kitchen sockets under wall cupboards

[nigelh]

Hi all,
am currently having a debate with my kitchen fitters.
I am a Test/inspection electrician, and have rewired the kitchen to standard. However, to make fitting spashbacks easier, and keep them clean, I intended putting sockets in surface pattresses under the wall cabinets.
The fitters said they have never seen it, and were worried about steam getting into the sockets. The steam is a fair comment, but unless a kettle is left under them for some time, i cant see it being a problem - sockets are sealed compartments to a point... (ok, normal ones aren't ip x6 rated) ... but basically, i wont put a kettle under the cupboards !!
Any comments or am i having a dim day ?

 

[brown-nought]

Are you signing the test certificate? If so ultimately its your say so (and as the customer ... yeh ok forget I said that!)

If you tuck them under the wall units you need to be careful the pelmet/worktop lights don't get in the way. Grazed hand on the pelment, burnt by the light, scolded by the steam and finally zapped by the socket - one way to cut back on coffee I guess.

 

[nigelh]

thanks brown, but i am after any potential hazard reasons not too... i cannot image much steam getting into a socket .. certainly enough to create a link between the plastic recessed terminals at the back, but u never know ....

 

[Jasonb]

Don't know if these are sealed in any way but they look a lot nicer than surface patreses

https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/KS104.html

Jason

 

[nigelh]

thanks jason, i knew i had seen something like those b4 from tlc, so as you say, unless they are specifically sealded, then it should be ok. bit pricey though, but then again, anything with chrome on it tends to add a zero !!

 

[Lectrician]

It's your call. As a Test and Inspect engineer, you must justify any 'external influence'. Perhaps if there was a row of several kettles, you should be concerned

Kitchen fitters have a rule book of their own - and they alter it daily to fit around them selfs

Nothing wrong with what you suggest, and I have seen it done several times, including retro socket fits (adding additional sockets to kitchens). Infact, my parents had just 1 double socket and the cooker point socket, so I fitted several in the way you suggest, dropping the cables down the gap between the wall and cupboard.

If they are worried about steam, maybe we shouldn't fit lights there either, and these manufacturers of those space-ship looking sockets designed for the very purpose should be banned aswell

 

[trowelhead]

I must admit i fitted the sockets jasonb linked to at the behest of the wife Never thought of the steam from the kettle but theyre fitted,staying,no probs yet
One point i'd like to add is that the 2 gang socket is hard wired seperateley,ie,each 'plug hole' is single and therefore a spur.The only way i can see(forgive me i'm not a sparks) of keeping one of these sockets in a ring is to do a massive joint between the ring cable and the 2 spur cables to the socket!Is this right/dangerous/illegal?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

One point i'd like to add is that the 2 gang socket is hard wired seperateley,ie,each 'plug hole' is single and therefore a spur.

I think I understand what you're saying - on the back there are 2 sets of L/N/E, one for each outlet?

The only way i can see(forgive me i'm not a sparks) of keeping one of these sockets in a ring is to do a massive joint between the ring cable and the 2 spur cables to the socket!Is this right/dangerous/illegal?

But now you've lost me - surely it's cable in to one set of terminals, cable out and then in to next set of terminals, cable out and off to the next accessory?