Minimum socket height

[justanotherguy]

My eletrician has started putting in the back boxes. Unfortunately they are twice the height of the existing ones, and to my eye looks stupidly high.

They are 45cm form floor to bottom, which he says is required.

My question is - how strictly is this required? I'd like them at least 10cm lower.

Thanks

 

[ColJack]

new build height is between 450 and 1200mm from the floor
on old installs it's prefectly ok to match existing as long as they aren't on / in the skirting boards.. ( you need minimum clearance from floor to stop damaging the flex out of the plug.. )

 

[1john]

They need to be as accessable or more accessable, ie, he cant put them any lower than the existing ones. Personally i cant see what 10cm difference will make though.

 

[Paul_C]

new build height is between 450 and 1200mm from the floor

Approved document for Part M says between 400 and 1200mm.

But like all the approved documents, those are recommendations, not absolute rules; your local authority might think otherwise though, unfortunately.

 

[justanotherguy]

They need to be as accessable or more accessable, ie, he cant put them any lower than the existing ones. Personally i cant see what 10cm difference will make though.

In terms of appearance or access? Definitely the former IMO. 10cm is about another socket's height. To me, it just seems to make a feature of the socket when it's so high above skirting.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

They are 45cm form floor to bottom, which he says is required.

He's wrong.¹

Tell him to put them where you want them, or there'll be some disappointment in store for him in the payment area.



¹ Assuming this is just a regular house......

 

[JohnD]

...to my eye looks stupidly high..

I think that's the nub.

As new sockets in new and rewired houses are mostly being installed at the current standard heights, your eye (like everyone elses) will get used to the new height, and you will begin to find yourself thinking the old sockets look stupidly low.

If you have a bad back, stiff knee, are fat or pregnant, this will happen sooner.

 

[securespark]

If you have a bad back, stiff knee, are fat or pregnant, this will happen sooner.

And may your God help you if suffer from all four conditions.

 

[JohnD]

I'm not pregnant

 

[Monkeh]

I'm not pregnant

But you have a bad back, stiff knee, and are fat?

 

[JohnD]

also a bad foot, two bad ankles, and a bad hip.


edited:
and a bad neck and a bad shoulder and a bad elbow and wrist.

However, one of my arms is in quite good condition

 

[Paul_C]

They need to be as accessable or more accessable, ie, he cant put them any lower than the existing ones.

But that is another "requirement" which comes only from the recommendations in the Approved Document, which are not mandatory.

The legislation clearly states that Part M does not apply to the extension of or material alteration of a dwelling, so the requirement of "Reasonable provision shall be made for people to: (a) gain access to; and (b) use the building and its facilitites" simply doesn't apply.

If Part M is not applicable, then what's to stop you putting the sockets on the rewire at any height you like, including lower than the old ones?

 

[Paul_C]

Approved document for Part M says between 400 and 1200mm.

My apologies, I was looking at the wrong section of the document when I said that. It does indeed say between 450 and 1200mm for domestic.

It's the section on wheelchair accessibility in non-dwellings which says between 400 and 1000mm for sockets.

Which poses an obvious question, of course.......

 

[ColJack]

Approved document for Part M says between 400 and 1200mm.

My apologies, I was looking at the wrong section of the document when I said that. It does indeed say between 450 and 1200mm for domestic.

It's the section on wheelchair accessibility in non-dwellings which says between 400 and 1000mm for sockets.

Which poses an obvious question, of course.......

don't keep us in suspense.. ask the obvious question then, we're not mind readers you know..

 

[Paul_C]

Well, I thought it would be obvious..... Maybe not!

If 400mm is considered an acceptable height in one place, then why is it specified as 450mm in another? And if 1200mm is considered a maximum acceptable height in one case, then why is it 1000mm elsewhere?

Why a difference in what's supposedly acceptable of 2 inches in minimum and 8 inches in maximum height?