Hi

now i have knocked down 2 stud walls the wiring to the bathroom lightswitch
is now in effect inside the bathroom, runs down the wall next to the new
bathroom door. the switch remains on the outside of the bathroom.
can i leave the switch wire where it is or does it have to run outside the
bathroom. it is know where near water, the closest being some 10 foot away.

Mark

"Mark D Smith"  wrote in message
news:43551483$0$29438$da0feed9@news.zen.co.uk...

> Hi
>
> now i have knocked down 2 stud walls the wiring to the bathroom
lightswitch
> is now in effect inside the bathroom, runs down the wall next to the new
> bathroom door. the switch remains on the outside of the bathroom.
> can i leave the switch wire where it is or does it have to run outside the
> bathroom. it is know where near water, the closest being some 10 foot
away.
>


I'm not sure of the regs about your wiring, but it's  abit iffy to my way of
thinking. I know the switch must  be outside the bathroom so that you can't
switch it on with wet hands etc.

But since the wiring is accessible, why not shorten it and fit a pull switch
screwed to the ceiling? Much better all round IMHO.

Steve

Mark D Smith wrote:

> Hi
> 
> now i have knocked down 2 stud walls the wiring to the bathroom lightswitch
> is now in effect inside the bathroom, runs down the wall next to the new
> bathroom door. the switch remains on the outside of the bathroom.
> can i leave the switch wire where it is or does it have to run outside the
> bathroom. it is know where near water, the closest being some 10 foot away.
> 
> Mark
> 


It sounds like you have surface mount wires running down the wall inside 
the bathroom, which then go through the wall to a light switch outside 
the bathroom. Is that right?

Provided the wires are of appropriate cable and adequately supported, 
they are fine. Many old houses have surface wiring.

You are no longer allowed to do anything other than replacement of 
wiring and fittings in places like bathrooms, Part P rules. You are not 
allowed to modify such wiring, say to re-route them.

  Of course, had you re-routed the wires before knocking the walls down 
(so that they weren't in the bathroom at the time), that would have been 
fine..You could have, for example, replaced the existing switch and 
cable with a ceiling-mounted cord-pull switch (which happens to now be 
in your bathroom)..Are you sure you didn't ;) ?

If you do need to modify bathroom wiring, you need to either get an 
electrician whose company can self-certify to Part P, or the work needs 
to be notified to your local building control body:

"Work, including minor work, which is carried out in a special location 
as included in Table 2.(Replacement work is nonnotifiable, even when 
carried out in a kitchen or in a special location shown in Table 2.)

Table 2.

Locations containing a bath tub or shower basin
Swimming pools or paddling pools
Hot air saunas
Electric floor or ceiling heating systems
Garden lighting or power installations
Solar photovoltaic (PV) power supply systems
Small scale generators such as microCHP units
Extra-low voltage lighting installations, other than pre-assembled, 
CE-marked lighting sets

So there..


-- 
Sue

"Mark D Smith"  wrote in message 
news:43551483$0$29438$da0feed9@news.zen.co.uk...

> Hi
>
> now i have knocked down 2 stud walls the wiring to the bathroom 
> lightswitch
> is now in effect inside the bathroom, runs down the wall next to the new
> bathroom door. the switch remains on the outside of the bathroom.
> can i leave the switch wire where it is or does it have to run outside the
> bathroom. it is know where near water, the closest being some 10 foot 
> away.
>
> Mark
>


Have a look at
http://www.niceic.org.uk/approved/quest3.html

http://www.iee.org/Search/search.cfm?GoTo=/publish/wireregs/wiringmatters/documents/Issue14/2004_14_spring_wiring_matters_cables_concealed_in_thin_walls_or_partitions.pdf

Or here in tinyurl form.
http://tinyurl.com/8ah6o
http://tinyurl.com/7llyf

HTH

Adam

"Palindr☻me" <sb382638@hotmail.com.invalid> wrote in message
news:11laad58kv9cv0d@corp.supernews.com...

> Mark D Smith wrote:
> > Hi
> >
> > now i have knocked down 2 stud walls the wiring to the bathroom
lightswitch
> > is now in effect inside the bathroom, runs down the wall next to the new
> > bathroom door. the switch remains on the outside of the bathroom.
> > can i leave the switch wire where it is or does it have to run outside
the
> > bathroom. it is know where near water, the closest being some 10 foot
away.
> >
> > Mark
> >
>
> It sounds like you have surface mount wires running down the wall inside
> the bathroom, which then go through the wall to a light switch outside
> the bathroom. Is that right?

Yes

> Provided the wires are of appropriate cable and adequately supported,
> they are fine. Many old houses have surface wiring.


The cable looks ok to me. standard 1.5mm T&E in a plaster groove running up
along side the door frame.


> You are no longer allowed to do anything other than replacement of
> wiring and fittings in places like bathrooms, Part P rules. You are not
> allowed to modify such wiring, say to re-route them.


the current switch is on the door frame outside the bathroom.
re-routing is a right hand bend to bring the switch on to the hall wall next
to the door frame.


>   Of course, had you re-routed the wires before knocking the walls down
> (so that they weren't in the bathroom at the time), that would have been
> fine..You could have, for example, replaced the existing switch and
> cable with a ceiling-mounted cord-pull switch (which happens to now be
> in your bathroom)..Are you sure you didn't ;) ?


we did indeed do the changes before the walls came down.


> If you do need to modify bathroom wiring, you need to either get an
> electrician whose company can self-certify to Part P, or the work needs
> to be notified to your local building control body:


later work i.e a shaver point and new lighting in the ceiling will be done
by an electrician under part of the major building work. i just don't want
to pay for a job i can easily do.


> "Work, including minor work, which is carried out in a special location
> as included in Table 2.(Replacement work is nonnotifiable, even when
> carried out in a kitchen or in a special location shown in Table 2.)
>
> Table 2.
>
> Locations containing a bath tub or shower basin
> Swimming pools or paddling pools
> Hot air saunas
> Electric floor or ceiling heating systems
> Garden lighting or power installations
> Solar photovoltaic (PV) power supply systems
> Small scale generators such as microCHP units
> Extra-low voltage lighting installations, other than pre-assembled,
> CE-marked lighting sets
>
> So there..
>


from the above table i read it as minor work and as such nonnotifiable.

Mark


> -- 
> Sue