# Bathroom switch too close to shower



## rjmac (Nov 17, 2013)

Hi all, I am currently in construction of my home and I am in Canada. I have a four gang with four switches that is 2 feet from my shower. The shower has a glass door and also has a light that is rated for the shower and controlled by one of the switches. The walls in the house are now all drywalled and painted. It seems that the switches need to be more like 3 feet away even though because of the glass door there is no way you could reach the switches from inside the shower. I cant turn the 4 gang around and put the switches on the backside of the wall because that is in the walk in closet. It would be a big job too move the switches to another wall. Does anyone have any ideas of what i could do, or maybe have a different interpretation of the code that would allow me to leave it where it is? any help would be much appreciated!!!!!


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## FrunkSlammer (Aug 31, 2013)

Hire an electrician to slap in GFCI protection.


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

I would not worry about it. In the US we have switches that can be within inches of the shower


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

You can have the switches within 0.000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001" of the shower.


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## rjmac (Nov 17, 2013)

In canada the rule says that the switch cant be within reach when you are in the shower, then it goes on to say that "within reach" is within 1meter


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## daveEM (Nov 18, 2012)

rjmac said:


> Hi all, I am currently in construction of my home and I am in Canada. I have a four gang with four switches that is 2 feet from my shower. The shower has a glass door and also has a light that is rated for the shower and controlled by one of the switches. The walls in the house are now all drywalled and painted.


What's happening here? Looks like construction is finished (painted walls). Talk to the electrician that wired it. Perhaps the switch bank is fed by a GFCI of sorts.


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## rjmac (Nov 17, 2013)

The switches are in the master bath and are on the same cct as the master bedroom so they are already protected by an afci breaker, even if they were under a gfci breaker would that be enough to satify code. The shower size was made larger after the electrician was done that is why it is now 2 feet away from switches.


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

rjmac said:


> The switches are in the master bath and are on the same cct as the master bedroom so they are already protected by an afci breaker, even if they were under a gfci breaker would that be enough to satify code. The shower size was made larger after the electrician was done that is why it is now 2 feet away from switches.


If CEC does not have an exception for gfci then it may not be compliant. Personally I would not lose sleep over it.


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## daveEM (Nov 18, 2012)

rjmac said:


> even if they were under a gfci breaker would that be enough to satify code. The shower size was made larger after the electrician was done that is why it is now 2 feet away from switches.


Yes.

Do you have a code book?
30-320 (3) (b)


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## daveEM (Nov 18, 2012)

I would re-feed the switch bank from a GFI (bath plug?) (I see it's off the ARC Fault breaker).

Sometimes electricians don't put lighting on ARC Fault breakers. Canadian code just requires the receptacles. You sure it's on the ARC Fault?


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## the-apprentice (Jun 11, 2012)

i think its 1.5m in ontario. if the inspector doesnt like it gfi protect the bathroom lol


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## sparky250 (Aug 28, 2012)

My usual resolve in this situation is put a deadfront/faceless GFCI in the 4g box. Have the 14/2 bring power in on the line, and then load out to the multiple switches. To make space for the GFCI, combine 2 of the switches into a 2 in 1 switch.


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## 360max (Jun 10, 2011)

480sparky said:


> You can have the switches within 0.000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001" of the shower.


not in his world:no::blink:


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

rjmac said:


> Hi all, I am currently in construction of my home and I am in Canada. I have a four gang with four switches that is 2 feet from my shower. The shower has a glass door and also has a light that is rated for the shower and controlled by one of the switches. The walls in the house are now all drywalled and painted. It seems that the switches need to be more like 3 feet away even though because of the glass door there is no way you could reach the switches from inside the shower. I cant turn the 4 gang around and put the switches on the backside of the wall because that is in the walk in closet. It would be a big job too move the switches to another wall. Does anyone have any ideas of what i could do, or maybe have a different interpretation of the code that would allow me to leave it where it is? any help would be much appreciated!!!!!


Again, I say that the reason that plumbers get paid more is because electricians, even if they don't like a situation they look for shortcuts to allow them to to do the shortcut anyway. It is your home. Do you want us to tell you to keep the shower door closed? If I say it's okay will you place a sign in there telling your children to keep the door closed and not use the switches?


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## BlackHowling (Feb 27, 2013)

RIVETER said:


> Again, I say that the reason that plumbers get paid more is because electricians, even if they don't like a situation they look for shortcuts to allow them to to do the shortcut anyway. It is your home. Do you want us to tell you to keep the shower door closed? If I say it's okay will you place a sign in there telling your children to keep the door closed and not use the switches?


No shortcut was taken during the rough-in. OP said shower sizzle was changed after electrician had done the wiring. Wasn't notified of the change most likely so I would charge for the change order to move it or GFI if the HO does t want to go that route.


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

I would leave it. It's not a safety issue.


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## FrunkSlammer (Aug 31, 2013)

backstay said:


> I would leave it. It's not a safety issue.


It violates Canadian Electrical Code.

GFCI protection would satisfy Canadian Electrical Code.


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

_why?_

are there pertinent stats portraying Canadians as more apt towards doing electrical work while showering Frunk....?? :whistling2::thumbup::no::jester:~CS~


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

FrunkSlammer said:


> It violates Canadian Electrical Code.
> 
> GFCI protection would satisfy Canadian Electrical Code.


So, it's still not going to kill you. Unless like CS said, you're working on them while showering. Oh, wait this is in Canada!

Besides, it's more like a guideline.


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## rjmac (Nov 17, 2013)

Thanks to those tried to help! Its not gonna be a problem to gfi protect the switches which should make everything fine for inspection as the switches are outisde the 500mm


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## daveEM (Nov 18, 2012)

backstay said:


> So, it's still not going to kill you. Unless like CS said, you're working on them while showering. Oh, wait this is in Canada!
> 
> Besides, it's more like a guideline.


Guideline? Not in Canada. I quoted the rule in my previous post.


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## Mshea (Jan 17, 2011)

Advice to ignore it from US electricians should be ignored as they won't volunteer to spend your jail time. There are so many more GFCI requirments in the US that their advice to ignore the switch location is funny to me.
The rule requires you to measure around obstacles so a fixed shower door can help. If the switch cannot be placed 1 meter or further the code allows the switch to be as close as .5 meters if GFCI protected.


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

Mshea said:


> Advice to ignore it from US electricians should be ignored as they won't volunteer to spend your jail time. There are so many more GFCI requirments in the US that their advice to ignore the switch location is funny to me.
> The rule requires you to measure around obstacles so a fixed shower door can help. If the switch cannot be placed 1 meter or further the code allows the switch to be as close as .5 meters if GFCI protected.


That is because we understand the reason for the GFCI. A switch outside the tub area is not an issue. The gfci protection is normally for receptacles to protect people from plugging equipment like radios etc from falling in the tub


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## eetwo (Nov 13, 2011)

The light above the shower is required to be gfci protected anyway


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

Mshea said:


> Advice to ignore it from US electricians should be ignored as they won't volunteer to spend your jail time. There are so many more GFCI requirments in the US that their advice to ignore the switch location is funny to me.
> The rule requires you to measure around obstacles so a fixed shower door can help. If the switch cannot be placed 1 meter or further the code allows the switch to be as close as .5 meters if GFCI protected.


If the switch is properly grounded there is no need for the GFCI.

Proper grounding can prevent a shock, on the other hand a GFCI does not usally prevent a shock, it only limits the duration of the shock.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

eetwo said:


> The light above the shower is required to be gfci protected anyway


Please post the code section requiring that.


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

BBQ said:


> If the switch is properly bonded there is no need for the GFCI.
> 
> Proper bonding can prevent a shock, on the other hand a GFCI does not usally prevent a shock, it only limits the duration of the shock.


Fify. :whistling2:


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## BlackHowling (Feb 27, 2013)

BBQ said:


> Please post the code section requiring that.


Don't think there is one but 30-320 covers the switch being GFCI protected if it's to close.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

BlackHowling said:


> Don't think there is one but 30-320 covers the switch being GFCI protected if it's to close.


The person I asked that of is not under the CEC.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

MTW said:


> I love LEDs, if I could marry one and make sweet love to it I would.


That's sick.


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

BBQ said:


> That's sick.


Wow...just wow. :laughing:


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## Cletis (Aug 20, 2010)

can you put a metal cover on a switch next to a shower ?


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## eetwo (Nov 13, 2011)

Oh my mistake you are correct not required to be gfci. But why wouldn't you?


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## drspec (Sep 29, 2012)

eetwo said:


> Oh my mistake you are correct not required to be gfci. But why wouldn't you?


are you planning on changing out the bulb with the light switch on while taking a shower?


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