Surface mounted or floor sunk 13A boxes

I've looked at the Wiki, but not seen exactly what I want.

I'm feeling idle/effort efficient and I don't really want to excavate some holes in the wall to sink 13A twin sockets in.

The location is under a desk unit (kitchen units and a wooden top up against a wall).

(1) I could just make a channel in the wall and run the cable up that then put a surface mount box over it.

(2) I could mount the box(es) in the wooden floor.

Any wiring regulation "gotchas" with either approach?

Anything else to beware of?

Cheers

Dave R

Reply to
David
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(3) use some surface dado trunking

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(4) use some 20 mm PVC conduit and circular boxes and MK 320 WHI sockets

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Owain

Reply to
spuorgelgoog

Have you ever seen those sockets with a brass flap cover in old shops, in the floor. They were made specifically for that application.

They still make them:

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Reply to
Tim Watts

You could - nothing wrong with that.

Also ok, you can get purpose designed sockets for floor mounting with sprung flat cover plate.

e.g:

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I tend to install them with a normal metal back box and some wood to act as support and battens:

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(must get round to finishing that article one day!)

Pretty much the same as any socket addition.

Reply to
John Rumm

Thanks.

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is similar.

I'm now musing if I need them to be switched.

Single sockets look as though they will play nicely with the floorboards.

Cheers

Dave R

Reply to
David

Floor battens look fairly "belt and braces".

Looking at the Screwfix ones

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they look designed to screw directly into the floor.

Cheers

Dave R

Reply to
David

If you just want powe, then one or more floor sockets is the simple way. If you want more, you can get modular units with a large box that'll take a double socket, plus network and phone sockets or the like. They have a recess in the lid that you can put matching carpet or a veneer of wood into and they often have a small cut-away in one edge, so that you can close the lid with cables in place.

One example is:

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but I don't know what the top of that one is like - some can be completely covered, leaving just a thin metal or plastic edge, while others have a larger plastic section visible. SteveW

Reply to
Steve Walker

Because they were potentially taking the load of someone standing on the socket, mostly on screw tension. There is a slight overhang on the facia of the socket, but not a huge amount.

That looks like a normal size faceplate... i.e. designed to be screwed to a backbox of some kind. The easiest type in this application is probably a dry lining box.

Reply to
John Rumm

They have a recess in the top to take (thinish) carpet or other covering. There is a picture here:

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It always amazes me how many people can manage to use those to try and scissor a cable with the lid of the box rather than use the fold out cable outlets! (I suspect what happens is a wire gets pulled on, and that briefly lifts the lid a bit open and allows the cable to pull to the side).

Reply to
John Rumm

Ah. The ones at work have much less showing - a 1.5mm metal edge all round the lid and the same all round the floor edge, with a narrow slot for cables and for getting a grip to lift the lid.

The lids on the ones at work are pretty heavy and have to be lifted vertically and level for about an inch before they can hinge, so pulling on cables tends not to lift them enough to cause any problem.

SteveW

Reply to
Steve Walker

I think most of the ones I have seen where it happens have been Marshall Tufflex rather than Schneider - you can hinge them without any lift as such.

Like:

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Reply to
John Rumm

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