C4.67 Bathroom Pull-Cord Switch

Why do British bathrooms use pull cords for light switches?

Have you ever noticed the light switches in British bathrooms? Many houses have pull cord switches, which are different from the push-button switches on the wall. In fact, this is a major feature of Britain, just like the separate hot and cold water taps. Of course, not all bathrooms use pull cord switches—only some older houses, traditional properties, or certain types of homes do

Why do British bathrooms use pull cords for light switches?

Simply put, it’s to protect everyone’s safety and pre-empt potential risks.

When taking a bath in a British bathroom for the first time, you’ll first notice that in most university student dormitories, the toilet and bathroom are separate. Secondly, in many detached houses, the bathroom light switches are pull cords—similar to how, decades ago in China, many households used pull cord switches everywhere, whether in the living room, bedroom, kitchen, or other spaces.

This is the UK, so seeing it again might be confusing: why do the British hang a pull cord from the ceiling as the bathroom light switch? According to a BBC interview, John O'Neill, Technical Engineering Manager at NICEIC (a registration body for the electrical contracting industry), said: “In the UK, we follow the requirements of British electrical installation standards. The standards recognize that bathrooms are high-risk areas because the body may be submerged or partially submerged in bathwater. When the body is immersed in water, its resistance to electricity drops significantly.

We believe there’s a greater chance that contact with live components could amplify the effect of an electric shock, which in some cases can be fatal. This isn’t just because your hands are wet—kitchens have sockets and switches too—but because you’re immersed in water, which increases the risk. So we don’t think you should reach for anything to turn it on while bathing. Hence, pull cords are used so the body doesn’t need to touch the switch. While other countries allow power sockets and switches in bathrooms, this has nothing to do with voltage differences; it’s about risk perception and the current regulatory requirements in the UK.”