Outlets in bathrooms

I was under the impression that there were no outlets in the bathrooms in the UK, either in residential or commercial property.  I know I haven't seen any, and I've stayed in about 10 hotels so far.

A friend who visited the UK eons ago said she stayed in a hotel where you could plug in your hairdryer in the bathroom. She has traveled to a lot of countries, so maybe she is mistaken.

Is this a relatively new practice or was it always so?

Also, are all of your light/fan switches for your bathroom on the outside of the room?

Thanks!

I've never seen an outlet in any bathroom here. It drives me batty that they're not allowed. Unfortunately I can't speak to whether it's new or always been!

I've never seen an outlet in any bathroom here. It drives me batty that they're not allowed. Unfortunately I can't speak to whether it's new or always been!

We have seen "shaving" outlets in hotels (ie that don't draw a lot of power), but the lights and etc (and anything that could handle a hair dryer) has always been outside of the bathroom!

Most of the time there are no outlets in UK bathrooms.  Some times you get an outlet that can accept a special type of plug found on shavers and electric toothbrush chargers.

I think the building code allows for plugs in bathrooms if they're far enough away from the toilet/shower/bathtub, but I've never seen a house that was equipped this way.

I've never seen a bathroom with the switch inside.  They're always outside.

As for your friend's hair dryer, maybe it was a hotel with a special hair dryer built into the wall, and far enough away from the rest of the fixtures, but I also might have just made up something that doesn't exist.

It drives me nuts, as I'm sure there are technologies available in the 21st century to allow the safe manipulation of household electricity and water in close contact with each other, but change comes slowly, and fear lasts a long long time.

We have a 2 PIN outlet that takes either 120 or 240v (you can flip a switch to change it) next to our sink so conceivably I could plug a US hairdryer into it.

I don't because I have a dressing table.

I have one..

Only cause when my husband remodelled our bathroom I asked for a special area to do my hair and put my make up on with LOTS of drawers and cabiniets..So I have a little area well away from any water outlets..and I have two double sockets and a huge show girl mirror with lights

I HATE the no outlets in the bathroom here.  I don't get why they can't use the GFI outlets like in the US... and I know not to use a hairdryer in the bathtub...  Oh well, one of the things I've learned to "get over it".

My switches are all outside the bathroom door, but in my first place in the UK, I had the pull chain for the light in the bathroom.

Being a 50 year old Brit i can say I've never seen an outlet (plug socket) in a bathroom. You do get electric shaver points, which we have, so maybe this is what they got confused with.
Most houses have a pull cord in the bathroom but there are some that have the switch outside. Hotels generally seem to have the switch outside.

I HATE the no outlets in the bathroom here.  I don't get why they can't use the GFI outlets like in the US... and I know not to use a hairdryer in the bathtub...  Oh well, one of the things I've learned to "get over it".

DW just has an extension cord into the bathroom to use for hairdryer - I'm pretty fixated on checking that it's switched off at the plug when it's not in use!

In theory it's a safety thing....so why have outlets in the kitchen where there's also access to water....like a foot from the sink?

One of those great mysteries of life in the UK (but it won't be on the test).

In theory it's a safety thing....so why have outlets in the kitchen where there's also access to water....like a foot from the sink?

One of those great mysteries of life in the UK (but it won't be on the test).

I also think that they shouldn't be so close to the sink either. When we had our kitchen refitted the designer wouldn't place on at the small counter at side of sink that is only 2 ft wide. But asked the electrician we hired and he put one there - just as well as without having the kettle there I'm not sure what we'd otherwise use that space for!
What got me was that they just ran cable on the floor under the cabinets  - not sure what will happen if the washer springs a leak!

Remember that UK currents run at at a higher voltage (usually 240) where normal US current in most wall outlets are around 120V.  In the US, only appliances with heating elements use 220V like dryers, ovens, furnaces, kilns, etc.   Regular electricity is twice as dangerous in the UK, if you want to think of it that way. 

But, I do think the absence of outlets near water is silly.  By that train of thought, one could never have a jacuzzi tub or a shower pump for that matter. 

Sometimes you just need to let Darwinism sort it out.   

Thanks for your input, all.

I found out she stayed in London in 2002. She said she had outlets in the bathroom of her hotel, and also heated towel racks and dimmer switches inside the bathroom.

I guess the hotel bathroom was big enough to abide by the 3-metre rule.

Ah well, I was just wondering.  Thanks!

We don't have outlets in the bathroom, but when I bought a hairdryer here, it came with a 'salon-length cord' or something like that.    It's massively long and I can plug it in a nearby room, pull the cord under an open door and lo and behold- I can dry my hair in the bathroom.     Woohoo!!!   

I'd only really bother if I were going somewhere important, though, as I don't usually 'do' my hair (I just dry it ).    But I can do it. 

http://uk.remington-europe.com/women/haircare/dryers/pearl-dryer-ac5011.html