The bathroom shaver socket is mounted in an isolation transformer that cuts it off from the rest of the electrical system. This limits the risk of electrical shock, a concern in the bathroom where lots of water can be present.
In addition, the current is very low. It will power a shaver or electric toothbrush, but not an item like a heater or a hair dryer. The circuit will shut down if it gets too hot, thus keeping the user as safe as possible. Often a bathroom shaver socket is mounted up high and may be behind a hidden panel. If you touch the live wire of a normal electrical supply you get the full mains voltage V relative to earth across you and if you touch the neutral wire you only have a few volts about zero relative to earth.
With an isolating transformer, the wires are 'floating'. There is still the full mains voltage between them but they are both 'isolated' from earth. Whichever one you touch, only a tiny current will flow through you and its voltage, relative to earth, will be nearly zero - you will get no shock. The other wire will be at full mains voltage but, as you aren't touching it, you don't get a shock.
Isolating transformers are also used for outside work. These make life a lot safer in wet conditions. Oh yes - the isolating transformer in the bathroom outlets is small and will only supply current for low power devices so don't try to plug a tv into one. The volt yellow boxes on building sites at least here in the UK are not floating, they are centre tapped to earth. Fill all areas of the chase and any gaps around the back box ensuring there are no voids or air pockets using a trowel or filling knife and then level off to the surface of the wall.
Allow your filler of patching plaster to fully cure as stated by the manufacturers guidelines and then sand it back so that it is smooth. This is a fairly straight forward job and involves connecting the yellow and green earth wire to the earth, the blue neutral wire to the neutral and finally the brown live wire to the live on the back of the socket more information on cable colours can be found in our cable colours project here.
When securing wires ensure that the retaining screw that holds the wire in place is tightened fully and that it has plenty of bare wire to clamp down on to. Once all the wires have been connected pop the shaver socket on to the back box and fix it in place using the screws provided. Once fully tested to ensure both the socket itself and all the associated wiring is safe then the work is fully signed off.
Reader comment : Steve contacted us with this valid point, which we thought would be useful to share with you:. The transformers in shaver sockets are not to provide low voltages although, they are of course used to produce V.
The transformer is there to provide electrical isolation from the mains older shaver sockets offering V used an autotransformer, with a centre tap on a single winding and should never be re-used on a new installation as they provide no mains isolation.
So people should be very careful of those. Fitting a shaver socket is a fairly straight forward job but it must be done by someone with the correct knowledeg and qualifications to fully test the system and also ensure it is instaled in the correct location and any cabling must also be run correctly. All project content written and produced by Mike Edwards , founder of DIY Doctor and industry expert in building technology.
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Different Types of Shaver Socket There are two distinct types of shaver socket, one with a transformer to low voltage for use in bathrooms and the other without a transformer which may be placed in any other area of the home, typically a bedroom. Low voltage shaver socket suitable for bathrooms Shaver sockets without transformers should not be used in a wet area such as a shower room or bathroom under any such circumstances, these are only to be used in other rooms outside the bathroom.
These types of shaver sockets require a standard 2 gang 47mm back box. Bathroom Zones for Shaver Sockets Zone 0 — the interior of the bath or shower which can hold water. No applances should be installed here period! Zone 1 — the area directly above zone 0, limited vertically to 2. Zone 2 also includes any recessed window with a sill next to the bath and also around the wash basin Outside Zones — The areas outside of zone 0, zone 1 and zone 2 Providing the Shaver socket is reduced to V it should go in zone 2 or preferably, zone 3, never in zone 1.
Different Methods of Wiring a Shaver Socket In terms of wiring up a shaver socket there are two different routes that you can go down: Existing lighting circuit : Taking a feed wire from the bathroom lighting circuit to connect to shaver socket. This is generally the most popular method as an existing ligting circuit should be present in most bathrooms Existing socket circuit : A feed wire is taken from an existing socket circuit and then run to an FCU.
A feed is then taken from the FCU to the shaver socket Wiring a Shaver Socket From a Lighting Circuit In certain situations, it is possible to add a shaver socket to an existing lighting circuit in the room; however to be sure this is safe to do it is probably best to consult with a qualified electrician, especially in a bathroom situation. After all, they are very clearly labeled. Chatting with a seatmate on my long flight to Australia, I discovered he was an electrician who works in commercial sites.
I jumped at the opportunity to inquire about this hotel electrical puzzle, and he quickly laid bare the mystery. But you should avoid using them to power laptops, hairdryers, curling irons, or other high-draw devices. So why are most worldwide hotel bathrooms equipped with a special low-power outlet?
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