Appliance in under stair cupboard accessed via shower/b'room Ask questions and find answers to many subjects relating to electrics and electrical work

[brownell]

Wondered if anybody could advise on this.
I have a project to convert a ground floor garage into a shower room and study. The shower room will back on to the stair case and there's a cupboard underneath into which I'd like to put a washing maching and run some plugs for a tv mounted on the wall in the room on the other side of the stair case. So the understair cupboard would be accessed from a small shower bathroom. Would this be permitted under the regulations? I'm aware that bathrooms are split into zones for the purposes of placing extractors etc, but I'm unsure about the implications of having a mains aplliance in a cupboard accessed from the bathroom. If it's based on zones /distances then I may have to re-plan. Thanks.

[ericmark]

It would depend on how you access the area. Since it would likely come under Part P my advice is to ask the person signing the paperwork what they will accept.

[jimmy_one_ball]

You can have a socket outlet 3m away from zone 1 (edge of bath or shower), provided it is protected by a 30mA RCD - also 2.6m from zone 2 which is arms length from a bath or shower.

[ericmark]

The rules refer to use of a tool or a key. And for example you can put all sorts under the bath as long as the bath panel is screwed into place.

All rooms with a bath or shower are now treated the same. So the rules are designed to also cover where a shower is fitted in a bedroom hence the 3 meter rule.

In the main a bathroom is not big enough to get 3 meters away from bath or shower.

There are some odd cases. My daughters house has a wet room and this consists of a room with tanked floor and hot and cold tap. There is no fixed bath or shower fitting and according to rule book there is no restriction on fitting any sockets other than loads of references to being "Suitable" and it is these references which mean at the end of the day you have to satisfy the guy signing paperwork.

I can quote regulations but I can't see your house or work out is there would be a danger. And the last thing I want to see is you install loads of electrical items only to have the building inspector from the LABC say he doesn't like it and you have to do it all again.

Common sense is not that common and many times I have seen a safe installation where the guy signing it off does not like it. And I have also had heated debates. With the list of qualifications I have normally I have got the guy to see my point of view. But it is far easier to iron it all out first hence my advice to ask guy signing paper work what he will accept.

[candyjob34]

Well I think your project was great! You just need to stay away the washing machine to the passage of the water. Good luck to your project!