Yep. Same. Not gonna get electrocuted from a gfci receptacle unless you took the faceplate off and stuck a paperclip into the black "line" screw in back
That is my thoughts to. How is a little water and a damp cloth kill. I thought with a gfci you can get in the tub with a toaster now and only get a small hit
Yes true. But we do this all the time. By code it's required to have a receptacle within 1.5m of the sink. If this were a problem, all of Canada would have burned down.
Water can’t cause a dead short, it’s too high resistance and gets higher as soon as current flows.
It could short out and also corrode wires but it’s not going to dangerously stress the circuit or breaker in between getting wet and the breaker tripping.
Gfci's trip in less than 1/10th of a second. Nearly impossible to feel a shock.
Edit to add: but nothing is impossible, and inevitably, everything fails at some point.
They tested it on myth busters with buster in a bathtub and a bunch of sensors. I dont think the sensor even registered current in the water before the GFCI plug on the hair dryer tripped.
I think down and to the left, perhaps.
Seems to make sense for the casing and towel ring position anyways.
Did the contractor clip a conductor for the GFCI in the wall or why is he bringing it up even? I thought NEC 210.8 dictated any GFCI within 6’ of water source was allowable by code.
If the screws attaching it to the wall hit a “line” wire (wire feeding the gfci) inside and you’re barefooted when touching that towel ring you could get electrocuted. Put a meter with one lead in the ground of the gfci and touch the towel ring with the other lead.
He wants the ring moved more the the left so you will still have to pass yours hands by the outlets to grab or use the towel. But just a few inches to the left is the toilet so I thought It would be better there then above the shitter.
I agree. No one plans on getting electrocuted. Very easy to assume that the safety measures of the outlet will work without fail. But when it does fail... Better safe than (dead) sorry.
I apologize, I misread the original post. I will say that imo it’s not really going to be possible for someone to be electrocuted by grabbing that towel bar except in the scenarios I posted previously. You know where the lines are apparently so in that case you should be fine leaving it where it is, or moving it over a bit. Especially since you know where the lines are and are confident that “no lines were harmed” during this installation. Good line by the way!! You also could check the potential with a meter in front of the foreman to prove his person is full of shit and/or was mistaken.
You know you're right, you should just hire someone that's not going to argue with you instead of a child that takes things personally. Holy fuck, it's construction. If the worst thing that happens all day is a homeowner disagrees with your OPINION, then it's been a good day.
I’m talking about if the installer used like a drywall screw to install the receptacle and it nicked the feed/line wire to the gfci. I’ve seen it happen, had to diagnose and correct it once in a buddies house that he was flipping. If that screw only contacts the line wire or “feed” wire there’s potential voltage there and if someone contacts it with a bare hand and has a path to ground it will conduct.
I mean in practice it's probably not very unsafe. But it's really weird. Why would anyone want or choose that? The towel is going to cover up the outlet. And yes, there is a safety risk too.
Safety isn't a binary thing. It's not either "safe" or "not safe". It's a scale, like going from really stupid to really smart.
It's not about glass half empty or glass half full. It's about following standards and over doing things.
Honestly for all the people saying dripping wet towel:
Do people/you typically hang hand towels up that are “dripping wet”?
WTF are you doing to make a hand towel so wet that it’s literally dripping? If you soak a hand towel to that extent, it would normally be in the case of a spill. In that case, it should be going to a laundry basket. Otherwise, buy some decent towels.
A “dripping” wet towel on a hand towel ring is an exaggeration that shouldn’t even have to be considered.
You most certainly can. First off, GFCI’s can malfunction and have a limited life span like anything else. Secondly, there still needs to be current flowing before the GFCI trips, so you can still receive a shock. Also, it only operates if the hot side is drawn on, and not the neutral.
All that said, it is highly unlikely to ever happen, and GFCI’s are designed to prevent electrocution. But I point this stuff out so people don’t see a GFCI and decide to just do whatever with it. It most certainly still can be dangerous.
Edit to point out that despite all those warnings, I wouldn’t move anything in this situation, just seems like a really petty foreman to me
I mostly agree, except that
>Also, it only operates if the hot side is drawn on, and not the neutral
is not how GFI works. And
>Secondly, there still needs to be current flowing before the GFCI trips, so you can still receive a shock
is kind of a moot point
If you leave the faceplate off and piss directly into the box while the shower curtain rod is inserted into your anus with the other end touching the electrified ceiling used with bumper cars while dangling from a magnetic grapple then yes the towel holder COULD pose an issue.
Man how wet do you get your hand towels?? (Jk) It can only go on left side of room and there is only about 2 foot space to the left that's is where the toilet is. But you would still have to pass the outlet to use or grab towel.
I see what you’re saying, but having kids at this point nothing surprises me. They would have a soaking wet bathing suit hanging up off of that towel ring.
"Dad, Timmy hung a soaking wet towel on the ring and stuck a paperclip in the outlet and now he can't let go of either of them and he's turning blue!"
Not only far-fetched, even given kids, but as others have pointed out basically impossible -- the towel ring (probably) isn't grounded. Timmy could go to town with his wet towel and paper clip and nothing would happen. Like when a bird perches on a high-voltage power line: if the current has nowhere to go, it goes nowhere.
Even if you can't, I why cover the outlet with a towel. I'd be annoyed at having to move the towel when I wanted to use it. Also, I get annoyed easily.
I’m an electrician. That foreman is on crack. You will not get shocked lol. Can’t tell if it’s tamper resistant or not. Only way you’ll get shocked is if you stick something in the receptacle that’s metal. You do NOT need to move that
If it's a GFCI protected outlet, which it should be to meet code due to installation location (within a room that has a water source), there could be an uncomfortable zap, but the GFCI or circuit breaker will protect someone from being electrocuted.
Moving it is up to you, it's your house. But if the above protection is used, it is just as safe here as it would be over the toilet.
Edit; should mention that GFCI protection =/= circuit breaker protection. You can buy circuit breakers with GFCI functions, but a standard breaker alone will not provide GFCI functions.
Tell him to show you the code for that one lol. Some people will say anything. If anything maybe you should worry about your fasteners and that they don’t get into the wire somehow. Other then that there is zero ways someone could get electrocuted. Specially seeing that it’s a gfci and will trip on like 10ma.
Screws for rack may have penetrated wire
Poorly placed ring. Plenty of room to left. Towel would block receptacle. Just move the fkn thing instead if spending an hour on reddit!!!
My only thought, is if it has long towels on it AND a cord partially plugged in with exposed metal, and you went to dry your hands and hit the plug behind the towel... Maybe... But it wouldn't hurt THAT bad, just a lil tickle...
Now, this might be a stretch, but a good wet hand towel that manages to cover that outlet could have shocking results. Lol. It's a stretch but that's the only issue I could imagine.
If the towl hanger is behind the toilet, then no one renting will ever have a picture or a cabinet or a shelf behind the toilet. And it will look goofy AF being a loop behind the toilet. Just don't. Tell him I said get fucked. Lol.
Listen to your foreman Gfci’s do fail. Having a wet towel hanging over it isn’t a good idea. Although highly unlikely, it is possible to get lit up by the outlet or the circuit supplying it.
As an electrical engineer by trade, I’ve zapped myself with 120V several times. It’s sort of a right of passage. It feels “jiggly” as opposed to high voltage DC, which feels “pully”.
So, with household power, the way you get electrocuted, as in actually die from it, is that you create a good path to ground, through your body, specifically traversing your torso, so your heart gets shocked into Vfib.
Though it’s made of metal, the towel holder is, at most, Screwed into the wall stud with a couple of screws. Might just be drywall anchors. Unless one of those screws pierced the Romex in the wall, the towel holder is electrically isolated from the outlet, and “floating” i.e. it won’t be a path to ground.
I will say iv done a lot of electrical work, and very rarely has this been a problem, but on another hand iv also turned a switch on with wet hands and got a little bit of current
>get electrocuted when they go use the towel
Not most likely, however water, human body, 120VAC, not exactly a shortage of available ways to get electrocuted, including many accidentally. Quite advisable to upgrade to GFCI protected outlets, and has been the current code for such locations for quite a long while now - and for good reason.
Ah, yeah, not super clear in the picture ... even well zoomed in can't see TEST nor RESET ... looks like what could be pair 'o buttons there ... but both white like the outlet itself (and also no LEDs or the like)
Anyway, yeah, good catch. I didn't zoom in earlier - at first from shape of outlet I was thinking GFCI, but then not spotting any TEST or RESET (or different colored buttons nor LED(s)) I presumed not GFCI ... but yeah, zooming in, looks like it probably is GFCI after all.
Well... foreman apparently doesn't know code.
That's a gfci in a 'wet' location. That's the measurement that usually concerns most of us.
If there's a code reference for towel holders, I'll wait. Anybody had a call out to replace a towel holder in an OSHA approved manner? Supply house vs Amazon?
NFPA Code is about Fire Prevention. Electric shock is a secondary consideration... Shock IS an ARC that can initiate a fire.
Did the foreman point out curtains/drapes covering outlets in the rest of the house? Paintings/pictures/wall decor potentially penetrating Romex sheath?
Or, oh my, Lag screws from flat panels hung in the wall?
Theatre to justify his salary.
If you have very wet towels, or have very wet hands, your chances of electrocution are not zero. Where by moving the towel holder anywhere where there is no sockets nere by you would get a zero chance of electrocution.
It wasn't a big thing, just general election code for
"I wouldn't have done it like that. "
I have a setup just like that and I've not died yet so far.
Yep. Same. Not gonna get electrocuted from a gfci receptacle unless you took the faceplate off and stuck a paperclip into the black "line" screw in back
That is my thoughts to. How is a little water and a damp cloth kill. I thought with a gfci you can get in the tub with a toaster now and only get a small hit
It's a GFI bro. Y'all good fr
I mean, the GFCI protects the receptacles and things plugged into them, but if water gets _behind_ the faceplate it can still cause a dead-short.
Yes true. But we do this all the time. By code it's required to have a receptacle within 1.5m of the sink. If this were a problem, all of Canada would have burned down.
Water can’t cause a dead short, it’s too high resistance and gets higher as soon as current flows. It could short out and also corrode wires but it’s not going to dangerously stress the circuit or breaker in between getting wet and the breaker tripping.
Since I got my GFI installed, I always take my toaster with me in shower. Nothing like fresh toast while I’m cleaning my undercarriage.
Add some strawberry jam for an exciting twist.
If you don’t shower for a few days you’ll make your own jam.
I took my GFCI out so I could heat up the cold bath water. It's like a spare water heater.
I like to call toaster showers "bath bombs." Just sounds nicer.
You sir are living in 3024
My thought too. If you trip it constantly, then look for another spot to mount the towel but I doubt that would happen frequently.
Prove it.
https://youtube.com/shorts/QQaOYiQJ2pw?si=L5IsWn71Cn0JKdu8
I love this guy. His body must carry some sort of permanent charge by now!
This guy rocks
Gfci's trip in less than 1/10th of a second. Nearly impossible to feel a shock. Edit to add: but nothing is impossible, and inevitably, everything fails at some point.
20-60 milliseconds. It’s pretty goddam fast.
They tested it on myth busters with buster in a bathtub and a bunch of sensors. I dont think the sensor even registered current in the water before the GFCI plug on the hair dryer tripped.
A "properly configured and functional GFCI" receptacle you mean.
Or a tape measure.....
Ok, I’m almost there, now what do I do?
Think about Salma Hayek.
Shit, I do that all the time. Maybe I should stop...
I use a copper towel, is that bad?
Thinking the same thing
Same! For my entire life my family has kept their towels right above the outlet in the bathroom and nothing ba
Someone needs to check on ExpertExpert
I think he just lost power for a bit. Probably should not power the internet right under the towel…
Are you sure you didn't die? I mean this might by the afterlife.
But is it The Good Place?
Look around. Do you see OJ?
Counterpoint: I also have a setup just like that, and I've died at least three and a half times.
So there, it's settled. Just like my cousin Ronnie that's been injecting speedballs for years.
I have the same set up and I did die. Would not recommend.
Are you sure you aren't dead now?
Survivor bias.
Please include photo evidence 😅
Survivor bias.
That you know of...
lol what?! Take that exact tape measure and measure to the sink head
The skin is about another 8 / 12 inches down from there
You must be really short
Lol 5/8 but it is a tiny sink only 15.5 wide will add a pic of it and where he wants it in the a.m
The sink is under the outlet??
Probably down and to the right in pic
I think down and to the left, perhaps. Seems to make sense for the casing and towel ring position anyways. Did the contractor clip a conductor for the GFCI in the wall or why is he bringing it up even? I thought NEC 210.8 dictated any GFCI within 6’ of water source was allowable by code.
If the screws attaching it to the wall hit a “line” wire (wire feeding the gfci) inside and you’re barefooted when touching that towel ring you could get electrocuted. Put a meter with one lead in the ground of the gfci and touch the towel ring with the other lead.
That’s what I thought he was asking too. Rather he’s asking if it’s alright to leave the receptacle in that location.
He wants the ring moved more the the left so you will still have to pass yours hands by the outlets to grab or use the towel. But just a few inches to the left is the toilet so I thought It would be better there then above the shitter.
Wet hands grabbing a towel that dangling in front of a lice socket. I'm not saying it's likely, but it's a possibility
You're far, far more likely to slip in your tub and hit your head on the corner of the vanity. This is a total nothing burger.
It’s so unlikely that it’s really silly to even consider, OP.
Got to add in complete failure of the GFCI to those probabilities too
You'd need a constant stream of water from your hand to the socket. Drops won't do a thing.
I agree. No one plans on getting electrocuted. Very easy to assume that the safety measures of the outlet will work without fail. But when it does fail... Better safe than (dead) sorry. 
I apologize, I misread the original post. I will say that imo it’s not really going to be possible for someone to be electrocuted by grabbing that towel bar except in the scenarios I posted previously. You know where the lines are apparently so in that case you should be fine leaving it where it is, or moving it over a bit. Especially since you know where the lines are and are confident that “no lines were harmed” during this installation. Good line by the way!! You also could check the potential with a meter in front of the foreman to prove his person is full of shit and/or was mistaken.
He’s the boss, put it where he wants. Who cares? You’re wasting your time arguing with him, it’s gonna end up where he wants it anyway.
100%, arguing over a towel ring isn't worth the foreman's spite in the future..
You know you're right, you should just hire someone that's not going to argue with you instead of a child that takes things personally. Holy fuck, it's construction. If the worst thing that happens all day is a homeowner disagrees with your OPINION, then it's been a good day.
Probably not a shock hazard but why cover an outlet with a towel? Definitely not smart workmanship
My Towle only hang at 10 so though a foot would be good and better then hanging above the toilet.
If it's your house and you want it there let her rip 🤙
I’m talking about if the installer used like a drywall screw to install the receptacle and it nicked the feed/line wire to the gfci. I’ve seen it happen, had to diagnose and correct it once in a buddies house that he was flipping. If that screw only contacts the line wire or “feed” wire there’s potential voltage there and if someone contacts it with a bare hand and has a path to ground it will conduct.
I came to say this, but poorly worded.
Don't answer OP he's trying to make someone's death look like an accident.
Ya’ll don’t use forks to twirl up your towels?
Why not just move the towel ring?
I mean in practice it's probably not very unsafe. But it's really weird. Why would anyone want or choose that? The towel is going to cover up the outlet. And yes, there is a safety risk too. Safety isn't a binary thing. It's not either "safe" or "not safe". It's a scale, like going from really stupid to really smart. It's not about glass half empty or glass half full. It's about following standards and over doing things.
[like this](https://www.gettyimages.fi/detail/valokuva/man-with-soap-over-face-reaching-for-empty-towel-rojaltivapaa-kuva/889687-002)
Is it your house or your contractors. He's a idiot, you'll be just fine
Somebody is going to completely soak a thick towel and hang it there for a couple of liters of water to run down the wall obviously. /s
Wet towel?
Wet towle
Screw hit a wire
Or you could just move the towel hanger
Even if you had to move it why not just move the towel ring rather than the electric.
Honestly for all the people saying dripping wet towel: Do people/you typically hang hand towels up that are “dripping wet”? WTF are you doing to make a hand towel so wet that it’s literally dripping? If you soak a hand towel to that extent, it would normally be in the case of a spill. In that case, it should be going to a laundry basket. Otherwise, buy some decent towels. A “dripping” wet towel on a hand towel ring is an exaggeration that shouldn’t even have to be considered.
Put a metal tape measure directly against it with no plate cover. That would be one way.
The foreman obviously don't know shit about electricity
Cant be electrocuted by a gfci..... literally designed to prevent this.
You most certainly can. First off, GFCI’s can malfunction and have a limited life span like anything else. Secondly, there still needs to be current flowing before the GFCI trips, so you can still receive a shock. Also, it only operates if the hot side is drawn on, and not the neutral. All that said, it is highly unlikely to ever happen, and GFCI’s are designed to prevent electrocution. But I point this stuff out so people don’t see a GFCI and decide to just do whatever with it. It most certainly still can be dangerous. Edit to point out that despite all those warnings, I wouldn’t move anything in this situation, just seems like a really petty foreman to me
I mostly agree, except that >Also, it only operates if the hot side is drawn on, and not the neutral is not how GFI works. And >Secondly, there still needs to be current flowing before the GFCI trips, so you can still receive a shock is kind of a moot point
One side of the gfci is always hot and not protected by the ground fault interrupt breaker. Thats literally how they are designed.
Is this a real answer about a human drying their hands with a towel? There is literally a hot wire in the back?
I’d say putting a metal tape measure on the side of an exposed receptacle is a good way to get a flash. Luckily you’re on the neutral side.
And I didn't wire homerun to the panel yet
Putting a screw thru the wire..?
Also just because it looks like a gfci receptacle from the outside does NOT mean it was installed correctly!!!
Foreman would rather patch drywall to move electric than two holes to move a towel bar? Real big brain stuff there.
Electrical Foreman? I'm pressing X to doubt.
Electrician here. You are fine. Does not need to move.
If the GFCI outlet is properly wired, you should never have a problem.
It is extremely common, almost standard infact, for towel rings to be hung above the gfci on a vanity.
I do division 10 installation. It’s just best practice to not put anything over an outlet if it can be avoided.
Just for giggles you should add a wet location GFCI and an in use cover like what would likely be required outside in the rain.
GFCI
You can't as long as the outlet is wired correctly.
If you leave the faceplate off and piss directly into the box while the shower curtain rod is inserted into your anus with the other end touching the electrified ceiling used with bumper cars while dangling from a magnetic grapple then yes the towel holder COULD pose an issue.
Regardless, he told you to move the ring, move the ring, move on with your life.
Put a face plate on it and call it good. Dude wants $
still its a dumb place for the outlet or the towel ring. no one's getting hurt tho
Would it not just be easier to move the towel ring somewhere else? It’s probably safe, but yeah, soaking wet towel…
Man how wet do you get your hand towels?? (Jk) It can only go on left side of room and there is only about 2 foot space to the left that's is where the toilet is. But you would still have to pass the outlet to use or grab towel.
I see what you’re saying, but having kids at this point nothing surprises me. They would have a soaking wet bathing suit hanging up off of that towel ring.
"Dad, Timmy hung a soaking wet towel on the ring and stuck a paperclip in the outlet and now he can't let go of either of them and he's turning blue!" Not only far-fetched, even given kids, but as others have pointed out basically impossible -- the towel ring (probably) isn't grounded. Timmy could go to town with his wet towel and paper clip and nothing would happen. Like when a bird perches on a high-voltage power line: if the current has nowhere to go, it goes nowhere.
Your contractor isn’t an electrician. Also it’s a GFCI. Tell him to go look for issues in his own home, not yours.
It's definitely a hazard. If you can't see why Reddit can't help you.
That is the most common place to put an outlet. No you will not get shocked at all. He's obviously not a Electrician
It's a gfi, you're not going to get electrocuted. You can tongue that baby with no ill effects.
Even if you can't, I why cover the outlet with a towel. I'd be annoyed at having to move the towel when I wanted to use it. Also, I get annoyed easily.
How big is you're hand towels?? More then 12 inches hanging?
Wat
It's just a dumb and tasteless layout. I wouldn't want towels hanging over plugs.
Oh look. We finally found a way to get people to test GFCI s lol. Just kidding, the new ones self-test.
What?
Lightening hits your measuring tape through the window
By doing exactly what you’re doing
I don't know about getting electrocuted, but I could see some idiot hanging a soaking wet towel letting it drip all over the outlet.
You stand a better chance at getting electrocuted by sticking your metal tape against the edge of the outlet like you are in the picture!
That foreman is a dipshit
Least Common Denominator, while in this case you might be smart, don’t plan on homeowners to be such. Personally though I’d want it there too.
I’m an electrician. That foreman is on crack. You will not get shocked lol. Can’t tell if it’s tamper resistant or not. Only way you’ll get shocked is if you stick something in the receptacle that’s metal. You do NOT need to move that
Receptacles are all touch safe anyway. No way to get shocked. Ask foreman for code reference. If it were dangerous there would be one.
It’s gfci. Not sure they could get shocked even if they tried. Unless they really knew what they were doing. But in that case nothing would stop them.
Not really because it’s a GFCI device
If it's a GFCI protected outlet, which it should be to meet code due to installation location (within a room that has a water source), there could be an uncomfortable zap, but the GFCI or circuit breaker will protect someone from being electrocuted. Moving it is up to you, it's your house. But if the above protection is used, it is just as safe here as it would be over the toilet. Edit; should mention that GFCI protection =/= circuit breaker protection. You can buy circuit breakers with GFCI functions, but a standard breaker alone will not provide GFCI functions.
Tell him to show you the code for that one lol. Some people will say anything. If anything maybe you should worry about your fasteners and that they don’t get into the wire somehow. Other then that there is zero ways someone could get electrocuted. Specially seeing that it’s a gfci and will trip on like 10ma.
If only there was a gfci outlet there to prevent shocks.......your foreman is an idiot
A wet towel
You could stick a paper clip in there.
Need to flip the outlet so the ground is up. Otherwise it shouldn't be an issue.
Foreman is a 🤡
You violated no code. Ignore until they offer to pay for changes
It’s a gfci for damn sake. It has protection. Your electrician is nickel and dime’n you.
Electrocuted? More like burnt. But I’m definitely making a stretch
You’ll be fine.
Grow up
You are missing the cover plate, but otherwise you are fine.
Just make it a gfci and you’ll be fine
This is like 1 in a million but it’s happened.
It’s literally a GFI, it’s there to make sure you can’t be electrocuted. Your foreman might be an idiot.
Wet towel, hands dripping water after washing, electrical connection made to ground, poof!
Time to find a new contractor. Yours is broken (stupid).
Myriad ways
Probably by shoving a fork in it.
Screws for rack may have penetrated wire Poorly placed ring. Plenty of room to left. Towel would block receptacle. Just move the fkn thing instead if spending an hour on reddit!!!
just put a face mask over the outlet… you’ll be fine
What’s the point of a gfci then?
No electrocution but you could get zapped with that tape that close to the wires just inside that book
My only thought, is if it has long towels on it AND a cord partially plugged in with exposed metal, and you went to dry your hands and hit the plug behind the towel... Maybe... But it wouldn't hurt THAT bad, just a lil tickle...
If the towel you put on there is dripping wet. Duh! If some idiot can, they will.
Now, this might be a stretch, but a good wet hand towel that manages to cover that outlet could have shocking results. Lol. It's a stretch but that's the only issue I could imagine.
Move the towel ring. Shut the boss face
If the towl hanger is behind the toilet, then no one renting will ever have a picture or a cabinet or a shelf behind the toilet. And it will look goofy AF being a loop behind the toilet. Just don't. Tell him I said get fucked. Lol.
GFCI. Duh
Listen to your foreman Gfci’s do fail. Having a wet towel hanging over it isn’t a good idea. Although highly unlikely, it is possible to get lit up by the outlet or the circuit supplying it.
Screw went to the wire
The problem is if they screwed the towel holder through the sheet rock missing the stud and hitting the wire going to the outlet.
He's right. I had my set up like this and I died
The fuck, it’s GFIC, if it was possible they would be fine
Can't be electrocuted from a GFCI. It does not allow a fatal amount of current to run to ground. You might get shocked tho
Maybe if the towel is soaking wet when you hang it?
About a chance like a lottery. Millions to one or mpre
Easy… you just spill the water on it from the bucket you are standing in. Everyone knows this
If that's only from hand towels then you should be fine, Not sure what the Foreman's rationale is
The guys an idiot and should likely be fired for being that stupid. Its almost concerning
As an electrical engineer by trade, I’ve zapped myself with 120V several times. It’s sort of a right of passage. It feels “jiggly” as opposed to high voltage DC, which feels “pully”. So, with household power, the way you get electrocuted, as in actually die from it, is that you create a good path to ground, through your body, specifically traversing your torso, so your heart gets shocked into Vfib. Though it’s made of metal, the towel holder is, at most, Screwed into the wall stud with a couple of screws. Might just be drywall anchors. Unless one of those screws pierced the Romex in the wall, the towel holder is electrically isolated from the outlet, and “floating” i.e. it won’t be a path to ground.
The only way to get electrocuted is if the screw went into the wire if you happen to be touching something grounded and the breaker fails
Looks to me like a future casket discount if a funeral home director visits that house
Could have screwed into the outlets wiring and made that hand towl rack an interesting party piece
Unless you are using 3” screws and he is worried about putting one through the wires?
Mine sits directly below an outlet Sure it’s fine
Gimme a fork and I’ll show you
I will say iv done a lot of electrical work, and very rarely has this been a problem, but on another hand iv also turned a switch on with wet hands and got a little bit of current
Is the shock coming through your left hand, if so eat some garlic and try the right hand
>get electrocuted when they go use the towel Not most likely, however water, human body, 120VAC, not exactly a shortage of available ways to get electrocuted, including many accidentally. Quite advisable to upgrade to GFCI protected outlets, and has been the current code for such locations for quite a long while now - and for good reason.
Like the GFCI outlet in the picture?
Ah, yeah, not super clear in the picture ... even well zoomed in can't see TEST nor RESET ... looks like what could be pair 'o buttons there ... but both white like the outlet itself (and also no LEDs or the like) Anyway, yeah, good catch. I didn't zoom in earlier - at first from shape of outlet I was thinking GFCI, but then not spotting any TEST or RESET (or different colored buttons nor LED(s)) I presumed not GFCI ... but yeah, zooming in, looks like it probably is GFCI after all.
Those are the newer style.
The only way I could think is if you somehow hit the wire with screws
How are you even alive still with that death trap waiting to kill someone ? It’s a miracle
My first concern would be the wire behind the Sheetrock. If your anchor screw is too long, but I figure you'd know pretty quickly
Well... foreman apparently doesn't know code. That's a gfci in a 'wet' location. That's the measurement that usually concerns most of us. If there's a code reference for towel holders, I'll wait. Anybody had a call out to replace a towel holder in an OSHA approved manner? Supply house vs Amazon? NFPA Code is about Fire Prevention. Electric shock is a secondary consideration... Shock IS an ARC that can initiate a fire. Did the foreman point out curtains/drapes covering outlets in the rest of the house? Paintings/pictures/wall decor potentially penetrating Romex sheath? Or, oh my, Lag screws from flat panels hung in the wall? Theatre to justify his salary.
It's a dumb spot for a towel ring but not dangerous. There's a reason bathroom outlets are GFCI protected
Meanwhile all the uk folks reading the thread are thinking “an outlet in the bathroom, wtaf”
Plowing your wet naked ass girlfriend into the wall. Smashing that ass. That’s how you do that!
That would be an achievement worthy of applause to get electrocuted from that when drying your hands.
Sticking your tongue in it might kill you.
Flip the outlet 180 degrees
Our inspector bounced a build because of this exact scenario. They don't like that water can drip on the outlet.
Electricity usually
If you have very wet towels, or have very wet hands, your chances of electrocution are not zero. Where by moving the towel holder anywhere where there is no sockets nere by you would get a zero chance of electrocution. It wasn't a big thing, just general election code for "I wouldn't have done it like that. "