My neighbor is undergoing a major home renovation. His electrician is installing all wall switch boxes at 56" above the floor. This seems high. Since I too will soon need some new wall switches installed, I would like to know if there is a code regulation as to wall switch mounting height. Can anyone direct me to an answer or resource for this question?
You and your neighbor can have the switches installed at a height comfortable to you, typically 48 inches on center
I am not sure about codes, but houses used to be built (maybe still are) on the dementions of the standard American male in the army. Some newer and smarter people are having the houses built with things like switches lower and receptcals higher. Door knobs are being place differant to make them easier to reach. If you are much taller or shorter than the 'standard male' then you may want to build a house with things at differant heigths if you plan on keeping the house for a long time.
It is easier to have a few recepticals around 4 feet or more off the floor. If I want to run a vacuum cleaner and need to move the cord from one room to the next, I don't have to bend down to get it. Just stand up and reach out for it.
Put the switches 36" off the floor. Able-bodied folks as well as those in walkers and wheelchairs can access them equally well. I agree with raising the receptacles to 12-18" off the floor except where they are behind and above a countertop. If there are some locations where a
36-48" receptacle can be placed with good design, then do that too.
Renovations should be done with some consideration of the needs of people in wheelchairs. IMHO, even 48 inches is a little too high.
It is not a viable issue for residential customers as they are charged for actual power used (kWh).
Industrial users tend to have heavy motor loads that create a lagging power factor. With a power factor of 1, kVA is equal to kW, so the facilities needed to deliver 1000 kWh only has to be able to carry
1000 kVAh, and the losses due to heating that equipment is at its minimum.If the customer's power factor was 0.5, then the equiment need to deliver that same 1000 kWh needs to support 2000 kVAh! This means twice the current for the same power. Since heat losses are proportional to the SQUARE of the current, you lose FOUR times the power just heating the infrastructure.
Industrial customers are charged for kVAh if they exceed a certain threshold, so it is in their interest to keep the power factor close to
Residential customers do not generally run at a lagging power factor. In fact, it is likely they have a slightly LEADING power factor resulting from the combined capacitance of all the wiring in the home. I know this from when I used to work as a watchman in a plastics moulding plant. During the weekends when the plant was shut down, it was not unusual for the power factor to be about 0.9 on the leadinig side (there was a PF meter at the service entrance).
As the plant was started up and various motorized equipment was started, the power factor would shift towards the lagging side and capacitor banks would be switched in.
The NEC calls for switches not to be more than 6' 7" above the floor. No other regs on height.
My architect believes in putting them lower. To save the energy of having to lift your arm high. I'm no longer in that space, but if really interested I can pull out the specs and see what they were.
Don (e-mail link at home page bottom).
Wow. My chairs are right on the floor.
My house is up to code, then.
After I had a (verbal) fight with someone, I put in a peephole. I thought I put it several inches lower than my eye, and I'm only 5'8", and lower than all the other peepholes I've seen, but when I look at it now, it seems too short for a lot of short girls.
What height is recommended for them?
Put them wherever you want them. Most people use a standard height for resale value, but if you want to "personalize" your home, do whatever you want. I dont think it would be allowed to put a switch on the floor, and in wet locations (basements), there are limits according to the code. But in a room, you can pretty much place them any height on the wall.
The NEC is there to protect you from hazzards, but not from stupidity. If you are happy with a wall switch being 6 inches from the floor, do it. Your pets will be much happier when they can turn on the lights too...... Mark
Peep holes should be at the height of the item you're trying to see.
I'm trying to see ants on the sidewalk outside. Does that mean the peep hole should be in the threshold under the door?
Too far off the floor means my feet do not touch the floor if my back is firmly pressed in the seat back. The only way to put feet flat on the floor is to slump in the chair.
Sorry if I was unclear.
Chairs/sofas are built for people that are significantly taller than we are so we are uncomfortable unless it is a recliner.
A major renovation that MOVES switch boxes sound really MAJOR!! If you are adding some switch boxes, it would be good to check the height of most of the switches you already have. Then use that height unless you really want to start something new in your house.
Our house has the switches, old and new, at (my) waist high, which is about 4 feet. Some people like them high so that young children can not reach them. I've always felt that kids should be able to reach them, but then they get some discipline to teach them to quit turning lights on and off!!
really want to start something new in your house.
easier to do the sheetrock......
All switches, or just the room-lights?
It makes me grumpy that they won't let me work the overhead lights with a pull-chain. :-(
Every one of my basement lights have pullchains, except the one at the base of the stairway. The common porcelain pullchain fixtures.
I do not have a code book handy, but I believe this rule only applies to wall switches. My furnace has a switch on the basement rafters (ceiling), right next to the furnace. It's been that way for many years. I dont know what the NEC would say about that, but it's staying there. At least it dont get accidentally bumped there. Back when I did handyman work, I got called several times with "no heat" calls, and the only problem was because someone bumped against the switch mounted on the side of the furnace, and shut off the power to it.
Mark
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.