Illuminated mirror with shaver socket

Andysparky · Nov 17, 2011

Hi Guys

Been asked to price install of illuminated mirror with shaver socket in bathroom, would normally wire into lighting circuit with RCD protection, however consumer unit only part rcd protected, you guessed no rcd on any lighting circuits, but upstairs ring circuit RCD protected, with socket on adjacent wall my idea is to install fuse spur off ring which will supply illuminated mirror and shaver, has i cant find anything in BGB about shavers on lighting circuit can somebody please tell me if there is a reg I am missing. Obviously easiest method would be to install RcBO in con unit for lights then wire as normal, but at the moment the customers lights are not working already in parts of the upstairs, when i offered to fault find this for him, his reaction was give me a price for the mirror then well look at the upstairs lights after, this is why I am working on a different way of doing at the moment.

telectrix · Nov 17, 2011

FCU off RFC with 3A fuse sounds a good plan.

Andysparky · Nov 18, 2011

Tanks for the reply telectrix

Deleted member 26818 · Nov 18, 2011

Make certain if the fitting is going in zone 1 or 2, that the IP rating is at least IPX4.
I was quite supprised the other day to discover, not all of these types of fittings are IPX4.

Andysparky · Nov 18, 2011

Thanks for the heads up spin, yes it is going in zone 2 and checked info when viewing it is according to literature ip44

Selfmade · Jun 3, 2013

Old thread I know, and maybe this has changed with amendment 1, but in case anyone might find this useful:

Reg 701.512.2 states that the requirement for IP ratings does not apply to shaver units complying with BS EN 61558-2-5, fitted in zone 2, as long as it is installed where direct shower spray is unlikely. Of course the situation is probably different with regard to the illuminated mirror...

I am installing a shaver socket on a currently un-RCD protected circuit soon, but will probably move the MCB over to the RCD side of the CU as there are spare ways there. Of course there were shaver sockets in bathrooms long before RCDs were even invented, and it is legitimate (perhaps even expected) to follow the regs that were in place at the time the installation was originally wired, but then perhaps they had to be outside the zones? Would be interesting to know - my 5 day wonder course only covered the 17th edition!

yellowvanman · Jun 3, 2013

if the lighting is not RCD protected then you're going to have to have supplementary bonding for all circuits in the bathroom, if not there already!

Selfmade · Jun 5, 2013

Good point; reckon I'll definitely move that MCB over to the RCD side as all other circuits are already RCD protected. The plumbing is all plastic so no need to supplementary bond that but the circuits should of course be bonded to each other (in the absence of RCD protection). Pretty sure they are not currently sup. bonded.