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Original poster

Electrical socket in the bathroom?

28 replies

poppiesanddaisies · 15/02/2016 14:36

Would love to be able to dry and straighten my hair and plug in an electric razor.

I don't know how to do it!

Would an electrician be what I need (sorry if that's an obvious question) and has anyone done this before?

OP posts:
VagueIdeas · 15/02/2016 14:37

Pretty sure no responsible electrician would do it. It's unsafe.

JassyRadlett · 15/02/2016 14:38

I think it's against building regs unless your bathroom is massive. UK rules on this are a lot stricter than other countries.

You can have a shaver point installed though.

VagueIdeas · 15/02/2016 14:40

"Sockets are not allowed in bathrooms or shower rooms (apart from shaver-supply units) unless they can be fitted at least three metres from the bath or shower.

Electrical shaver points must be a safe distance (in meters) from the bath or shower to avoid splashes"

www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/guides-and-advice/around-the-home/bathroom-safety/

My bathroom is so tiny the three metre rule just doesn't apply to me!

TondelayaDellaVentamiglia · 15/02/2016 14:41

you can easily get razor sockets installed, sometimes they are set in over mirror lights.

really not sure that you could get straighteners to work with them though.

this sort of thing

elQuintoConyo · 15/02/2016 14:42

I have one in my bathroom. I run the heater while I'm in the shower, blow-dry my hair in front of the only mirror in the house, charge my toothbrush etc.

Obviously I'm not in UK Grin sorry I can't help.

Original poster
poppiesanddaisies · 15/02/2016 14:44

Thanks for so many replies :)

I'm positive my friend has one in her bathroom, and she's in the U.K. It's a special socket you can use in the bathroom wondering if I've invented this!

OP posts:
VagueIdeas · 15/02/2016 14:49

A shaver socket?

Original poster
poppiesanddaisies · 15/02/2016 14:53

Could be - I'm sure she straightened her hair in there?

OP posts:
TheFridgePickersKnickers · 15/02/2016 14:57

Its against building regulations. Pretty sure. They seem to tighten them every year.

Unless there is some magical socket that makes this ok - intrigued!! We have a large bathroom in our extension (build by previous owners) but no socket in there.

BlueCowWonders · 15/02/2016 15:00

I have 2 doubles inside the airing cupboard. Put in by previous owners.
I checked with electrician when we were having work done and he seemed fine with it.
But I've never used the sockets myself. Seems all wrong to plug anything in in a UK bathroom Grin

ABetaDad1 · 15/02/2016 15:04

No plugs allowed in a bathroom but a shaver point is allowed. We had one fitted to charge up our toothbrushes.

BaronessEllaSaturday · 15/02/2016 15:07

I have a travel hairdryer that fits a shaver socket if your friend has something similar with hair straighteners that could be how she does it.

Original poster
poppiesanddaisies · 15/02/2016 15:38

Thanks everyone - I must have invented friend and hair straighteners Blush Grin

OP posts:
DangerMouth · 15/02/2016 15:42

Oh l hate not having a socket in the bathroom here!

NewLife4Me · 15/02/2016 15:43

You can't have switches so pretty sure you can't have sockets.
You can have a razor adaptor thing though.
An electrician would be in so much trouble if they put a socket in a bathroom.

Artandco · 15/02/2016 15:45

We have plus sockets in our bathroom. Have the washing machine and dryer in there also plugged in. We only charge toothbrushes in there otherwise.

KP86 · 15/02/2016 15:48

Oh, this explains why our bathrooms don't have sockets! What does everyone do when straightening or drying hair, or using plugged in hair cutters???

How odd, we certainly had power points in our bathrooms in Australia.

FinestGrundyTurkey · 15/02/2016 15:49

Same as Art, I have washer & dryer in my bathroom (also the boiler but that's hard-wired) but it is a pretty big bathroom & the sockets are inside a cupboard.

I'm always surprised by the French attitude to electricity in bathrooms - they're very casual!

specialsubject · 15/02/2016 15:50

if you are in the UK, the answer is 'no' from any reputable electrician. Only shaver sockets are allowed.

The Australians use the same voltage as we do but it is allowed there, but that's building regs for you.

not sure why you would straighten hair in the steamiest room in the house, of course!

Artandco · 15/02/2016 15:52

We at in the U.K Btw with our plugged in washer and dryer. Flat is modern and all of them have the same

FinestGrundyTurkey · 15/02/2016 15:54

This is interesting. Doesn't explain anything but it's full of anecdata

www.urban75.net/forums/threads/plug-sockets-in-bathrooms-is-the-uk-being-overly-paranoid.176038/

titchy · 15/02/2016 16:01

Art you probably have them hard wired into a box which is attached to a fuse switch elsewhere. That's how we have our washing machine in our downstairs cloakroom.

specialsubject · 15/02/2016 16:07

quite a few on that linked thread are the reason we have to have these regulations. Many wouldn't last five minutes otherwise.

and they'd probably be the first to sue someone else for their own stupidity.

FinestGrundyTurkey · 15/02/2016 16:12

titchy mine used to be hardwired (first installed over 30 years ago) but the regulations have relaxed a bit since then, hence they are now plug sockets - which is a massive relief because replacing a machine meant rewiring inside the wall plate each time which was a PITA!

As Art's bathroom is big enough to accommodate a washer & dryer hers might be far enough away from the water supply too.

FinestGrundyTurkey · 15/02/2016 16:13

specialsubject I got the distinct impression some of them were kidding Wink