Ideal no. of electrical sockets in a room

[ey143]

What is an average number of sockets to include on a wall for different room types at skirting board level?

As part of our house rebuild, I've been asked this question by my contractor and whilst this does depend on the position of furniture and beds in the room and number of devices to be used (laptop, phone charger, USB connection) x2 for each adult side of the bed, I was wondering what is too much and too little? Also how much should the be spaced apart so it doesnt look like electric plug city?

 

[Iggifer]

Well it's really up to you, but I'd go for at least one more than you think you need.

For a bedroom, one either side of the bed, and then two or three elsewhere, if you're going to have a TV, wall mounted or otherwise, take that into consideration.

Don't have them on the skirting board, terrible idea. If you're redoing the whole house, put them at 450mm off the floor to the bottom of the socket, it looks odd at first, but it's so much more convenient than on the skirting

 

[Taylortwocities]

I assume that the person doing the work is a registered electrician? If he looks in his On Site Guide, IIRC, there is a table in there of the suggested number of sockets by room type.
But really, the number is up to you. Think about the TV area. TV, SKY box, DVD player, sound bar, it goes on and on.

And in the office/work area you are going to need heaps, and think about adding in some sockets with integrated USB chargers

And you will need to decide on room layout too, otherwise that important power point might be behind the wardrobe…

PLANNING is what you need.

EDIT, and make sure he also puts TV points, Ethernet cables and other media things where you need them. Need a wall mounted TV, tell him about it or you'll have 5 dishes of black spaghetti hanging underneath

 

[PBC_1966]

One important thing to keep in mind: It will be much easier and cheaper in the long run to put in more than you think you might need now than to come back and add them later. That goes for power, telephone, TV, Ethernet outlets, everything.

For power, I rather like the long-standing NEC rule here in the U.S. which requires a minimum of an outlet within 6 ft. either side of a door and spaced no more than 12 ft. apart around the periphery of the room. The idea is that wherever you place something with the typical 6 ft. cord around the outside of the room, it will reach an outlet.

 

[EFLImpudence]

What is an average number of sockets to include on a wall for different room types at skirting board level?

5.437

 

[SteveP86]

I owned a flat which was built in 2011 and whilst I'm not sure of the actual height of the sockets what I can tell you is that in my own opinion they were a bloody eyesore. They where so high that they were in line with the arm of the sofa. Just think about having sky shotgun cable, two plugs and a phone line right in your line of sight because you want the telly in the corner of the room and not in the middle.

Also the light switches were all at waist height and the doors were wider so I'm guessing this crap was all to make the flat accessible for wheelchair users. Perhaps this is the new regulations? Just a shame it was a 3rd floor flat with no lift.

 

[Iggifer]

You either had a really low sofa, or your electrician got carried away! 450mm from the floor isn't that high.

 

[SteveP86]

You either had a really low sofa, or your electrician got carried away! 450mm from the floor isn't that high.

Just checked with measuring tape. Approx 600mm from floor level they were.

 

[PBC_1966]

Maybe it was built for some specific disabled person in mind? Or maybe it was some electrician getting carried away with what he thought was required in new buldings now?

 

[SteveP86]

Maybe it was built for some specific disabled person in mind? Or maybe it was some electrician getting carried away with what he thought was required in new buldings now?

All the flats in the block were like it. Hated living in that flat. So glad to be in a good old 70's wimpy

Steve

 

[Taylortwocities]

Also the light switches were all at waist height and the doors were wider so I'm guessing this crap was all to make the flat accessible for wheelchair users. Perhaps this is the new regulations?

Its Building Regulations Part M. Have a free download, its an interesting read.

You'll only really appreciate the need for it when YOU end up in a wheelchair.

 

[JohnD]

or when he gets a bad back, or a gammy leg or a bad hip, or becomes very fat, or pregnant, or has babies crawling round the room.

 

[winston1]

Think about the TV area. TV, SKY box, DVD player, sound bar, it goes on and on.

EDIT, and make sure he also puts TV points, Ethernet cables and other media things where you need them. Need a wall mounted TV, tell him about it or you'll have 5 dishes of black spaghetti hanging underneath

Also bear in mind sparks are not the best people to put in TV points. They often (not always) make a mess of it. Wrong cable, unscreened sockets etc. Use a CAI registered aerial installer.

 

[PBC_1966]

Also bear in mind sparks are not the best people to put in TV points. They often (not always) make a mess of it. Wrong cable, unscreened sockets etc.

And even just parallel connected cables to two or more outlets. It works for sockets and lights.......

 

[bernardgreen]

Also bear in mind sparks are not the best people to put in TV points. They often (not always) make a mess of it. Wrong cable, unscreened sockets etc. Use a CAI registered aerial installer.

An electrician fitted a masthead amplifier with the power supply hidden from view and no indication there is a masthead amplifier that need 12 volts sent up to it via the coax.

EDIT

This was discovered when an aerial socket was moved and a new cable run the to new location. The cable to the old location was disconnected from the aerial down lead and with it the 12 volt supply to the mast head amplifier.