does wiring usually approach a wall socket from above or below?

[alan]

I live in a flat that's part of a complex that used to be sheltered housing.

Because of the ages of people here, all the electrical sockets are about waist height, so that people don't need to bend down.

This is a problem in my bedroom, as the room is so designed that the only possible place to put the bed means that one of the two sockets would be right between my shoulder-blades. Having a bed-head would help, but when there's a plug in that socket - which there will be, as I like a bedside light - the bed-head would be so far from the wall as to be unsightly.

But my main concern is electrical fields. Sitting up in bed reading, the socket would be only inches from my head.

I 've written to ask my housing association if they could move this one socket down to floor level. In reply, the man in charge of maintenance said that moving the socket there would not solve 'my perceived worries about electrical fields', as he put it, because there'd still be a cable running from the blanked-off old socket to the new one.

But is this right? If the cable feeding the socket were approaching the socket from the top - running down the wall to it - that would indeed be the case, but I'd have thought that cables would run from floor level UP to the sockets. I've a feeling he's just trying to fob me off, because later in his letter he goes on about the expense of having the work done.

I want to fight this decision if I can, because even though I know fears about electrical fields close to one's brain aren't fully substantiated, I don't want to take the risk.

Knowing my housing association as I do, I know they'll do anything to put tenants off in order to save money, and that includes exaggerating the cost of doing a job, or even claiming the job is just impossible, and so I'd be very grateful for any facts I can muster to my own case, such as likely costs of moving this one socket about three feet, and whether it really is likely that the cable is running down the wall towards it rather than up to it.

I'll be most grateful for any advice I can get here.

[ARWadsworth]

The cables may run either up or down to the socket. It may even have one cable running up to the socket and another running down from the socket.

The only way to find out is to have a look behind the socket.

[Huge]

Don't be so stupid.

[RobertL]

Could you not sleep the other way round in the bed?

You can find out where the cables go without undoing anything: use one of those "cable detectors" like this:

[Graham.]

Could you not sleep the other way round in the bed?

If he sleeps with his feet nearest the door that, will at least assist the undertaker when he finally succumbs to the electric fields ;-)

[Bob Eager]

I won't descend to insults, but you shouldn't worry.

Why? If it's a solid floor, it'd be much easier to run it down, not up.

[alan]

I have to say, I'm pretty dismayed at the mentality of some of the replies here - I posted my message because I thought this was a respectable group, but it seems I was mistaken.

I made a POLITE equiry, voicing my concerns about electric fields - concerns even noted by the Environmental Protection Agency:

my naivety, I expected politeness in return, not crass rudeness. This is one of the main things that has spoilt Usenet, apart from the spam: a lot of people now hesitate to post reasonable queries in case they're met with nasty, unwarranted attacks like the ones I've experienced here.

People like 'harry', 'Graham' and 'Huge' are only cheapening themselves, but they probably wouldn't understand that.

To the one or two of you who showed me a bit of respect - thanks, I appreciate that.

[tony sayer]

In article , alan scribeth thus

Well being involved in RF I'd not like to have one of those street lamp or telephone pole base station units outside my house thanks. But I don't reckon that a power cable which most all of the time will be passing no current or prolly very little in that instance would worry me.

Anecdotally there is someone who lives in a bungalow near here who has Twin 33 kV lines right above his house has had a string of people suffering various cancers living there in the past, but no one AFAIK has done any research on that instance. Now compare that to the population in the UK I suspect that at some locations there will statistically be more people affected in a given location or house, building, then perhaps what's the norm.....

[dennis]

What good will that do?

Just because there isn't a mains cable there doesn't mean the field is zero.

In fact he will and has been exposed to electric fields all his life and will continue to be exposed wherever he sleeps in relation to the cables. The electric field will have no effect upon him other than to increase his level of stress by thinking about it. if he worries too much the stress will affect his health, the electric fields will not affect his health.

[newshound]

government agency by labelling carbon dioxide as a pollutant. By all means regard them as a souce of alarmist information, just don't regard them as a scientific source. Ultimately you've got to read the literature and decide for yourself.

But if you have decided there is an issue, the group has already given you the easy answer to the problem you posed. Volt-stick type detectors are less than a fiver, and also very useful for diagnosing simple faults without dismantling things. Deciding whether a table light has failed because of a fuse failure, a faulty switch, or a faulty bulb, for example.

[TMC]

Having read your original post please excuse me for picking a few holes

1 A plug in said socket would only protrude from the wall some 20 mm. As bed heads do not usually touch the wall due to the skirting board or battens behind the headboard there would be little if any extra spacing off of the wall 2 If the socket were moved nearer to the floor it would still need to be clear of the skirting board and would create the same issue as number one if you have a box divan bed 3 If it were moved nearer to the floor it would create the same perceived electrical field issues when you are lying down as the higher one does when you are sitting up 4 There would be the same perceived electrical field issues with the proximity of the bedside lamp so it would be best not to use one 5 If you took the trouble to read the article you refer to you will find that the table lamp should be 6 feet from the bed along with an electric clock if you have one. Electric wires running under the bed should also be moved (this would include the wire from where you would like the socket to the bedside lamp & and any wires running under the floor serving the floor below) You would need to check the location of wiring the other side of the wall concerned and if necessary have that moved as wll

It would appear from the article that you should move to a property where there is no electricity in order to be fully protected

And please tell that you do not wear metal framed glasses

As regards showing you some respect that is difficult to do when the solution you are seeking appears to be as much a risk as the problem you perceive (according to the article you cite)

In summary without any intention to be crass or rude and with due consideration given to the issue you raise

Don't be so stupid

Regards

[Huge]

Well, you're already in my killfile, so I only see your droolings when someone else posts them.

I have to say I've long since given up being dismayed at the mentality of some of the posters on Usenet. Droolers, dribblers, morons, theists, off-topic posters, people whose IMPORTANT information should be DISSEMINATED as WIDELY as possible, top posters, Mike Corely and arrogant fuckwits generally. My milk of human kindness dried up many years ago.

Ummm. Not unwarranted. You're an idiot.

I don't care what you think. You're an idiot. You came into a public space and said something stupid. Some people patted you on the back, said "there, there" and hoped you would go soon. Some people said it like it is. If you don't like that, get the nurse to take you back to your room, perhaps someone else would like to use the PC?

[ARWadsworth]

I had noticed:-)

[John Rumm]

No you were not mistaken. If you take a step back you will see that most posters answered your question correctly.

Here I will do the same:

in green, you could reasonably expect a cable.

just about any fear you want. That does not mean that the real risk is of any great significance when compared to the other more mundane risks that you face without giving second thought to every day.

This is more a reflection on our poor ability to assess risks in rational ways.

Given the amount of quackery that surrounds issues like this, some more robust responses are perhaps to be expected. The moral being, don't be too sensitive!

Available quality data from peer reviewed studies on the effects of non ionising EM radiation are limited. Numerous more recent studies have failed to observe any statistically significant cancer risk associated. Note however that much of the research has been focussed on RF frequencies more commonly used for comms.

Given the various EM fields you pass though every second of your life, the additional contribution from one or two mains cables in close proximity would seem to be lost in the noise.

[fred]

Was it that chapped and swollen nipples that gave it away?

[Dave Plowman (News)]

It's a DIY group. You don't intend DIYing, but want information better asked of a trades person. Since you can only be sure by an on site survey where a cable actually is sited.

However, if you are really concerned about radiation from the mains, best to not have it in the house at all. As certain appliances will radiate far more than a cable. And never ever use a computer.

[Steve Firth]

alan wrote: [snip].

Don't worry. Induced electrical currents can only affect higher brain functions. You are clearly not at risk.

[hugh]

Yes - and sometimes from the side, with any combination of all 3 or just

2.

[hugh]

In message , "Dave Plowman (News)" writes

..Or a mobile phone, or a cordless phone, or sit near a TV, or get in a modern car, or live in anything other than a Faraday cage.

[Graham.]

Well if my bad taste joke caused you offence then I'm happy to tender my apology.

The website you linked to is

contains an unattributed quote Environmental Protection Agency, I rather doubt a US website would be referring to the UK EPA when there is a US one too. appears to be the opinion of an individual doctor.

"Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Dr. Mercola, unless otherwise noted."

If you are going to worry yourself about this stuff at least try to get your information from reliable sources.