Bathroom shaver sockets

[Taz]

I've got shaver sockets in the bathrooms in my flat. I never use them but was wondering whether it would be okay to plug a small radio into them. I've already got a radio in the bathroom but run it on batteries and they last around 3 months and are quite expensive to replace (4 x 'C' batteries).

The radio came with a mains lead but as there is no 3-pin outlet in the bathroom, would I be okay in plugging it into the shaver socket (with an adaptor plug)? The total consumption of the radio is around 6W. I don't want to blow anything up!

[Bob Crabtree]

Well, shavers draw less than 1W, so a socket intended for a shaver may only be rated at 1W and fused at that (just like three-pin-to-two-pin shaver adaptors which all have 1W fuses).

However, even if the radio didn't blow a fuse, you have to think about the UK law concerning what sorts of mains electrical appliance you can and can't run in a bathroom - and its pretty restrictive.

This doesn't seem to be the case in mainland Europe - people often have washing machines and tumble dryers in their bathrooms over there - but, nanny state or not, there is good reason for the UK law.

The main one is that it's not a good idea to have portable electric products running in the bathroom that aren't intended to be used in the bathroom, since you could get killed if the product were dropped or knocked into the sink or bath while you were washing or bathing.

The other possibility, of course, is that you'd be sitting in the bath listening to the radio, decide to change channels and only find after you'd reached out and touched the radio - then died and gone to heaven - that the radio was faulty.

So, my advice is, pay up for disposable batteries; use rechargeable batteries; or power the radio from the mains socket OUTSIDE the bathroom - and leave the radio out there where you can't reach it from the bath or while your hands are in the sink.

Bob

[Taz]

Good advice. I didn't think of the possible consequences! Will try rechargeables.

[jamena]

if you can run the radio from an isolated transformer you could run the lead from that into the bathroom and take power from that. If the radio takes a mains voltage and has an internal transformer that's not an option of course. You sure you're not just reading the power rating off the back of the transformer? 6W sounds enthusiastic for a little radio that lasts 3 months on a set of 4 C cells! How long do you have it on each day?

[BlackDwarf]

Or as an alternative.... go get one of those wind-up radio's, then you can give it a twist when you walk into the bathroom, leave it on a shelf or something, and even if it did fall in the bath, the most its going to give you is a tingle.

[jamena]

you'd never notice ANY tingle from a battery operated device. If indeed it does short out it'll short across the battery terminals, and you are unlikely to be between those terminals. The only time it gets dangerous is when you manage to become a link to ground for a live wire. Get a rubber bath...

[BlackDwarf]

My GCSE physics/electronics has let me down... Damn schools. What is the world coming to?

[dangel]

you'd never notice ANY tingle from a battery operated device. If indeed it does short out it'll short across the battery terminals, and you are unlikely to be between those terminals. The only time it gets dangerous is when you manage to become a link to ground for a live wire. Get a rubber bath...

...and rubber water, rubber pipes...

[Taz]

jamena: the radio is used for around 15 minutes per day. My other bathroom is used for bathing/showering so electrocution isn't really a big problem. The bathroom in question is only ever used for shaving and guests (not at the same time!).

[Funkstar]

I vote for the wind up radio as well, for more environmentally friendly.

[Timmy!!!]

Shaver sockets usually have a 1amp fuse in them, which gives you a maximum of 230 watts (although i would never try and draw this much current).

I agree with the wind up/rechargeable battery ideas. I actually have a wind up radio, they are pretty nifty and last about 15-20 mins for 30 seconds of winding - not bad eh!

Tim

[Bob Crabtree]

Tim,

Thanks for letting me off lightly!

Must have been very tired when I did my original reply, stupidly talking about 1A (which is what 3pin-to-2pin shaver sockets are fused at) and then transposing that directly into Watts.

D'oh!

Bob C

Shaver sockets usually have a 1amp fuse in them, which gives you a maximum of 230 watts (although i would never try and draw this much current).

I agree with the wind up/rechargeable battery ideas. I actually have a wind up radio, they are pretty nifty and last about 15-20 mins for 30 seconds of winding - not bad eh!

Tim