Floor sockets in living rooms?

[plugwash]

Yes, the second sort must have a metal socket inside I would think?

At least the ones I've seen for sale, the accessories sold specifically to fit the floor box are metal, but some brands also offer adapter plates on which a standard UK accessory can be fitted.

 

[pete01]

I'm as sure as I can be, having grovelled under furniture in offices to plug things in, that some have plastic sockets.

The reason I mention it is I used to work for a testing company years ago and that's one of the questions I was asked in the interview.

In that interview the bloke said they can't be plastic as metal chair legs could go through ( there was a lot of schools to test)

Makes sense to me.

 

[robinbanks]

Isn’t that the same thing?

To my mind the question is asking about either:

(flush)

(Recessed)

But I see where you're coming from

 

[plugwash]

A problem I've seen once with floor boxes in a multi-use space was careless use leading to damaged flexible cords. The room had a supply of "socket posts" which were plugged into the floor boxes and frequently moved around, but people did not take the time to properly route the flex and close up the floor boxes after moving them around leading to flexes being trapped under the box lids.

 

[robinbanks]

someone spends their time on the sofa scrolling and has a phone with battery life measured in minutes

It'd perhaps be cheaper to replace the phone, or buy a high capacity portable power bank, than move heaven and earth to ensure power is available at the sofa just to run a phone with a goosed battery.

It'd make the mobile phone more mobile too

A problem I've seen once with floor boxes in a multi-use space was careless use leading to damaged flexible cords. The room had a supply of "socket posts" which were plugged into the floor boxes and frequently moved around, but people did not take the time to properly route the flex and close up the floor boxes after moving them around leading to flexes being trapped under the box lids.

People are idiots. I keep hoping that those sorts of idiots that leave an extension lead trailing through an aluminium patio door then slam the door on the wire would succumb to Darwinistic weeding out of the gene pool but somehow they manage to evade it!

 

[SUNRAY]

There are two groups of people in this topic.

One group is posting about floor sockets like this:

Flush mounted and usually all metal in my experience... also in my experience an accident hazzard and not commonly permitted in workplaces

The other about floor sockets like this:

View attachment 388244

Some of the 2nd sort do indeed have plastic lids.

The recessed style where the plugs are below floor level and significantly safer than flush mounted.

EDIT: Hadn't seen Robins reply.

 

[SUNRAY]

Yes, the second sort must have a metal socket inside I would think?

Different manufacturers, different arrangements. Lower cost versions (not in any way a criticism) tend to accept standard double width accessories so yes commonly white DSSO's, more expensive versions tend to use bespoke metal back boxes and faceplates and no compatibility between makes.

 

[JohnW2]

It'd perhaps be cheaper to replace the phone, or buy a high capacity portable power bank, than move heaven and earth to ensure power is available at the sofa just to run a phone with a goosed battery.

I would essentially agree with that, but can think of a good few reasons other than phone charging why people might want mains power to be available other than at the edges of the room (without the trip hazard of extension leads).

For example, in my main living room, I have a laptop which spends almost it's entire life on a coffee table in front of a sofa, not too far from the 'middle of the room', hence requiring to be 'plugged in' to its charger for much/most of the time. After a number of 'trips over extension cables' (mainly on the part of small grandchildren!), I ran a cable under the carpet, emerging from a small hole in the carpet near to the location of the laptop, but I did toy with (and continue to toy with) the idea of installing a floor socket there.