Bathrooms are no longer simply functional washrooms, they are now seen as a showcase for a home or a relaxing sanctuary from busy family life. They are getting bigger and better, with separate showers, oversized tubs, sauna rooms and even televisions.
Remember that water and electricity are a dangerous mix, so it’s best to leave electrical work to the professionals.

Homeowners should only carry out electrical work if competent to do so, and if they can inspect and test that it is safe for use. Rules for carrying out work in the bathroom were tightened in 2005 to prevent the number of accidents caused by faulty DIY electrical work.

To comply with the law homeowners must now notify their local building control office before they begin any work and pay the appropriate fee to have it inspected.
The simplest way to ensure any electrical work is carried out safely and to a high standard is to use a government-registered electrician, such as Dragoman Solutions .

Electrical sockets are now permitted in bathrooms or shower rooms as long as they are located more than 3m from the edge of the bath or shower. Specially designed shaver units are an exception to this rule and can be located slightly nearer, but still no closer than 600mm from the bath or shower.
All circuits in a bathroom must be protected by an RCD (residual current device).

Electric showers require their own electrical circuit, which in general will have the highest electrical demand out of your household appliances. They will need to be connected to the fuse box and protected by an RCD. The cost of fitting an electric shower will depend on whether the fuse box requires updating to comply with current safety standards.

Building regulations require an adequate means of ventilation. An extractor fan is essential and will help cut down steam in the bathroom.

All electric heaters and water heaters in a bathroom must be fixed and permanently wired into the wall. Hot water central heating or underfloor heating is the safest way of keeping a bathroom warm, but if you do have an electric room heater it must be out of the reach of someone in the bath or shower – fixed at a greater distance than 0.6m. Electric heaters should be controlled by a pull-cord inside the bathroom or by a switch located outside.