In article VGldc.855$qe5.343@newsfe1-win,
Revd. Norle Enturbulata wrote:
Given the appalling standards - or lack of them - for US wiring, I'd
keep quiet about that. ;-)

Having worked on the renovation of the 1851 house we now live in I'd
have to take issue with that one. There are too many regulations in the
UK and nobody to enforce them; and the cowboys pick up the slack,
usually trying it on for cash.

The regulations are there for your safety. Of course cowboys will try and
ignore them - so don't employ cowboys.

Why would anyone need the kind of odd hookup they call a "shaving
point"? What company making electric shavers has the plug for it anyway?

In the UK, the mains voltage is 230 volts. This can be lethal under
certain circumstances. And wet hands etc close to earthed fittings - taps
etc - are ideal circumstances to kill you. So any power outlet in a
bathroom (within a defined zone) has to be isolated via a 1 to 1
transformer.

Why would you expect a shaver maker to also make the outlet? Do Sony make
external aerials? You go to an electrical accessory supplier for such
things - or even a large DIY shed stocks isolated shaver sockets.

You might like to visit the company below's website - and ask them for a
free catalogue. It has all the answers you're likely to need for UK wiring
and accessories. They also sell a guide to the 16th edition of the UK
wiring regs if you're really keen. ;-)

www.tlc-direct.co.uk

The resultant non-regulation is
worse because of the overabundance of them, and these conditions help to
make the UK on a par with the third world when it comes to home wiring.

That's just rubbish. Many DIYers do total re-wires of their houses, or
extend and modify the existing. It's not difficult. You just have to
realise that the US system is one of the most dangerous in the entire
developed world, with more electrical fires per household than any other.
Twisting wires together was outlawed here about 50 years ago. ;-) And find
out how it should be done safely.

Did you know that Buckingham Palace still has that ol' two-wiring stuff?

Then the wiring is well past its sell by date, given that earths have been
required for some 40 years - even on lighting circuits.


If you need advice on UK electrics, visit uk.d-i-y - you'll get all the
advice you'll ever need on just about anything related. With all the
common questions covered in the FAQ.

--
*"I am " is reportedly the shortest sentence in the English language. *

Dave Plowman London SW 12
RIP Acorn