British bathrooms - the lightpull
One thing that tends to surprise a lot of non-Brits when they visit a bathroom or WC in the UK is the fact that they can’t find a light switch.Â
After fumbling around in the dark for a while, you might encounter one of these hanging from the ceiling:Â
A tug on it will close a switch in the ceiling and let there be light. More modern homes and most hotels will have the bathroom light switch on the wall OUTSIDE the bathroom, looking like any ordinary light switch.Â
So why the difference? This eccentricity is due to the fact that building regulations in the UK do not permit a light fitting to be inside the bathroom anywhere near the basin or the bathtub because well.... water and electricity don’t mix. Remember that British power sockets and switches are twice the power of American ones, at 240 volts, so it can kill you! Steamy bathrooms mean that light fittings are fixed to the ceilings or walls a specified distance from any water.Â
So non-Brits who want to use a hairdryer to style their hair can’t do it in the bathroom. There is only one exception to that rule and it is this thing:Â
A shaving point. Because hidden behind that plate is a transformer, manufacturers now make them dual voltage, offering a 115 volt outlet for shavers for visitors from 110-120 volt countries. The shutter interlocks so only one socket can be used at a time. to prevent the transformer being overloaded.
Manufacturers of products like rechargeable electric toothbrushes worked it out. They all now come with the two-round-pronged plugs so you can indeed use them in the bathroom in a shaving point.Â
BUT if you tried to use an adapter to plug in your hairdryer, it won’t work. Extremely big NO. The shaver socket is likely to be rated at 1 amp or less. If you are foolish enough to try a hairdryer, you will blow the fuse if there is one or blow the transformer -costing a lot to get it fixed.
If your fanfic has Sherlock spending hours in the bathroom using a hair dryer to style his hair, think again.Â
