I'm living in an old apartment, and my roommate has fed electrical cords through a heating vent from the living room into the bathroom, up to a power bar on the side of the sink. I see this as a double hazard and illegal.
The heating vent exits from the wall behind the toilet, about 3 inches off floor. He says it is safe because the power bar and the cords behind the toilet will not cause a fire because the heat in the vent will dry any condensation that might cause an electric fire. But wouldn't using an active vent be dangerous, as well as being near water?
I know very little about any of this, but doubt any amount of safety or grounding will make this safe. Would anyone know how to make this situation safer? Or give me some peace of mind so I can sleep.
Update:
This roommate is a contractor and is educated through college for home renovations. I cannot convince him to remove this hazard and will move out soon. I was told I was overreacting and do not understand how it works…so I appreciate the confirmation that it is dumb and dangerous.
Best Answer
Any electrical socket in a bathroom must have GFCI protection. You're damp, you touch something with a ground fault, feel a slight tickle and wake up wearing a halo and wings. Of all places to hack together power supplies, a bathroom is absolutely the worst place to do this. Mystical theories about the heater protecting the strip from dampness don't remove the shock hazard.
Fire hazard is not your problem here