Shaver sockets
 

I was in B&Q last weekend looking for a shaver socket - well actually
it's for my electric tooth brush. Found one 240/110 volts but it had in
big print - not suitable for bathrooms ... eh? Where am I expected to
shave/clean my teeth ... anyone know the regs on this?

Thanks in advance,

Rob

"Rob Griffiths" wrote in message
...
I was in B&Q last weekend looking for a shaver socket - well actually
it's for my electric tooth brush. Found one 240/110 volts but it had in
big print - not suitable for bathrooms ... eh? Where am I expected to
shave/clean my teeth ... anyone know the regs on this?

Those that say not for bathrooms are for bedrooms, where there will be no
excessive condensation, and less likely to have a wet naked body fumbling
with electrical appliances.

In article ,
Rob Griffiths wrote:
I was in B&Q last weekend looking for a shaver socket - well actually
it's for my electric tooth brush. Found one 240/110 volts but it had in
big print - not suitable for bathrooms ... eh? Where am I expected to
shave/clean my teeth ... anyone know the regs on this?

Means it's not got an isolating transformer - so cheaper. It would be
suitable for a room where bathroom regs don't apply - guest bedroom, etc.

--
*El nino made me do it

Dave Plowman London SW
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On Thu, 25 Nov 2004 13:44:51 +0000, Rob Griffiths
wrote:

I was in B&Q last weekend looking for a shaver socket - well actually
it's for my electric tooth brush. Found one 240/110 volts but it had in
big print - not suitable for bathrooms ... eh? Where am I expected to
shave/clean my teeth ... anyone know the regs on this?

Thanks in advance,

Rob


I guess it was in the department selling chocolate teapots and
ashtrays for motorbikes. :-)

The normal shaver socket for a bathroom with 240 and 110v outlets has
an isolating transformer and is precisely for use in bathrooms.
It's off that they have one on sale that isn't.

A typical product would be MK part number K701WHI

http://www.mkelectric.co.uk/products...6&rangeid=1030

These do need a deep mounting box, BTW.



--

..andy

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Andy Hall wrote:

A typical product would be MK part number K701WHI

http://www.mkelectric.co.uk/products...6&rangeid=1030

These do need a deep mounting box, BTW.

This deep mounting box requirement caused me lots of grief when I
fitted one in our bathroom recently, it's fitted on a plasterboard
(dry lined) wall near the washbasin and I just couldn't find any deep
enough dry lining boxes anywhere. (Not to mention the hassle I had
routing the cable but that's an aside)

In the end I cut a neat little hole in a standard dry lining box to
accomodate the bit of the transformer which stuck out. Not exactly an
ideal solution but I can't see any problem with it in reality.

--
Chris Green

On Thu, 25 Nov 2004 14:05:40 +0000 (GMT), "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:

In article ,
Rob Griffiths wrote:
I was in B&Q last weekend looking for a shaver socket - well actually
it's for my electric tooth brush. Found one 240/110 volts but it had in
big print - not suitable for bathrooms ... eh? Where am I expected to
shave/clean my teeth ... anyone know the regs on this?

Means it's not got an isolating transformer - so cheaper. It would be
suitable for a room where bathroom regs don't apply - guest bedroom, etc.

Although it must have an autotransformer to manage 110v, so it seems
rather silly to cripple the product.



--

..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

and I just couldn't find any deep enough dry lining boxes anywhere.

You can get "wings" for standard metal boxes to convert them to drylining
type. However, I avoid drylining boxes where possible. I prefer to stick a
wooden block behind (or noggin between studs) and mount a metal box to that
if at all possible.

Christian.

On 25 Nov 2004 15:13:56 GMT, strung together this:

This deep mounting box requirement caused me lots of grief when I
fitted one in our bathroom recently, it's fitted on a plasterboard
(dry lined) wall near the washbasin and I just couldn't find any deep
enough dry lining boxes anywhere.

I never have, I usually just go to an electrical wholesalers and
say"can I have deep double dry liner please"? If they haven't got any
they can easily obtain one so a no hassle process.
--

SJW
A.C.S. Ltd
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In article ,
Andy Hall wrote:
Means it's not got an isolating transformer - so cheaper. It would be
suitable for a room where bathroom regs don't apply - guest bedroom,
etc.

Although it must have an autotransformer to manage 110v, so it seems
rather silly to cripple the product.

Might be done electronically.

--
*It ain't the size, it's... er... no, it IS ..the size.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Rob Griffiths" wrote in message
...
I was in B&Q last weekend looking for a shaver socket - well actually
it's for my electric tooth brush. Found one 240/110 volts but it had in
big print - not suitable for bathrooms ... eh? Where am I expected to
shave/clean my teeth ... anyone know the regs on this?

Thanks in advance,

Rob

I set out to buy a bathroom shaver socket, and discovered that it was
cheaper to buy a 60 watt tubular shaver light with isolating transformer
from Wickes for £9.99. This won't really help you unless you want to
recharge your toothbrush with the light on, but it surprised me.


---
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On Thu, 25 Nov 2004 15:41:38 -0000, "Christian McArdle"
wrote:

and I just couldn't find any deep enough dry lining boxes anywhere.

You can get "wings" for standard metal boxes to convert them to drylining
type. However, I avoid drylining boxes where possible.

Does anyone else recess the plasterboard/plaster under the lip of the
dry-liner box so that the flush sockets do actually sit flush with the
wall? It only takes a couple of minutes with a stanley knife to do the
job.

I prefer to stick a
wooden block behind (or noggin between studs) and mount a metal box to that
if at all possible.

Yes, especially if the box is close to a vertical studding that would
interfere with the wing.

Phil
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In article ,
Phil Addison wrote:
Does anyone else recess the plasterboard/plaster under the lip of the
dry-liner box so that the flush sockets do actually sit flush with the
wall? It only takes a couple of minutes with a stanley knife to do the
job.

I hate the things and never use them. Of course, I'm not charging out my
time. I fix two battens to the back of the plasterboard - either side -
and screw a metal box to them. End result is as strong as the plasterboard.

Works on lath and plaster too.

--
*Dance like nobody's watching.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Christian McArdle wrote:
and I just couldn't find any deep enough dry lining boxes anywhere.

You can get "wings" for standard metal boxes to convert them to drylining
type. However, I avoid drylining boxes where possible. I prefer to stick a
wooden block behind (or noggin between studs) and mount a metal box to that
if at all possible.

This was in a dormer window so the woodwork behind was complicated, as
I said I had an awful time routing the cable, playing games trying to
provide a support for a metal box would have taken even *more* time.
As it was it took almost a whole day to simply install a shaver point
which seemed a bit excessive!

--
Chris Green

In article
,
Rob Griffiths wrote:

I was in B&Q last weekend looking for a shaver socket - well actually
it's for my electric tooth brush. Found one 240/110 volts but it had in
big print - not suitable for bathrooms ... eh? Where am I expected to
shave/clean my teeth ... anyone know the regs on this?

Thanks in advance,

Rob

Thanks for all the info - I think I'll just avoid B&Q and go to a proper
electrical factor!

In article ,
Nigel M wrote:
Means it's not got an isolating transformer - so cheaper. It would be
suitable for a room where bathroom regs don't apply - guest bedroom,
etc.

I think that the regs need revising on this matter.

Could be.

An isolating transformer only protects you if you come in contact with
just one of the conductors - you could be touching a live wire for
months without realising it.

Indeed. That's the main benefit. But surely if a cable was damaged to
allow this it would be obvious? Not seen any metal cased shavers for a
while.

An RCD will protect you in the event of coming into contact with both or
either; indeed, an isolating transformer will completely nullify the
effect of an RCD, by balancing out the flow and return.

You'd need a local RCD - perhaps a 10mA type, and it might well cost more
than an isolating tranny.

--
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Dave Plowman London SW
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Nigel M wrote:

In uk.d-i-y, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:


Means it's not got an isolating transformer - so cheaper. It would be
suitable for a room where bathroom regs don't apply - guest bedroom, etc.


I think that the regs need revising on this matter.

An isolating transformer only protects you if you come in contact with
just one of the conductors - you could be touching a live wire for
months without realising it.

It will also greatly restrict the current availability should you
contact both. Also since neither of its legs are connected to anything
resembling a general earth, it would be much harder to contact both
lines in a dabgerous way (i.e. hand to foot etc, causing current flow
across the chest).

An RCD will protect you in the event of coming into contact with both or
either; indeed, an isolating transformer will completely nullify the
effect of an RCD, by balancing out the flow and return.

If you were well isolated, then the RCD may not detect you connecting to
both contacts, since you could look just like a circuit with little or
no loss to earth.

--
Cheers,

John.

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Phil Addison wrote:

Does anyone else recess the plasterboard/plaster under the lip of the
dry-liner box so that the flush sockets do actually sit flush with the
wall? It only takes a couple of minutes with a stanley knife to do the
job.

If you fit them to a plasterboard wall before you skim, then you can
skim them flush that way.


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

On Sat, 27 Nov 2004 12:28:17 +0000, John Rumm
wrote:

Phil Addison wrote:

Does anyone else recess the plasterboard/plaster under the lip of the
dry-liner box so that the flush sockets do actually sit flush with the
wall? It only takes a couple of minutes with a stanley knife to do the
job.

If you fit them to a plasterboard wall before you skim, then you can
skim them flush that way.

Yes, of course. I was referring to the cases where either the p/b is not
planned to be skimmed (yuch, but it happens), or the retrofit case where
it is already skimmed.

Phil
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