Can immersion heater socket be used for electric toothbrush?

by **DIYelf** » Wed Dec 24, 2014 8:54 am

Can I use the immersion heater socket in my airing cupboard to plug in an electric toothbrush? I never use the immersion heater and would like to plug in an electric razor adaptor to plug my toothbrush into. I suppose what I am asking is can the immersion socket be used like a normal socket? It is connected to another socket which the central heating controls plug into, by a thickish cable.

by **ericmark** » Thu Dec 25, 2014 9:39 pm

I would guess it has a 15 amp socket it was common at one time to supply an immersion heated through a 15A socket so it could be local isolated. There are 15A plugs with a 5A fuse as sold here http://cpc.farnell.com/1/1/868-15a-fuse ... ctric.html and there is no reason why you should not use one of these plugs. If link removed Google 643WHI but with an un-fused plug the tooth brush cable is likely too small.

by **DIYelf** » Thu Jan 08, 2015 5:28 pm

ericmark wrote:I would guess it has a 15 amp socket it was common at one time to supply an immersion heated through a 15A socket so it could be local isolated. There are 15A plugs with a 5A fuse as sold here http://cpc.farnell.com/1/1/868-15a-fuse ... ctric.html and there is no reason why you should not use one of these plugs. If link removed Google 643WHI but with an un-fused plug the tooth brush cable is likely too small.

Thankyou for your reply. The toothbrush has a two-pin plug.I currently use a fused shaver adaptor which plugs into a socket and then I plug the toothbrush into it. Presumably that takes care of the 15A to 5A business? I want to keep the toothbrush out of sight hence my desire to use the socket in the airing cupboard. Do you think the adaptor into the immersion socket will be OK?

by **ericmark** » Fri Jan 09, 2015 9:12 am

I see no problems. Of course any electric item buried in cloths could over heat but I expect you are going to place it where there is some free air so no problem in what you intend to do.

by **DIYelf** » Tue Jan 13, 2015 9:48 am

ericmark wrote:I see no problems. Of course any electric item buried in cloths could over heat but I expect you are going to place it where there is some free air so no problem in what you intend to do.

Absolutely. The airing cupboard isn't used as such. At some point the hot water cylinder was moved from floor level to waist height, presumably when a radiator was installed on the outside at floor level, so there isn't really the space for shelves what with all the pipes etc.I thought I'd build a little shelf near the socket to put the toothbrush on. Plenty of air space all around. Thanks for putting my mind at rest.