Replace a shaver socket like-for-like

Turn off the power, swap the old shaver socket for a new one, and test it works safely.

AB-01Gather your tools and materialsBuy a new shaver socket that matches your old one, ideally the same make and voltage output, so it fits the existing mounting box. Get a voltage tester, an insulated screwdriver set, and a combined cable/pipe/stud detector. Lay a dust sheet under the socket and keep a torch handy, since you'll be working with the power off.

1 each · BS 3535 shaver socket (isolating transformer type)

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1 each · Voltage tester

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1 set · Insulated screwdriver set

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1 each · Combined cable/pipe/stud detector

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1 each · Dust sheet

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AB-02Check what's allowed hereOnly a shaver socket that meets BS 3535, with a built-in isolating transformer, can go in a bathroom - that's what keeps it safe near water, and an ordinary 13A socket cannot be used here. Check the new unit's markings against the old one before you buy, so you're not caught out partway through.

RULES

KNOW THE RULES

Bathrooms count as a 'special location' under the Wiring Regulations. A BS 3535 shaver socket with an isolating transformer is the only type of general-purpose socket normally allowed in most bathroom zones. Swapping one for another like-for-like isn't notifiable work under Part P because you're not adding a new circuit - but if you're not confident wiring it safely, get a registered electrician to check it.

AB-03Turn off the power and think about pipesSwitch off the circuit that feeds the shaver socket at the consumer unit, and tape over the breaker so nobody switches it back on while you're working. Cables can run almost anywhere behind a wall, not just in the usual 150mm 'safe zones' - a detector helps but can miss cables that are deep, in metal conduit, or behind metal-backed board, so treat every wire as live until you've proven otherwise. Before you touch anything, find your stopcock (usually under the kitchen sink) and check it turns, in case you ever nick a pipe while working near the wall. If there's any doubt which circuit you've switched off, isolate the whole consumer unit rather than guess.

AB-04Prove the circuit is deadUse your voltage tester on the old shaver socket's terminals to prove the circuit is really dead, not just switched off at the wrong breaker. Test the tester on a known live socket before and after, so you know it's working properly. Only start undoing wires once you've done this.

AB-05Remove the old shaver socketUnscrew the faceplate from the mounting box - usually two screws, one at each end. Ease it away from the wall and take a photo of the wiring before you disturb it, so you can copy it exactly on the new unit. Undo the terminal screws, free the wires, and check the mounting box itself is still firmly fixed to the wall.

AB-06Work out what's behind the boxIf the old fixing screws are loose or stripped and need renewing, find out what the box is actually fixed into. Run a magnet or stud detector along the wall near the box - a regular line of screw heads roughly 400mm or 600mm apart points to a timber or metal stud wall. Tap either side of the box: a dull, solid sound usually means solid brick or block (or dot-and-dab plasterboard bonded to it), while a hollow sound means a stud wall. If you drill a fresh pilot hole, check what comes out: pale timber dust means a wood stud, fine grey swarf means a steel stud, and brick or block dust means solid masonry.

AB-07Fix or renew the mounting screws for your wall typeOn solid brick or block, drill 6mm holes to 35mm deep, fit brown or red wall plugs, and use 25-30mm screws into the box's fixing lugs. On a timber stud, drill a 2mm pilot hole and drive a 25mm wood screw straight into the centre of the stud. On a metal stud, use a self-drilling metal-stud screw made for 0.5mm steel - never a plain wood screw or plastic wall plug, both strip straight through. On dot-and-dab plasterboard, use a fixing at least 50-60mm long so it reaches through the board, the adhesive dabs, and into the masonry behind; on lath and plaster, screw into a lath rather than the gap between them, and use a 1kg-rated toggle fixing if it feels loose - a shaver socket is light, so no noggin is needed for this job.

1 pack · Wall plugs (red/brown, mixed pack)

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1 pack · Masonry screws, 25-30mm

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1 pack · Wood screws, 25mm

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1 pack · Self-drilling metal-stud screws

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2 each · Toggle/hollow-wall fixing, 1kg rated

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AB-08Wire the new shaver socketConnect the brown (live) and blue (neutral) wires to the matching terminals on the new unit, following the photo you took earlier. Many BS 3535 shaver sockets are double insulated and have no earth terminal; if the old wiring had an earth wire, cap it with a connector and tuck it neatly behind the box rather than leaving it loose. Check every terminal screw is tight by gently pulling each wire.

2 each · Terminal connector caps

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AB-09Fit the faceplate and restore powerFold the wires neatly into the box and screw the new faceplate onto the fixing lugs you sorted earlier, without overtightening and cracking the plastic. Remove the tape from the consumer unit and switch the circuit back on.

AB-10Test and tidy upPlug in a shaver (or check the output with a multimeter) to confirm it's working, and check for any buzzing or burning smell over the first few minutes. Wipe down the wall and mounting area, sweep up any dust or swarf, and take the old shaver socket to a household recycling centre for WEEE electrical recycling rather than putting it in the bin.

KNOW THE RULES

Before you start: Which electrical jobs can I do myself? Part P explained

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