quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
I’m pretty certain it’s code for the UK to not have any sort of switch or socket/receptacle inside a bathroom. I think the only inside light switches you’ll see there are a pull chain type.

Correct.

However, those bathrooms - and here I mean REAL bathtub/shower rooms with a sink that DO have an internal light switch use a pullcord, rather than a wall-switch.

Perhaps where Ondol heaters are used.

I had a good friend who was badly burned and almost killed (medically retired), an officer in front of him entered a building at an Air Base in South Korea, reached in the room, turned on the light switch, igniting fumes in the room. (early '80s)

The explosion killed the officer, critically burned my friend and blew him and those behind him clear of the doorway.

After that, several changes were made to prevent a similar occurrence.


So, that, or prevent someone from coming into contact with energized circuit in a wet area, as posted above.

The light switch is on the outside in Germany as well.

Wife and I are staying in a beach house at the moment that has the bathroom switches outside the door. The supposition is that this is because the moisture in the bathroom will deteriorate the switch but it could be some weird code also....

The master bathroom has separate room for sinks and the shower toilet and only the shower toilet room has the switches outside....also there is not even a GFI plug in that room.

So, I'm pretty sure it is some kind of code to keep us safer....

A sibling is installing a system that tells him what rooms are using what amount of electricity .

His wife was diagnosed with Alzheimers disease,
He wants to keep track of her and what she's turned on and left running.

Lights, irons, heaters, blankets, the whole magilla

Didn’t read all the answers but for Korea it’s likely due to how the bathroom is cleaned.

Generally the bathroom has a large drain in the middle and the whole thing, walls and all are washed.

In older construction the “shower” has no discernible features from the rest of the bathroom. Spraying down the walls with outlets wouldn’t be wise.

This is my experience anyway, the power outlets inside the bathroom had covers on them so no water got in.

Ah. Interesting. That makes sense. And so even in modern housing they've perhaps kept the convention.

I'll keep an eye out for it - not important just a curiosity.

I added a room onto my house just for my birds- and for that I had the switch installed directly outside the room. I had also intended to have a sprinkler system in the ceiling to mist them, so it just made sense to me, but it was definitely for a specific reason.