The Lemon Fool

Both of our pull chord light switches have a plastic bead a few inches below the ceiling mount. One of them has broken and I just threaded the longer piece directly to the switch rocker.

My son has just asked, is it possible that the bead is a safety precaution to stop risk of electrocution from a damp chord in a steamy bathroom?

Thoughts?

Slarti

I think it's so that you can replace a cord which is:

• worn
• dirty
• broken (provided it's broken below the connector)

without having to open up the switch.

I don't think there's any risk in doing what you have done provided the cord isn't conductive (using a bit of wire wouldn't be a good idea!)

chas49 wrote:I think it's so that you can replace a cord which is:

• worn
• dirty
• broken (provided it's broken below the connector)

without having to open up the switch.

I don't think there's any risk in doing what you have done provided the cord isn't conductive (using a bit of wire wouldn't be a good idea!)

Standard white nylon line from my goto place, the yacht chandler.

So should be OK, I hope.

Slarti

I have not seen a bathroom light cord for years. Mine are all a switch outside the bathroom door, I presume for safety.

Dod

On some of my rental properties we have had to replace the bathroom ceiling mounted light switch due to corrosion. It seems some of my younger tenants don't understand the causes of condensation and the problems it can present. Not switching on the extractor fan or opening a window or leaving a bathroom door open has caused problems with these switches. We have replaced them with normal wall mounted switches outside the bathroom when we have refurbished.

chas49 wrote:I think it's so that you can replace a cord which is:

• worn
• dirty
• broken (provided it's broken below the connector)

It's mainly the dirt, I think. I've never seen a worn one, although I did once have an ancient cord that unravelled its weave and was suddenly fifteen feet long.

Why would one put a toilet/bathroom switch outside the door, rather than using a cord inside the room? So that your loved ones can wind you up, of course. By plunging you into sudden darkness just as you're reaching for the loo roll.

BJ

Just about every other country I've been to has standard wall switches inside the bathroom for the lights.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm not aware of a major electrocution issue in other countries.

Scott.

If you wish to buy a new one, last time I looked, B&Q stocked them, 93p, but that was a few years ago....

scottnsilky wrote:
If you wish to buy a new one, last time I looked, B&Q stocked them, 93p, but that was a few years ago....

Wilko do them for £1.50 -

https://www.wilko.com/en-uk/wilko-ceili ... /p/5334740

Cheers,

Itsallaguess

I was writing about bathrooms replaced in the last ten years (I have three rather expensive ones) I did not ask but the switches were installed outside the door, I assume for safety and actually they are much easier to use anyway. Maybe Chris can give us a definitive answer.

Dod

Dod101 wrote:I was writing about bathrooms replaced in the last ten years (I have three rather expensive ones) I did not ask but the switches were installed outside the door, I assume for safety and actually they are much easier to use anyway. Maybe Chris can give us a definitive answer.

So long as the switch is not nearer than 600mm from the edge of the bath or shower then they can go inside the room. Having said that in new builds we tend to put them outside. Pullcords are pretty horrible because the cord gets grubby as others have suggested. Sometimes they are needed if the switch really must be inside a very small room such that no options are left. Everything above 2.25m off the floor is also acceptable for switchgear (the dangling string doesn't count).

Cheers,
Chris

Slarti wrote:My son has just asked, is it possible that the bead is a safety precaution to stop risk of electrocution from a damp chord in a steamy bathroom?

My neighbour in the flat above left his shower running and water found its way into the pullcord of my bathroom.

First I knew of it was when I padded out in the darkness for a nocturnal wee. As I grabbed hold of and pulled the cord it felt strange. Once the light was on I could see that water was dribbling slowly off the end of it onto the floor. I did not get a shock, tingle, or anything at all. In my stupor I had the wherewithal to move a large bucket unter the cord before going back to sleep.

So I suspect that if the water was coming into contact with a live conductor then you'd be pretty unfortunate to suffer much at the other end of a bit of wet string.

Chris

Wife always complained about the 'ker-chung' noise when anyone used the bathroom at night, so removed it and fitted a PIR sensor. Best thing I ever did.
(OK, I do occasionally have to wave if I am in the bath )

I have looked at some of these joiners (or whatever they may properly be called) and my conclusion is that the answer must me "no".

There are two basic designs of which I am aware. With one design, the cord is passed through a hole in the end and out through a hole in the side before being knotted. With some, there is only one hole in the side - there is no separator between the two cord ends and it is possible for the two cords to touch. The other basic design is in two parts that screw together. I have examined one of these and can see very little separation between the two knots. If the joiner were necessary for electrical safety, I would expect a far more positive separation.

Pure water has a very high resistivity. Impurities can reduce the resistivity considerably. Condensation is almost pure water so I would expect the part of the cord not normally handled to have a very high resistance and the brown, manky bit further down to have a much lower resistance.

If you are still worried, I suggest purchasing a suitable insulator from somewhere that sells electric fencing. If you do, yours will probably be the only such switch to have such an insulator.

Julian F. G. W.

csearle wrote:

Dod101 wrote:I was writing about bathrooms replaced in the last ten years (I have three rather expensive ones) I did not ask but the switches were installed outside the door, I assume for safety and actually they are much easier to use anyway. Maybe Chris can give us a definitive answer.

So long as the switch is not nearer than 600mm from the edge of the bath or shower then they can go inside the room. Having said that in new builds we tend to put them outside. Pullcords are pretty horrible because the cord gets grubby as others have suggested. Sometimes they are needed if the switch really must be inside a very small room such that no options are left. Everything above 2.25m off the floor is also acceptable for switchgear (the dangling string doesn't count).

Cheers,
Chris

Having a decent knob on the end of the pullchord seems to solve the grubbiness problem, while have the switch outside the door causes an insurmountable problem with light pollution. If one partner goes to bed after the other is asleep, gets up before the other is awake or gets up in the night to go to the loo, the light will disturb the other.

I hate light switches outside the en-suit bathrooms in many hotels for that reason.

Slarti

To all who've commented on the electrical safety aspect, thanks.

It was not something that worried me that much, but I had been asked.

Slarti

Slarti wrote:[Having a decent knob on the end of the pullchord seems to solve the grubbiness problem, while have the switch outside the door causes an insurmountable problem with light pollution. If one partner goes to bed after the other is asleep, gets up before the other is awake or gets up in the night to go to the loo, the light will disturb the other.

I hate light switches outside the en-suit bathrooms in many hotels for that reason.

Having a partner to worry about is not a problem for me nowadays but I could not imagine myself or a partner, going into a dark bathroom,
closing the door and then finding the cord to switch on the light.

Most en suite bathrooms that I have come across have the door opening into the corridor at the main door for the room and I cannot think that I have ever seen an en suite bathroom where the light shines anywhere near the bed. However that is not very important. We were I thought discussing domestic bathrooms. I am simply used to a switch outside the bathroom and I think it makes for a tidier bathroom anyway, without the dangling cord.

Dod

Dod101 wrote:Having a partner to worry about is not a problem for me nowadays but I could not imagine myself or a partner, going into a dark bathroom,closing the door and then finding the cord to switch on the light.Dod

This is exactly what my wife and I do. We have a good quality (quiet) pull chord installed. If either of us need to visit the loo in the night then we go in, in darkness, shut the door and pull the chord. It all works very well. The pull chord is just inside the door so it is incredibly easy to find in the dark.

Yet another arrangement: we have a dimmer switch outside the door. Dim in the evening preparing for bed, bright when needed when using the mirror for certain tasks.

What a bunch of snowflakes.

We always keep a spare candle in a jam jar under the bed and it's usually enough to light our way to the outside lavatory without waking up anybody.

Why pollute the planet with electricity when you can use the green method.

Save the planet for future generations !