Hard wiring washing machine in bathroom

sargentsmash

I have recently moved into a new house where the washing machine is in the bathroom. We have had a standard plug washing machine delivered, only for the installer to tell us that there are no regular sockets allowed in bathrooms. 

It seems the only options are: 1) to have an electrician hard wire the existing washing machine to the mains (checked with the manufacturer and it only invalidates the warranty if the hard wiring is the cause of the issue), or 2) buy a washing machine designed to be hard wired. 

Looking online and I can't find any examples of number two - do these machines still exist? Are there any other potential downsides / risks associated with having the existing machine hard wired that I'm not thinking about? 

Thoughts / guidance appreciated - a bit clueless on all this!  

Jonboy_1984

How far from the water container items (Bath, shower, Sink) edge is socket?

Is it open to the bathroom or in a cupboard?

Is the socket behind the appliance and inaccessible without moving it?

CliveOfIndia

sargentsmash said:

only for the installer to tell us that there are no regular sockets allowed in bathrooms.

This is correct - it's been this way for donkey's years.  Actually, they are allowed, but only if they're at least 3 metres away from the bath or shower, which pretty much rules them out for most standard-sized bathrooms.

sargentsmash said:

I have recently moved into a new house where the washing machine is in the bathroom.

It seems the only options are: 1) to have an electrician hard wire the existing washing machine to the mains (checked with the manufacturer and it only invalidates the warranty if the hard wiring is the cause of the issue),

Is there already a fused spur installed in the bathroom?  If so then it's a simple matter to cut the plug off the new washing machine and hard-wire it in - it's the same as wiring a plug.  Hopefully it goes without saying, but do make sure you kill the power to that circuit before you do anything.

sargentsmash said:

Are there any other potential downsides / risks associated with having the existing machine hard wired that I'm not thinking about?

The only thing that might be worth considering is whether having the machine in a damp environment may cause rusting to the case.  Alternatively, does the machine have to go in the bathroom, could it not go somewhere else?

sargentsmash

Jonboy_1984 said:

How far from the water container items (Bath, shower, Sink) edge is socket?

Is it open to the bathroom or in a cupboard?

Is the socket behind the appliance and inaccessible without moving it?

It's in a cupboard next to the where the sink is - shower / bath is on the other side of the room, but not too far. 

The wire comes through behind the appliance and is inaccessible without moving it.  

grumbler

Also, you normally need an accessible isolator switch outside of the bathroom - the same as for a bathroom fan.

fiish

I have a similar setup to you in my house, where the washing machine lives in a cupboard in a bathroom, where it has a socket to plug into. I installed it myself.

As I understand it, the intent of the 3-metre rule is so that the socket cannot be reached directly by someone in the bath/shower, but if the socket is in a cupboard and tucked behind the machine, it's not likely to be reachable.

Another thing you need to watch out for is if you need to connect the machine and then push it into the cupboard, to ensure that the washing machine feet don't end up squashing any pipes or wires.

I also installed a continuous extraction fan in that bathroom to avoid/mitigate the moisture issue.

Jonboy_1984

Likewise we had the same for a tumble dryer in a cupboard with socket behind appliance. One electrician installed a socket (despite me leaving a FSU for hardwiring on hand), and another didn't raise it on the EICR a few years later.

(It was on a fused spur with the switched fuse outside the bathroom).