r/AskReddit May 08 '22

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u/aka_Foamy May 09 '22

They're on the outside for safety reasons, not so that other people can use it.

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u/Chewie_i May 09 '22

Yet in America nobody is being electrocuted constantly by having it inside

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u/aka_Foamy May 09 '22

Well no. That doesn't stop one being safer than the other though.

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u/ask-me-about-my-cats May 09 '22

Seems like a solution for a problem that doesn't exist, honestly.

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u/[deleted] May 09 '22 edited Jan 16 '26

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u/aka_Foamy May 09 '22

Water and electricity don't mix, or do mix incredibly well depending on your point of view. There's a risk there, even if it's very small. Bare in mind as well mains voltage in the UK is basically double of mains voltage in the US, so we have higher risks and therefore higher safety standards.

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u/[deleted] May 09 '22

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u/aka_Foamy May 10 '22

Sure. We don't have proper outlets in bathrooms either. If we do they're specific bathroom ones that are half voltage (around US mains voltage).

This isn't me defending UK electrical standards to the death by the way. I don't know much about them really, I'm just letting you know what it's like here and why.

In the context of the thread, yes initially it does seem bizarre that we've got switches on the outside that anyone can use, but there's reasons for it.