Is this unsafe?
 

It is a rhetorical question really. Of the dangerous things I expected to see in Australia, this wasn't one of them!

Power socket immediately beneath sink (for the dishwasher) surrounded by water & waste pipes. This really bothers me and I'd like it changed.

We are renting from a terrible estate agent. They do not have a reputation for being quick (or caring).

I will need to have some sort of legal proof or regulation to refer to when I ask them to address this.

Any thoughts?

Cheers

Re: Is this unsafe?
 

I agree. The plug for my dishwasher is in the cupboard next to it, away from under the sink. I'm not sure about the legality of this but it's common sense, water and electricity don't mix.

Re: Is this unsafe?
 

I think I'd be more worried about it being under the hose connection

Re: Is this unsafe?
 

We recently lost power because of this problem. We also had a power point under the sink, next to the dishwasher, and it got water leaked into it and threw the power throughout the house.

We got the power point blanked off by an electrician.

I wonder what might have happened had we not had a safety switch on the power board. Some houses still don't have a safety switch. Check yours does as that might be a regulation you could take to the agents... and they could blank off the under sink power point at the same time.

You could add a bit of stick by asking the agents to find out if the landlord has public liability insurance.

http://www.homehound.com.au/fact+she...sponsibilities

Re: Is this unsafe?
 

I doubt that this was wired by a sparky. If it was he should be shot - and lose his licence

Saying that, if an RCD is installed in the distribution board you will be safe

Re: Is this unsafe?
 

It is illegal to wire a plug but OK to have a socket under a water supply. Its ridiculous and needs to be moved.

Re: Is this unsafe?
 

It's apparently legal to put a power socket in the same cupboard as the sink U bend (that's where mine is). Not sure if its legal to have them so arranged, but I'd agree its not ideal.

The basic problem is to supposedly make things 'safe' they have very prescriptive rules, and only allow 'licensed' types to do it. However, when they don't have a rule against something, those types have zero common sense to deploy - and do the quickest, most bodgy job possible (you don't want to look inside the walls at how your house is held together).

You could easily fix things by having independent inspection (which would mean you could do any work needed too, provided it met spec). However, vested interests....

This is exactly how you get the 'pink batts'. It's not a government problem as such, it's a problem of tradies having less common sense than the average sponge.

Re: Is this unsafe?
 

I'd agree that the Australian attitude towards wiring is schizophrenic to say the least. I don't know how it still is in the UK but when I was boy scouts age one of the first things you learned was how to wire up a plug, because if you bought an electrical appliance it came with just a bare cord.

Favourite project for the annual holiday was to rewire the entire terraced house for Nanna.

I think that without this tradition, Aussies are basically ignorant of electricity .. Thank God for the RCD or the morgues would be full over here :p

Re: Is this unsafe?
 

Thanks all. I'd be surprised if this is considered legal over here, so a but more research is in order I think. I think I'll send that link (http://www.homehound.com.au/fact+she...sponsibilities) to them, along with a picture of the plug, and see what they come back with - which on past form, will be sweet FA.... until I report them to Fair Trading NSW which is what I had to do to get any action out of them last time.

Re: Is this unsafe?
 

Found this:

http://www.build.com.au/bathroom/bat...d-power-points

Seems to suggest to me that this power socket simply should not be there, full stop. What do you think?

This would seem to apply to the power socket that is right next to a bathroom sink too?

Final question: why the f*&^ did I move into this death trap?!! :confused:

Re: Is this unsafe?
 

I don't like sockets in the bathroom, but without a tape measure I'd guess that the socket is fine under Australian wiring rules. For a water container less than 45l, sockets are allowed if horizontally there are more than 0.15m away with the measurement taken from the lip of the container. Similarly, the area under a bath or sink is outside of the zones - http://www.build.com.au/bathroom/bat...d-power-points

Re: Is this unsafe?
 

You're out of hand wash and toothpaste ;)

Re: Is this unsafe?
 

:D

Re: Is this unsafe?
 

Its NOT illegal: & if its also on a safety switch theres no problem at all it may not be in the best location but as i say NOT illegal

arthur

Re: Is this unsafe?
 

Thats illegal, it should be a min of 500mm from the bottom of the power point to the edge of the sink, you can report this to energy safe of the state your living in

Arthur

Re: Is this unsafe?
 

I thought that horizontally it looked to be at least 150mm from the internal lip of the sink, and therefore outside of the zone. Plus on a sink of 45l, the vertical distyance would be 400mm

Re: Is this unsafe?
 

Thanks for the replies Arthur but I'm a bit confused - you've said it is both illegal and not illegal?

An electrician moved the socket, but only to the side of the sink's cabinet. I'm not at all convinced that it is safe, but the estate agent comprises a bunch of giveashitless idiots. If there's no law saying that it is a bad job, I guess I've little choice but to wait for the leak, spark, and house to burn down.

Re: Is this unsafe?
 

Sorry for any confusion mate:
Now then the state of play is this 1st its to close to the sink, it must be 500mm away from the edge of the sink (Thats the Law) the other thing is it must be in a timber cabinet if its that close to the sink. the cabinet is classed as a barrier.(Next) the power point must be protected at the switchboard (Fuse box) with whats called an RCD (Safety Switch) again that's the law if not then get onto the estate agent telling then this contravenes the AS/NZ Electrical wiring rules. that's there problem. if you still don't get any Joy call energy safe in the state you reside in & they shall investigate this for you Free of charge. if your in Melbourne contact me & i can easily start the ball rolling with Energy safe Victoria its not hard at all once you tell the estate agents you have concerns for safety & you intend to contact energy safe they shall shit them self. remember to keep records of all communication with your real estate people.

Arthur in Melbourne

Re: Is this unsafe?
 

Again, gonna disagree. Sinks less than 45l capacity would have a zone 2 limited by 150mm horizontally, and 400mm vertically. Only above 45l would the zone be extended to 500mm horizontally and 1m vertically as is indicated in the images on the link provided - http://www.build.com.au/bathroom/bat...d-power-points.

Re: Is this unsafe?
 

Old Sparkles,
look at the distance of the power point to the edge of the sink tell me if that's a class 2 ask energy safe they shall tell you it requires a barrier, or ask PEER they shall tell you

Arthur

Re: Is this unsafe?
 

I know, and that would be true if it was still in zone 2 - but it is outside of zone 2 and since there are no other zones associated with fixed water containers it's fine. [6.2.4.2]