Outlet spacing

[Colbyt]

By definition, you _have_ to have two on each wall to meet the 6' rule.

Harry K

Two on each wall where the wall is more than 2 bigger than 6 foot.

[N8N]

I find that it does, but for a different reason than you're thinking... pretty much at every receptacle location there's at least one piece of electronics plugged in, meaning that I have a power strip/ surge suppressor there, so if 6' isn't quite close enough, simply shifting the power strip along the baseboard in the appropriate direction will solve the issue.

Now there are some locations in my house that do not follow the 6 foot rule, and in those locations, I will eventually be adding receptacles. (primary holdup right now is weather - can't get to the supply house to purchase materials, as I've spent more Saturdays shoveling snow than doing anything else, it seems.)

nate

[Harry K]

You cannot get 1 outlet to cover 14' of wall and meet the 6' specification Best you could do would put it in the middle leaving 7' on each end.

Harry K

[Harry K]

Well...yes, the power strips do solve the problem. That is what I have at the TV center and the computer center. Ends with a whole rat- nest behind both things due to not enough outlets.

Harry K

[aemeijers]

(Nods knowingly) Yeah, when I moved into this place, I saw how badly the outlets were placed, and bought some of those 90-degree plug extension cords, and even a split cord for the bed wall. Of course, when I went to bring in the furniture a piece at a time, I couldn't find most of them. Ran across the pile of cords the other day- I should probably drape them over the furniture in question, so next time I bother to clean those rooms, I can plug the cords in. Not gonna move those full bookcases, though.

[mm]

LOL. I have yet to decide if it's better to have extension cords, or computer cords, or cube-taps, or AC plugs all over the place in a terribley disorganized manner, but at least there is always one aroudn when I need it, or to have them all in one box, so I can't find a the box or a single one of them.

Not about outlets, but when I girl I knew was moving, she gave me her ex-husband's bookshelf, 4'x8 foot in back (and I have 8 foot ceilings), with adjustable brackets, and about 16 inches deep. Sixteen. Room enough for two rows of books if they are small. It was in pieces at my old apartment, and when I moved into my new house, I had to assemble it in place, without scratching the ceiling. Well I did a pretty good job and it's been there carrying many books for 27 years, but 10 or 20 years ago, A) I noticed it leaning forward, on the carpeting. Now the top is almost 2 inches in front of the bottom. In another quarter inch, one side will be resting on the door molding, so maybe it will stop moving then. (It has barely moved in 10 or 15 years, but you never know)

B) It's assembled with screws, but I also should have screwed the sides together half-way up, by screwing each side into a shelf. Now it would be easy to do that now from the side that faces the room, but impossible to do it to the side that is right up against the wall. And the vertical boards are indeed spreading at the middle, but not that much. A half inch in 27 years, maybe. But someday they may spread so much that some shelves won't sit on the brackets, which stick out about 3/4 inch. When that happens, it may all fall down. (It's only 6 feet away but I'm too lazy to get up and measure.)

[Phisherman]

No set rule. A popular saying is "You can't have too many outlets." Your answer depends on how you will be using the space. I have my 120v outlets spaced about every 5-6 feet on the wall, one 240v outlet on every wall. In addition, there are a few outlets on the ceiling for an array of shop lights. Also, think about if you might ever want switched outlets--now is the time!

[Gary H]

1.5 on each wall would be enough. That would be alternating between 2 and 1.

[Harry L]

And are always permanently mounted on the wall at receptacle height.

[aemeijers]

Uh, will the ceiling actually keep it from falling over, or will the two tons of books just punch right through it? 2 traditional ways to make bookcases spill-resistant: 1. shim shingles, with blocks and cardboard as needed, to create a wide-contact jam fit against ceiling. (good for rental units) 2. Before you load it, lag it off to the wall.

Now as to the thing spreading on you- you will need to at least partially unload it, and use pipe clamps or something to square it up, before you add a couple bucks worth of deck screws at critical points. You can always add a bar across the front, hooked into a block screwed into the vertical members. Hardwood blocks, or something out of your junk box- good chance to be inventive. I've even seen it done with pipe flanges, iron pipes, and a pipe union in the middle. This was on some huge deep shelves, about 10 foot tall, in an old classroom building at college. I thought it was a coat rack that had been converted to shelves at first, till I looked at it hard one day.

-- aem sends...

[mm]

I'll thave to think about all this. This is a good day, since I can't get out of the house, but I'd need parts from the hardware stores and I'm sure they're closed.

[DerbyDad03]

re: "When that happens, it may all fall down."

...and then you can put an outlet behind it! ;-)

[Soundhaspriority]

This is only a minimum.

When I remodeled my basement, I put a fourplex outlet every 16". I don't like extension cords.

"I don't really have a replacement career, it's a very gnawing thing."

Bob Morein [phone]

[mm]

ROTFL