Wiring in bathrooms. Is it normal to hardwire an infrared mirror in a bathroom or can it be plugged into a socket?

Hello, having purchased an Infrared Mirror it needs to be mounted and comes supplied with a plug, but we would prefer it is hard wired into the circuit rather than plugged in. If we cut the plug off we may loose warranty but what do the regs state about this plug or hard wired?

Thank you 

Parents
  • Being a simple sort of chap, I wondered why you would want to reflect infrared light in a bathroom, but I see that these things are heaters which have a polished surface that can be used as a looking glass.

    I fear that a model which has been supplied with a BS1363 plug is intended for a bedroom, cloakroom, etc.

  • I would like to think the OP had checked the IP & IK rating of the mirror and it is AT LEAST a minimum of  (IPX4/IP44) personally I think the average UK bathroom needs a minimum of IP55.  Steam as well as water droplets and jets, again due to being a special location.  Also many people say IP stands for Ingress Protection but I am sure it is actually International Protection.  I think it is an AM2 qualification question. 

Reply
  • I would like to think the OP had checked the IP & IK rating of the mirror and it is AT LEAST a minimum of  (IPX4/IP44) personally I think the average UK bathroom needs a minimum of IP55.  Steam as well as water droplets and jets, again due to being a special location.  Also many people say IP stands for Ingress Protection but I am sure it is actually International Protection.  I think it is an AM2 qualification question. 

Children
  • The self un-steaming mirrors only really make sense in a place where condensing water vapour is expected. I don't know about you but that is not my bedroom !! (probably getting too old for that sort of thing.)

    The ones I have seen are low enough wattage to run from the lights and are a sticky patch with resistance wire embedded on the back of a normal mirror.

    The problem is not damp on the electric mirror - it will be driven off as it warms up, but a wet socket may or may not be a concern,  Most of the EU seems to allow RCD protected sockets just  outside zone 2 these days, and in practice it is not as dangerous as it looks, there are not huge piles of dead bodies when I stay in hotels on the continent.

    Perhaps the recessed nature of the shucko socket  helps, or perhaps we should lighten up a bit.

    Mike.

  • The self un-steaming mirrors only really make sense in a place where condensing water vapour is expected. I don't know about you but that is not my bedroom !! (probably getting too old for that sort of thing.)

    My impression was that these were more than self-un-steaming mirrors, i.e. room heaters.

    I do not have a mirror in my office, nor in my workshops, but Mrs P has put them (or were screwed to the walls when we moved in) just about everywhere else. So a heater disguised as a mirror makes sense.