Hi,
just looking at clearances on sockets, and space needed for cable to go down beneath the plug then bend.
Looking at it, I realised that things would be much easier if the socket was the other way up - so the cable exited up the wall.
Taking it one step further there must be instances where a socket on its side would make access easier.
So is there any major safety reason why plugs have the earth pin at the top and the live/neutral at the bottom?
TIA
Dave R
You may have trouble with flexes going straight up being bad for strain relief. On the side isn't so bad.
Christian.
Reminds me of a job i was on once :-)
A house was being completely refurbed and the plumbers and electrics all went in to the kitchen and did their thing ... usual scenario ........ bottom of boxes 1060mm from the floor ...... no one told them that there was plans to screed the floor 4" and then lay quarry tiles before the units went in ...... sockets ended up almost resting on the worksurface ..... the electrician decided to put the sockets in upside down because, otherwise there would have been no room for the cable, and told the client that it was a new UK regulation.
It wouldn't be a problem if we weren't putting a desk with a metal foot up against the wall where the socket is going.
As the cable is going directly upwards, then through a hole in the back of the desk, it seemed more practical to have the plug with the cable emerging upwards.
Turning the plug round if/when we move the desk is not a problem.
IIRC (and a quick Google didn't give an answer) sockets are supposed to be quite high up the wall to assist disabled access.
Anyone got the curent min/max height?
TIA Dave R
A lot of people hold the plug between thumb and middle finger, leaving the first finger to, possibly, hang over the top of the plug. That is not a problem if the earth is there and may not be a problem with modern sheathed pins on live and neutral. However, with an older plug, having unsheathed pins, there is a (fairly remote) possibility of touching a live pin when insterting the plug.
Of course, even before the current requirements to have the sockets half way up the wall, there should always have been at least 150mm clearance under the socket, to allow for the cable to bend easily.
Colin Bignell
The only issue I can think of is that for rewireable plugs (as opposed to moulded ones), there is a marginally higher risk of stuff falling into the plug, and if spilt liquid fell on the cable, it would run down into the plug.
I think it's between 400mm and 1400mm.
Although remember that this is a Building Regulations and not Wiring Regulations thing and as such only applies in new buildings or construction......
.andy
To email, substitute .nospam with .gl
Well spotted that man....fortunately I am exempt on this work as it is in an existing room :-)
Ah yes, an optimal height to trip over the wires. A great danger to the movement or visually impaired. I wonder how many grannies will fall over and break their hips as a result.
Steve
New building regs state the height of sockets and switches in dwellings to be installed so that all persons including those whose reach is impaired can easilly use them. A way of satisfying the regs is to install them between 450 mm and 1200mm. The regs do not apply to kitchens or garages but specifically only to rooms that visitors would normally use.
This is for new builds and as far as I know, extensions can be left at the old height. It would look rather silly in an extended living room to have 4 sockets at 6 inches and 4 at 18 inches
specifically
Mmmmm.
Number one son, in a brand new ground floor flat (Very North Sctland) has most of his sockets mounted about 6 to 8 inches from the floor. No where near the 450 to 1200mm mentioned above.
Dave
In older properties this is the norm' but newer legislation is allowing for disability in the height requirements, making for ease of use by people in wheelchairs or who have difficulty in bending down. You're also getting older and might find that one day, you to would like to be able to plug in your tele' without having to bend over to far and aggravate your arthritis.
The younger maid used to do all these jobs in days of yore'. :-))
450mm/1200mm from memory.
"Dave" wrote | Number one son, in a brand new ground floor flat (Very North | Sctland) has most of his sockets mounted about 6 to 8 inches | from the floor. No where near the 450 to 1200mm mentioned above.
People are generally talking about the English Building Regulations. I don't know off-hand whether Scotland has comparable provisions in our B Regs for the height of sockets.
Owain
How many appliances do you actually plug and unplug?
The black and deceker. Ok so granny camn do her won filings.
The vacum ckleaner. Mmm. If she can';t get out of teh effin wheelchair teh vacuum cleaner seems a bit strange # The iron. Ditto. Her hair curlers. Ok she camn do that in teh kitchen where the sockets are hogher can't she.
Its boloocks. 99% of sockets are either never used, or never unplugged
What is the most comkon thing after a vacuum cleaner, iron or hairdryer that nees unplugging.
Light bulbs. Shame they didn't make THOSE between 450m and 1200mm. :-)
OK NP ..... take a deep breath before typing ..... and I won't have to break in to my mescalin cabinet next time I need to read one of your posts
Is it just me, or is that really stupid? I want my sockets about
2" above the skirting. Is that so much to ask?
You could get away with it if you really wanted, just make some very tall skirtings.
This is not regulation, it's only guidelines to work by. New public buildings must be freely accessible by the disabled, both in its entry and exit doors and the other facilities it offers, or the builder can be fined rather a lot of money, so rather than go for a fine, the builders are following guidelines which tell them what people with disabilities need.
If it was a general regulation that all new house builds were to have wheelchair access, then they wouldn't be able to use staircases to get to houses higher up in a block of flats. So the height of sockets is still only a requirement on new builds so they can be occupied and used by a person with a disability if needed, without the need to remodel or alter it.
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