Electrics under kitchen sink?

[vonsworld]

A question for the Sparky's...

My elderly Dad had his kitchen installed 30 years ago and he can't remember who did the wiring.

However the circuit tripped recently and all because the kitchen sink waste was leaking and water was dripping onto some sockets underneath. Someone had fitted a fused spur box and single socket for the washing machine under the sink. These were in direct line of a water leak should it occur.

This seems to me like very bad practice, do you agree and is it banned in the current regs?

(The leak has now been fixed and the fittings replaced).

 

[martygturner]

No its not banned, but it should be mounted away from possible leaks, note should... Considered where electricity is consumed..bathrooms, outside etc. The issue really is not where it is fitted but how it is protected.. eg does it have an rcd fitted at the consumer unit ?

 

[EFLImpudence]

The sink should be moved.

 

[Taylortwocities]

The sink should be moved.

Or turn off the water from the house?.

Water will get anywhere it can. The often place is a water leak in a ceiling. The water runs between the joists and finds it way out - usually - via a lighting point.
But everyone has this potential problem in their house.
There's not been a problem for 30 years. Statistically that will mean that your dad won't see another one!
Its fine, move on.

 

[ebee]

Agreed, dripping water or indeed a major leek will find its way anywhere and no matter what lengths you go to it can conspire against you.
just make sure the chance of any leeks etc are reduced to a minimum and if you you want to move joints away or vice versa it`s no bad thing and might help. A leek/escape of water from a bathroom can find its way to just about any place in the floor below and there`s always a risk from electrical points, wall switches and appliances being below even if at the very far end of the drip.
The more sensible precautions you take might help reduce the risk to some extent

 

[Murdochcat]

Run a bead of flexible filler along the top of the socket to box joint.

There is nothing in the regs to say don’t do it

So crack on

 

[sparkwright]

Perfectly acceptable.
You can get a leak ANYWHERE.
And leaks don't always direct the water where you think it may go.

 

[Lekchicken]

A question for the Sparky's...

My elderly Dad had his kitchen installed 30 years ago and he can't remember who did the wiring.

However the circuit tripped recently and all because the kitchen sink waste was leaking and water was dripping onto some sockets underneath. Someone had fitted a fused spur box and single socket for the washing machine under the sink. These were in direct line of a water leak should it occur.

This seems to me like very bad practice, do you agree and is it banned in the current regs?

(The leak has now been fixed and the fittings replaced).

Not banned in the regs per say. It could be flagged on a cert for an accessory not being appropriate for it’s location. Some may argue there shouldn’t be any water under a sink if installed correctly however i just wouldn’t install it there for the very problem you are experiencing now. Some parts like spark wright said, are unavoidable and water will find it’s way through electrical equipment no matter what you do. Leaks from above i find nearly always find their way through a light fitting. That being said far more likely to have a leak under a sink in my opinion though, so why put it there if you can put it in an adjacent cupboard.

 

[pete01]

You should never do it as you might get a leak in 30 years.....lol.

 

[Lekchicken]

You should never do it as you might get a leak in 30 years.....lol.

Yep, or tomorrow or in a week or in a month.

Not sure how many leaks you have had to deal with but 9 times out of 10 it’s under your sink. Had one on a job a week ago, had one the month before that

Stop being a sausage and use some common sense.

 

[Taylortwocities]

When I’m installing in a kitchen, I always get in there before the plumber. Then he has to make sure his work is not a risk to my work.
And they always do, don’t they?

 

[DetlefSchmitz]

We've had three leaks in our house. Two from the hot tank, and one from the upstairs toilet water inlet, down and along its pipe, along the ceiling, down a conduit into a socket in the utility room. Never under the sink.

 

[pete01]

Yep, or tomorrow or in a week or in a month.

Not sure how many leaks you have had to deal with but 9 times out of 10 it’s under your sink. Had one on a job a week ago, had one the month before that

Stop being a sausage and use some common sense.

I've had one leak in thirty years and that was in the downstairs toilet.

I'm not being a sausage thank you very much.

 

[ebee]

Over 40 years I can not remember a fault being caused by a leak under the sink, that might be just because of randomness of things even though some problems have been caused by water ingress, I would not be surprised by some finding that figure could be higher in their own experiences though.

 

[Murdochcat]

The most common issue with sockets under sinks is their failure due to them overheating because of poor connections