I don't know which specific unit you're talking about, but I'd be dubious about something designed to pop up through the worktop. The crack round the top sounds like a magnet for crumbs and gunge, not to mention the sump it drops into filling up with a fine collection of its own.
I assume they've tried to design to avoid this, but I question how successful they could be compared to unbroken laminate.
But there is a specific recommendation of 150 mm in the 'official' guidance - i.e. the Electrician's Guide to the Building Regs (EGBR) or the OSG, or both.
Here's a summary of the EGBR guidance relating to kitchens:
(i) accessories to be on building fabric, not on kitchen furniture;
(ii) control switches to be mounted to avoid need to reach over hobs;
(iii) sockets to be a minimum of 450 mm above floor;
(iv) accessories a min. of 300 mm from edge of sink or draining board;
(v) sockets for washing m/c's or dishwashers etc. to be positioned so as not to be dripped or splashed on if plumbing leaks;
(vi) sockets to be min. 150 mm above worktop (to centre-line of skt);
(vii) sockets supplying under-worktop appliances to be accessible when appliance pulled out;
(viii) built-in appliances to be connected to socket or FCU that is readily accessible when appliance is in normal use, OR controlled by readily accessible DP switch or switched FCU;
(ix) light switches to be readily accessible;
(x) manufacturer's instructions should be followed.
There is a tendency to simply and gold-plate the regs. I've been told that a boiler couldn't have a non-RCD supply as "It's water and electricty" A customer was told you you can't have a open flue gas fire in a bedroom (wrong you can provided it's < 14kW, and has an "oxy-pilot").
Heh! I shall have to tell my stickler-for-the-regs sparkie mate that. He (like me) likes to put sockets for the dishwasher & washing machine on the inside walls of the sink unit rather than on the building wall either at the back of the machine bay or tucked up under the sink.
Behind the machine it's hard to plug the machine in & out & ensure the machine's cable doesn't get snagged by pipes &c, and if there is a leak of the water-spraying everywhere type it could go over the plug & socket without being noticed. On the wall at the back of the sink unit it's hard to get to and likely to get wet. On the inside wall of the sink unit, high up and near the front, it's accessible and out of harm's way. And the sink unit isn't likely to be moved by a non-competent/skilled/instructed person any more than any other accessory if the kitchen's being refitted.
But de Law is de Law. I suppose the pukka way would be to fit a commando socket to the building fabric and make the sink unit with its socket(s) a plug-in.
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