Light switches height & colour

[chillout]

I need to renew all lite switches & sockets. Is brushed stainless steel a good choice or is the black chrome more popular nowadays.
Any views appreciated. Alsomy electrician recommends instaling them at a lower height due to children will be able to reach them and its a more popular height say at 1200mm as oppsed to 1500mm. What do you guys think?

 

[nozspark]

The only thing to remember is; fashion goes as quick as it comes,,, so get something that will last...

As for the heights, there is no regulation that says that you must relocate them to 1200mm AFFL, but if you want them at this height then go ahead.. Bear in mind though that lowering switches will entail replacing some of your wiring..

BTW the 450mm - 1200mm reg only applies to new builds...

 

[chillout]

True. What do you have!?
Yes its a full rewire. I thought it seemed a bit odd having them so low, so kinda got electrician to raise them once he's back again! He feels that 1200mm is the new height and is better but Im not too sure!

 

[nozspark]

I've got white plastic..

It's the same as bathroom suites and everything else... First off suites came out in white, then loads of people loved the new colours Avacado, Salmon pink, blues, blacks and even champagne & cream to some extent... but now everyone is having white again!!

I know white isn't high end fashion, but you will not end up hating it in a few years time..

The 450mm - 1200mm is a reg about disability access, and the basics of it says that new build electrical accessories should be fixed between 450mm and 1200mm AFFL,,,,, but with rewires/renovations you should not make it any worse (regs wise) than it already is....

 

[vv2806]

I guess it depends on the overall design. Do you have brushed stainless steel anywhere else - door handles, for example? When I looked at the switches in B&Q, I like the black chrome but they wouldn't go well with the rest of the interior, so I bought white plastic at the end.

What I really like is some of the switches they use in Europe - a huge variety of designs, colours, etc. Does anybody know if it is illegal to use them in UK?

 

[Paul_C]

What I really like is some of the switches they use in Europe - a huge variety of designs, colours, etc. Does anybody know if it is illegal to use them in UK?

No, perfectly legal.

 

[333rocky333]

1500 seems a bit high.
I recall 4ft 6in used to be the norm, 1350mm

 

[skenk]

What I really like is some of the switches they use in Europe - a huge variety of designs, colours, etc. Does anybody know if it is illegal to use them in UK?

No, perfectly legal.

I was recently in a (very nice) flat which has (very nice) european touch dimmers mounted in circular plastic back boxes (as is the norm in europe) however neither the switches or back boxes had BS numbers or were interchangeable with UK accessories, are you sure they're perfectly legal here As far as i'm aware UK back boxes and accessories don't have EN numbers?

 

[Paul_C]

are you sure they're perfectly legal here As far as i'm aware UK back boxes and accessories don't have EN numbers?

There is nothing in law which demands that electrical accessories installed in homes here have either BS or EN numbers.

 

[skenk]

Yeah theres nothing in law which says you need to work to '7671 but it's generally accepted that it's the easiest way to comply with building regs. Departing from '7671 could cause major headaches when trying to get work approved/signed off etc. So I don't think 'perfectly legal' is the best turn of phrase and in fact is probably quite misleading.

 

[Paul_C]

If a building inspector is trying to insist that wiring must comply fully with every detail of BS7671 then he needs to be taken to task on that and informed in no uncertain terms that he is wrong.

The Approved Document for Part P (which is not law either, of course) is the document in which reference is made to compliance with BS7671 being one method of demonstrating compliance with Part P of the Building Regs.

But that same Approved Document clearly says that it is not the only acceptable method, and even goes on to state explicitly that compliance with an equivalent standard of another EU/EEA country would also demonstrate compliance with the Building Regs.

So if the boxes & switches are accepted by one of those alternate standards, even the guidance in the Approved Document is clearly indicating that they are acceptable here.

 

[vv2806]

Thank you guys for the discussion about the European switches. As I am not going to sell the house, as far as it safe to use them, it suits me perfectly. I might go for it then