Your property questions answered
Can I put washing machine in bathroom?
Q I live in an apartment which is almost perfect. I have no dishwasher and want to put my washing machine into my main bathroom to make room for a dishwasher in my kitchen. I have been told by a builder (three years ago) and by a plumber (six months ago) that it is “illegal” to put an electrical appliance in a bathroom in this country. Is this true? If so why? I cannot find official literature on this. I have a friend who lives in an apartment like mine in Amsterdam and she has a washer and dryer in her bathroom – no problem there?
A The complex rules about these things are laid down by the Electro Technical Council of Ireland (ETCI) and put simply, there are not supposed to be full power switches or sockets in a bathroom (there are obviously low voltage special shaving units, etc). The ECTI’s surprisingly accessible (for such a technical subject) site has a good FAQ section (www.etci.ie) which states that “in the normal house, the bathroom is the most dangerous room in the house. An electric shock in a bathroom is often fatal. Remember with electricity, because it works does not mean that it is safe”.
The ETCI codes divide bathrooms into zones, from zero to three, and different rules as to what wiring goes where apply to each zone. Say, for example, you had an enormous bathroom, it’s possible that the corner where you wanted to plumb your washing machine was so far outside zone zero, one, two or three that it would be permitted. But clearly you don’t have an enormous bathroom, and you have been advised by an electrician (who was hopefully RECCI accredited), that it is not possible.
You may be wondering about other major electrical appliances, like whirlpool baths and electric showers which are features of some bathrooms, but these are sealed units and in the case of most, such as electric towel rails and whirlpool baths, even their switches are outside the door in the hallway. Could you relook at your kitchen? In most new apartments, even the smallest, there is wasted space. Kitchen cupboards rarely go up to the ceiling so that’s some wasted storage space that could be reclaimed with taller units which might then allow you to remove a cupboard to make room for a dishwasher.
My mortgage is paid off and now what?
Q I have finished paying off my mortgage. Included in the documents from the building society was a deed of discharge and advice that I should contact the land registry department. Is this usual? And how do I do that?
A Congratulations on reaching that enviable milestone! The deed of discharge, in deed a standard document and should be lodged with the Land Registry – it shows the new status of your property. You must complete an application form and pay a fee of €25. You don’t say where you live and there are two branches of the Land Registry office each dealing with different areas of the country, one in Waterford, the other in Dublin. Contact them at www.landregistry.ie.
Your questions
Send your queries to Property questions, The Irish Times, The Irish Times Building, 24-28 Tara Street, Dublin 2 or email propertyquestions@irish-times.ie. This column is a readers’ service and is not intended to replace professional advice.
