Shaver sockets

JonathanRyan

JonathanRyan

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I'm designing a new bathroom and becoming baffled by the regulations on shaver sockets. They seem to have gone out of their way to make them as ugly and useless as possible.

I kind of get that they have to be zone 2 etc but the regs also say they have to be 110v with an isolating transformer and at least 3 metres from bath / shower. In practical terms that means either they buzz or you have a bathroom twice the size of the UK average.....

Meanwhile
  1. If I pay £700 for a mirror (yes, really, mirrors can cost that much) I can have a socket on the side with apparently no transformer
  2. Most of the rest of the world allows normal plug sockets in the bathroom - IIRC in France they are mandatory. And I don't believe French people routinely get electrocuted
  3. All of the kind that buzz are ugly. Like really ugly.
What's going on? China recently landed on the dark side of the moon but we still don't have decent shaver sockets in the UK.

(Side note - of course nobody uses them for shavers - it's all about toothbrushes.....)
 
JonathanRyan said:
I'm designing a new bathroom and becoming baffled by the regulations on shaver sockets. They seem to have gone out of their way to make them as ugly and useless as possible.

I kind of get that they have to be zone 2 etc but the regs also say they have to be 110v with an isolating transformer and at least 3 metres from bath / shower. In practical terms that means either they buzz or you have a bathroom twice the size of the UK average.....

Meanwhile
  1. If I pay £700 for a mirror (yes, really, mirrors can cost that much) I can have a socket on the side with apparently no transformer
  2. Most of the rest of the world allows normal plug sockets in the bathroom - IIRC in France they are mandatory. And I don't believe French people routinely get electrocuted
  3. All of the kind that buzz are ugly. Like really ugly.
What's going on? China recently landed on the dark side of the moon but we still don't have decent shaver sockets in the UK.

(Side note - of course nobody uses them for shavers - it's all about toothbrushes.....)
Click to expand...
I wonder when was the last time the regulations were updated :thinking:
 
A decade ago I replaced a light unit above the mirror with the socket built in. That may be a cost effective and tidy way to do it.
 
ancient_mariner said:
A decade ago I replaced a light unit above the mirror with the socket built in. That may be a cost effective and tidy way to do it.
Click to expand...
Gosh - I'd forgotten these even existed.

Something like this https://www.toolstation.com/white-led-ip20-dual-voltage-shaver-light/p91776

Which starts to get even odder. This is IP20 (i.e. no protection against water at all). But because it's a light fitting (with a power socket) it's Zone 3.Sadly not only does it have a dangly string as a switch (another thing we should be inventing around), it does 110 as well as 240 so it will probably buzz :(
 
It's the isolating transformer that buzzes - whether you use the 110 or 230v side... As for when the regulations were last revised 2018 (with 2 subsequent amendments)
 
I use a socket in the kitchen to recharge my tooth bush and trimmer, they last a good week between charges.
 
JonathanRyan said:
Gosh - I'd forgotten these even existed.

Something like this https://www.toolstation.com/white-led-ip20-dual-voltage-shaver-light/p91776

Which starts to get even odder. This is IP20 (i.e. no protection against water at all). But because it's a light fitting (with a power socket) it's Zone 3.Sadly not only does it have a dangly string as a switch (another thing we should be inventing around), it does 110 as well as 240 so it will probably buzz :(
Click to expand...

Ours is something like that, but there's no buzz. Pull cords are good for me - I favour a solid mechanical switch.
 
We went through the same process and ended up charging the toothbrushes in the bedroom using an adaptor plugged into a 13a socket.
 
Suvv said:
We went through the same process and ended up charging the toothbrushes in the bedroom using an adaptor plugged into a 13a socket.
Click to expand...
Me too. Except I had a spare charger so I cut the plug off and added a 3 pin.

I just hoped for better when refurbishing an 80s bathroom :)
 
ancient_mariner said:
Out of interest, what do you consider better?
Click to expand...
Something that's unobtrusive - maybe the size of a us plug socket that doesn't buzz. Then let designers make nice ones (the mandatory labelling is pretty dated).

I'd also expect nic/eic to figure out a way of waterproofing then so they can be put in at least zone 1. I can't see any real need to put them there but if I were redesigning the socket I'd probably try to make it locatable anywhere in a bathroom even zone 0 just because bathroom design is hard enough as it is :)
 
boogie man said:
These seem a better idea for charging. Not sure what IP category they’re in though.

www.ebay.co.uk

Proofvision In Wall Toothbrush Charger - White 5060599908892 | eBay UK

ProofVision PV10P. Sits flush with the wall like a shaver socket. Standards EN 61558-2-5. Finish White. Insert Colours White. Mounts in a 47mm vertical knockout box. Height 162mm.
www.ebay.co.uk
Click to expand...
Thank you - yes the bathroom designer suggested something similar and when I found them they seemed amazing. Unfortunately the bit where they say "Fits all Oral-B and Braun" is "pure advertising hyperbole"..... They don't fit Oral-B's very popular iQ range at all.

And I did for real think about changing my toothbrush. My dentist advised against it :)
 
JonathanRyan said:
  1. If I pay £700 for a mirror (yes, really, mirrors can cost that much) I can have a socket on the side with apparently no transformer
Click to expand...
Totally agree about the cost of bathroom mirrors. When we refurbished a very dated bathroom we included a mirrored cupboard with edge lighting. This included a shaver socket inside. No good for shaving as the morror door would need to be open. But ideal for charging toothbrush which stands on top shelf with cable going to socket in top of cabinet. Definitely worth considering.
 
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