Socket in airing cupboard

[crotley32]

Im currently doing a EICR report they have a socket in a airing cuoboard which used a to have a shower pump plugged now has the vacuum.charging. the distance from the bath is well within zone 2 but is in a seperate cupboard what C classification would you give this?

 

[Midwest]

Thought that would bring some consternation. A cupboard is still another room, even within a bathroom - there's some big cupboards out there. My ensuite has a socket just outside its door, i.e. within 3 metres. My ensuite is a cupboard (its a small ensuite!) to my bedroom.

Frankly I wouldn't put a socket anywhere in a bathroom, even if it was over 3 metres.

 

[Andy78]

Thought that would bring some consternation. A cupboard is still another room, even within a bathroom - there's some big cupboards out there. My ensuite has a socket just outside its door, i.e. within 3 metres. My ensuite is a cupboard (its a small ensuite!) to my bedroom.

Frankly I wouldn't put a socket anywhere in a bathroom, even if it was over 3 metres.

A cupboard is another room ? What about the one with mirrored doors I keep my toothbrush in ? What about the vanity unit under my basin ?

 

[Midwest]

A cupboard is another room ? What about the one with mirrored doors I keep my toothbrush in ? What about the vanity unit under my basin ?

I got a cupboard under my stairs, I can walk into that. Not sure you can walk into your vanity basin cupboard, unless your Peter Dinklage

 

[Andy78]

I got a cupboard under my stairs, I can walk into that. Not sure you can walk into your vanity basin, unless your Peter Dinklage

So a cupboard is defined as another room if you can walk into it and therefore exempt from the rules of section 701 ? I can't recall seeing that bit in the regs.

 

[westward10]

I might put a socket in my bathroom and fit a cupboard big enough to enclose it and put a bar of soap in, exemption job done.

 

[Des 56]

I haven't looked this up, am not disagreeing with the views given and not being near to a set of Regs where does it state zones do not include cupboards.

I won't quote he whole of the reg but the relevant part of 701.32.1

When applying this section Zones specified in blah blah shall be taken into account,it goes on
Inclined ceilings,walls,fixed partitions,DOORS effectively limit the extent of the location containing a Bath or Shower as well as their zones

 

[Andy78]

I won't quote he whole of the reg but the relevant part of 701.32.1

When applying this section Zones specified in blah blah shall be taken into account,it goes on
Inclined ceilings,walls,fixed partitions,DOORS effectively limit the extent of the location containing a Bath or Shower as well as their zones

Excellent. Thanks for that.

 

[Midwest]

So a cupboard is defined as another room if you can walk into it and therefore exempt from the rules of section 701 ? I can't recall seeing that bit in the regs.

I recently did a bathroom refurb', which had a cupboard within it, containing the hot water cylinder & new power shower pump etc, and was within 3 metres etc. The power shower needed a new supply, I provided a new FCU.

However, lets go crazy, and say the manufacturer of the shower pump said don't cut off my plug top. I would of installed a socket outlet in that cupboard. Making that risk assessment, as the customer will have only used the socket for the power shower and I would explain why not to use it for anything else. Would the customer unplug their power shower to plug in a hoover? If at a later date, a new owner used it to plug in a toaster, well more fool them. As I said before, I wouldn't install a socket in a bathroom, even outside of 3 meters, 'cos my customer wanted to plug in his hairdryer.

The regs are there for guidance, they can't account for ever eventuality. A mediocre modicum (sorry Sparksburntout done it again) amount of common sense needs to be applied , surely?

 

[Wilko]

My thought is this cupboard is in the bathroom. So it's in the special location and accessed when standing in the special location. Looks, like, smells like ... Otherwise we'd all be installing sockets in medicine cabinets, surely?

 

[Wilko]

I won't quote he whole of the reg but the relevant part of 701.32.1

When applying this section Zones specified in blah blah shall be taken into account,it goes on
Inclined ceilings,walls,fixed partitions,DOORS effectively limit the extent of the location containing a Bath or Shower as well as their zones

I thought this refers to a door commonly fitted at the entrance to a room, or is it thought they meant anything with a flap and a hinge?

 

[DPG]

I recently did a bathroom refurb', which had a cupboard within it, containing the hot water cylinder & new power shower pump etc, and was within 3 metres etc. The power shower needed a new supply, I provided a new FCU.

However, lets go crazy, and say the manufacturer of the shower pump said don't cut off my plug top. I would of installed a socket outlet in that cupboard. Making that risk assessment, as the customer will have only used the socket for the power shower and I would explain why not to use it for anything else. Would the customer unplug their power shower to plug in a hoover? If at a later date, a new owner used it to plug in a toaster, well more fool them. As I said before, I wouldn't install a socket in a bathroom, even outside of 3 meters, 'cos my customer wanted to plug in his hairdryer.

The regs are there for guidance, they can't account for ever eventuality. A mediocre modicum (sorry Sparksburntout done it again) amount of common sense needs to be applied , surely?

1. Oh God, no. Not this again.
2. Don't worry Sparksy can't hear you - he's banned I think

Dazburnsout.

 

[Andy78]

I recently did a bathroom refurb', which had a cupboard within it, containing the hot water cylinder & new power shower pump etc, and was within 3 metres etc. The power shower needed a new supply, I provided a new FCU.

However, lets go crazy, and say the manufacturer of the shower pump said don't cut off my plug top. I would of installed a socket outlet in that cupboard. Making that risk assessment, as the customer will have only used the socket for the power shower and I would explain why not to use it for anything else. Would the customer unplug their power shower to plug in a hoover? If at a later date, a new owner used it to plug in a toaster, well more fool them. As I said before, I wouldn't install a socket in a bathroom, even outside of 3 meters, 'cos my customer wanted to plug in his hairdryer.

The regs are there for guidance, they can't account for ever eventuality. A mediocre modicum (sorry Sparksburntout done it again) amount of common sense needs to be applied , surely?

I do agree that common sense applies yes. I was asking for clarification on a point of the regs though, which as we know, do not always go hand in hand with common sense.

I have plenty of functional accessories in my own bathroom which I consider perfectly safe because I know the use of them and the users.
I would not fit a socket in a bathroom, even in a partitioned cupboard, for any purpose though. The specific use of a socket cannot be guaranteed despite explanation and the assumed common sense of all users. That's my take on common sense, my own working practices, and my own arse covering nature.

 

[Richard Burns]

GN7 gives the advice that a bathroom cupboard limits the zones if the door is toward the bath but the zone extends into the cupboard if the door opens near the bath.
I attach the diagram on the left from GN7 and after some "careful" editing created the diagram on the right to show the alternative.

View attachment 35841

 

[Dave OCD]

Well if the owner insists he/she wants to continue charging the cordless vacuum in there just hard wire the charging base into a weatherproof switched FCU, in fact a normal one would do but for a few quid more why not.

 

[westward10]

Well if the owner insists he/she wants to continue charging the cordless vacuum in there just hard wire the charging base into a weatherproof switched FCU, in fact a normal one would do but for a few quid more why not.

It is probably an encapsulated power supply.