. 

I managed to exercise complete restraint and he had a lucky escape. 

 

Thoughts people. 

Ffs. 
 

 

[Nickfromwales]

 

Apparently she turns up to dry your hair and you no longer give a shit where it’s plugged in ??

[PeterW]

53 minutes ago, ProDave said:

I am tempted to fit a fish key isolator, but I have only been able to find a 2 pole fish key switch which would not isolate the neutral. That would be okay if the MI's did not specify that the isolator had to be 3 pole.

Lockable fan isolator ..? 
 

https://www.edwardes.co.uk/products/schneider-gu1013-3-pole-10a-ultimate-fan-isolator-switch-white

[ProDave]

5 minutes ago, PeterW said:

Lockable fan isolator ..? 
 

https://www.edwardes.co.uk/products/schneider-gu1013-3-pole-10a-ultimate-fan-isolator-switch-white

Genious

 

Except now the tenant will try so hard to turn it off that the call will be "the fan isolator is broken"

 

EDIT looks like it can only be locked off, not locked on. I would have to buy one to try that.

[Onoff]

Sorted:

 

 

[PeterW]

2 minutes ago, ProDave said:

Genious

 

Except now the tenant will try so hard to turn it off that the call will be "the fan isolator is broken"

https://www.securitysafetyproducts.co.uk/security/protective-covers-cages/clearstop-locking-cover-and-electric-switch-cover-ideal-for-alzheimers-and-dementia-care-applications.php
 

Or wire the switch with some sort of shock mechanism ..... 

[Pocster]

35 minutes ago, Onoff said:

Sorted:

 

 

One of them comes with a xenomorph

[Onoff]

7 minutes ago, pocster said:

One of them comes with a xenomorph

 

Nothing compares! ?

[dpmiller]

20 hours ago, ToughButterCup said:

 

No Russ, you had a little victory over yourself. The best sort.

 

 

Here's a start ....

 

I know its for shavers , but (one at a time) you'll still be able to get your legs up high enough to reach the shaver  won't you?

 

This particular mirror has a heating element in it to de-fog the glass. Which kind of hints at the possibility of connecting a hair drier (?)

 

 

And caution here, some of the cheaper mirrors don't have an isolating transformer for the shaver socket...

[ToughButterCup]

4 hours ago, dpmiller said:

And caution here, some of the cheaper mirrors don't have an isolating transformer for the shaver socket...

 I'll have a look....

[Bitpipe]

On 14/02/2021 at 10:28, ToughButterCup said:

 

No Russ, you had a little victory over yourself. The best sort.

 

 

Here's a start ....

 

I know its for shavers , but (one at a time) you'll still be able to get your legs up high enough to reach the shaver  won't you?

 

This particular mirror has a heating element in it to de-fog the glass. Which kind of hints at the possibility of connecting a hair drier (?)

 

 

We have those in each bathroom - standard 240v electrical connection is to the rear of the mirror / cabinet and they sit above the sinks so outside Zone 2.

 

Exercised restraint on the bluetooth speakers and colour changing LED strips.

 

We charge our toothbrushes in them, the de-mist function is handy also and the kids ones have clocks that they can ignore.

[Onoff]

On 14/02/2021 at 09:47, Russdl said:

Not quite what you're asking but John Ward debunks the bathroom pull cord myth, Zone 3 doesn't exist, but I couldn't convince my M&E team that I could have a normal light switch in the bathroom/WC. Apparently there is a 'best practices' book that prevents electricians following the Regs. 

 

Except he's talking complete bollocks imho.

 

Under General requirements in Section 701 it says that protective measures such as obstacles and placing out of reach is not permitted.

 

He refers to previous regs that say placing out of reach is OK I think. He uses out of reach as justification. Previous regs don't come into it if designing to the 18th. Your M&E team were correct imo.

[Temp]

As I recall the manufacturer also has to approve their socket for use in a bathroom/humid area. 

[Russdl]

41 minutes ago, Onoff said:

Except he's talking complete bollocks imho.

Knowing nothing about the subject but being convinced by John Wards explanation, and spending a good deal of my time in continental Europe where it is common place, (as are the plug sockets in bathrooms) is the reason why I asked for normal light switches.
 

As I recall JW only referenced previous regs after explaining the current ones?
 

Anyways, the answer was I wasn’t going to get standard light switches and I seem to recall a good explanation from the electrician as to why I couldn’t. No idea if the explanation came from Section 701 that you mention. 
 

So we won’t. Still don’t understand, but hey ho. 

[Onoff]

12 minutes ago, Russdl said:

Knowing nothing about the subject but being convinced by John Wards explanation, and spending a good deal of my time in continental Europe where it is common place, (as are the plug sockets in bathrooms) is the reason why I asked for normal light switches.
 

As I recall JW only referenced previous regs after explaining the current ones?
 

Anyways, the answer was I wasn’t going to get standard light switches and I seem to recall a good explanation from the electrician as to why I couldn’t. No idea if the explanation came from Section 701 that you mention. 
 

So we won’t. Still don’t understand, but hey ho. 

 

John Ward is wrong, plain and simple. The previous regs said about placing out of reach. The new regs specifically say you can't. Black and white. He's using the wording of the old regs to justify what he's saying. I quite like him/his stuff but wrong is wrong. Cherry picking to make his point is imo a bit unforgivable. Quoting previous regs is just bang out of order.

 

If you want a "normal" light switch in a bathroom fit a Quinetic. Quinetic MK/Varilight grids if you want them a bit fancy. 

Edited February 16, 2021 by Onoff

[Russdl]

@Onoff I’ll bow to your and the electricians superior knowledge, like I say, we’re not having conventional switches, they will either be outside the room or Quinetic. It’s just not what  I wanted ‘tis all. 

[Nickfromwales]

On 16/02/2021 at 21:12, Onoff said:

If you want a "normal" light switch in a bathroom fit a Quinetic.

That also sounds like an elegant solution....................