disconnectable radial circuit for kitchen island

[Fash]

As part of fitting a new kitchen the Mrs would like a kitchen island, but this not being enough she would like to be able to move it out of the way for parties, this not being enough she would like electrical power to the island.

What I would like to do (using a part P registered installer of course!) is to supply power to the island using either a 16A or 32A radial circuit but with a floor box mounted connector so that everytime she wants to move the island I don't have to turn the circuit off and disconnect at a junction box.

The problem as I understand it is that I can't just use BS4343 sockets in a domesstic environment as the pins aren't shuttered. Can I get round this by using a more expensive interlocked connector or does anybody know where I can get shuttered 16A or preferably 32A connectors?

All advice gratefully received.

Fash

[Fash]

Possible answer to my own question. Can I just use BS4343 connectors but only accessible behind a blanking plate? If so I would be happy with this.

Fash

[Andrew Gabriel]

How many sockets do you want on the island? If it's a small number, what about an equal number of

13A floor sockets, with each island socket separately supplied from one of the floor sockets?

The purpose of that regulation is probably to prevent children pushing things into the live socket. If you can come up with some other way to ensure the socket remains safe in this case, the departure from the regs would only be something to be noted on the certificate as per 120-02-01.

One thought (probably rather OTT) which comes to mind would be to have magnets in a couple of the island feet and reed switches under the floor. If the island is not in position, the supply is cut. This would also render the supply safe if someone tried to push the island out of the way having forgotten to disconnect the supply first, although the wrench on the cable(s) might still do some physical damage.

Might be worth having a look at products from someone like Reyrolle. They developed the BS4343 connecter which was used in lighted bollards for a while which safely disconnected when a car smashed into the bollard (before someone else later thought of putting the light and all the electrics under the road surface so it wasn't exposed at all when someone smashes a bollard over).

[:::Jerry::::]

Wouldn't there be a problem with the IP rating of most 13A floor sockets in a kitchen area, surely one of the dangers will be water ingress from floor washing / spilt fluids ?

[Andrew Gabriel]

Good point, although that applies to BS4343 outlets too, which I believe are supposed to be angled somewhat below horizontal to be waterproof.

I don't suppose the Mrs would appreciate the beauty of a thick coily cable dangling from the ceiling by any chance?

[Owain]

I think the best solution would be to find a dodgem ride at a scrappies and recycle the ceiling grid and pantograph assembly. That way the island could have power wherever it was and even whilst it was being pushed.

It could even be motorised with a remote control.

Owain

[Christian McArdle]

15A BS546 sockets are available with shutters.

Also, European style Schuko sockets support 16A and can be found in shuttered versions.

Are there any power hungry appliances in the island? If not, a standard 13A plug/socket would be fine.

Christian.

[Andrew Gabriel]

Gibbs and Dandy (Luton) were selling off their stock of 30A BS546 plugs and sockets last time I was in there at something like £1 each. They weren't shuttered, but they were waterproof with a waterproof sealing cover. (Actually, I only ever saw the waterproof version of the 30A BS546 socket -- I recall buying them for probably £30 some

30 years ago for stage lighting dimmer pack supplies.)

They're no good as they aren't polarised.

[Christian McArdle]

Are 30A still available, updated to shuttered even? I've only seen 2/5/15A for years.

Ah yes, I hadn't thought of that.

Christian.

[bigcat]

scrappies

lol!

A retractable ceiling dangly might work. Not a coiled thing, but a proper retractable.

NT

[Fash]

I don't really want cables dangling from ceiling, kind of spoils the look. At the moment I'm thinking of a waterproof 32A connector (buccaneer for example) and looking to put the connector inside an enclosure with an input big enough to get the male connector side out for disconnection. This would then appear to be (and indeed would be) an accessible junction box with 32A rated terminals. Being inside a junction box and therefore not accessible without recourse to tools this connector would not need to be shuttered.

The alternative which is also under very serious consideration is just to connect the cable in a 32A IP67 rated junction box with screw terminals. Given that it will be on its own circuit, de-energising it to move the island probably isn't such a big deal. And how many times am I actually going to disconnect it over the next 10 years anyway? Not many I suspect.

This second solution as well as posing no problems for the regs also has the benefit of being cheap and compact since a waterproof junction box is both small and inexpensive.

It's sounding more attractive every time I think about it!

In order to deal with the island being moveable and the risk of accidental disconnection I think some concealed floor fixings are probably in order but I suspect interlocking these with the reed switch idea is overkill. I reckon just making it require a positive decision to move the island rather than just pushing it should be sufficient. Something along the lines of hidden bolts (the star key driven ones you get for door latches) into holes in the floor should work OK.

Final question is whether it is OK to run the whole circuit in round flexible 4mm2 since this will seal better into the junction box gland? My presumption was/is that it's OK to bury flex in the wall if you want (particularly with harmonised colours) just a little expensive if you do it everywhere. Is this true or am I barking up the wrong tree?

Fash