Socket for a washing machine in the bathroom

Installing a washing machine in the bathroom, the location of the outlet for this household appliance should be thought through first. It is important both for the operation of the machine, and for the safety of all occupants. In addition, in addition to the washing machine in today's bathroom there are many electrical appliances, so the presence of an outlet in such a room is a very important issue.

The socket that you are going to install in the bathroom, must necessarily be characterized by increased protection against moisture and the presence of a cover to prevent splashing inside. Also an excellent option for the bathroom will be an outlet that has a RCD. This is the name of the device that provides a protective shutdown of electricity in the event of a current leak.

To calculate the cross section of the wire, you should take into account the power of the washing machine, which you will find out from the documentation that comes with the equipment or from the Internet. Arranging the power supply network in the bathroom, many apartment owners choose for it a cable cross section of 2.5 mm2, and then install several outlets (for the machine, boiler, shower cabin and other purposes). However, experts do not advise doing so.

It is best to separately lay the cable for the washing machine and separately install a socket for such an appliance. If you want to make a block of outlets, then to select the cross section of the wire should calculate the power of all devices at the same time inclusion. Also, when determining the cross-sectional area, you should consider what material the cable is made of (copper or aluminum conductors).

The table shows the parameters at a voltage of 220 V:

Rarely a washing machine will have more than 3 kW of power, but in the choice of cross section always leave a small margin of power, so most often choose wires with a cross section of 2.5 mm2.

The minimum distance from the bathroom floor to the socket is 60 centimeters. The same distance should be from the outlet to the closest source of water - a shower stall or bathtub. Near such sources of abundant splashing allowed to install only a water heater and low-power devices for the functioning of the plumbing.

Steps to install a socket in the bathroom will include these steps:

• Buy a socket and wire of the right cross-section.
• Lay the wire and lead it into the bathroom.
• Install a circuit breaker and RCD.
• Make a hole in the wall for the socket, using a hole punch.
• Install the socket box in the hole and lead the wire out there.
• Secure the sub-socket with cement mortar and clean up the residue after it dries.
• Connect the wire to the socket and install it in the box.

The main danger for an outlet located in the bathroom is represented by high humidity in this room.

That is why the installation of the socket should be carried out with certain requirements:

• The socket outlet should be connected by means of a RCD. Ideally, this device will be present in the socket itself, but it can also be separate. The optimum cut-off current for RCDs in the bathroom is 10 mA, and the operating current of the device must exceed the input current.
• To protect the washing machine and its wiring against short circuits, the socket must also be connected through a circuit breaker that provides a protective cut-off. Such a circuit breaker is connected before the RCD. In his choice should take into account the cross section of the wire, and the load of the network. There are circuit breakers in which the circuit breaker is connected to RCD in a single device.
• The washing machine must be grounded. The three-core wire that is laid on the machine, grounded in the panelboard by connecting it to the grounding bus.
• A three-core cable must be used for wiring in the bathroom.
• It is best to perform concealed wiring in the bathroom with careful insulation of its elements.

And a little more information about bathroom wiring in the following video.