New Sockets

[nicksuprema]

Can somebody help me please,

I am a self builder and in the process of installing electrics, i am just wondering what would be the ideal number of sockets per room and the best location for them

 

[sparkticus]

That wholly depends upon your requirements. If you had just purchased the house then you would be more or less stuck with what you would get. But you have a blank canvass so stand in each room (with your partner) and decide where main items will go then decide where sockets will go.

Try as you might, you will not have too many sockets.

Minimum height from the floor of 400mm to base of socket.

 

[kevindgas]

as a general view I usually allow 4 doubles per room 1 in each corner (approx) remember to allow enough room for a 5' Double bed in the bedroms, in the lounge i usually increase the corner with the TV etc to 3x double
kitchen allow for toaster, sandwich maker, blender, etc (most important the kettle!!)
seperate circuits for kitchen oven/hob, sockets and I usually seperate the under counter appliances from the sockets (but thats just me!!)

 

[nicksuprema]

That wholly depends upon your requirements. If you had just purchased the house then you would be more or less stuck with what you would get. But you have a blank canvass so stand in each room (with your partner) and decide where main items will go then decide where sockets will go.

Try as you might, you will not have too many sockets.

Minimum height from the floor of 400mm to base of socket.

Thanks, Locations: for bedrooms, where would be the best place for them middle of wall or conner of walls.

 

[nicksuprema]

as a general view I usually allow 4 doubles per room 1 in each corner (approx) remember to allow enough room for a 5' Double bed in the bedroms, in the lounge i usually increase the corner with the TV etc to 3x double
kitchen allow for toaster, sandwich maker, blender, etc (most important the kettle!!)
seperate circuits for kitchen oven/hob, sockets and I usually seperate the under counter appliances from the sockets (but thats just me!!)

Thanks, Very useful info,

 

[sparkticus]

That wholly depends upon your requirements. If you had just purchased the house then you would be more or less stuck with what you would get. But you have a blank canvass so stand in each room (with your partner) and decide where main items will go then decide where sockets will go.

Try as you might, you will not have too many sockets.

Minimum height from the floor of 400mm to base of socket.

Thanks, Locations: for bedrooms, where would be the best place for them middle of wall or conner of walls.

One double either side of bed head board. You will almost certainly want table lights for reading, radio-alarm etc.

Socket for vacuum cleaner.


Two additional doubles on the far wall from the bed head board
Near the corners of the room.


PS, if you have the budget and flexibility to do so. Wire each room (or each two rooms) on individual radial circuits. That way if you have a fault in one room then it won't impact a large area. Have RCBOs (combined MCB/RCD)in your consumer unit for each circuit (budget permitting)

In your kitchen you would probably want all sockets on a radial with separate supply for cooker & hob. If all electric then I would be tempted to have individual supplies for cooker & hob especially if they are high wattage.

 

[sparkticus]

PS, in our kitchen we have two separate radial circuits for sockets ( Serving sockets on two walls)

 

[Paul_C]

Minimum height from the floor of 400mm to base of socket.

If you're going by the guideline heights given in the Approved Document for Building Regs. Part M, it's 450mm for dwellings (the 400mm level is for non-dwellings).

 

[sparkticus]

Minimum height from the floor of 400mm to base of socket.

If you're going by the guideline heights given in the Approved Document for Building Regs. Part M, it's 450mm for dwellings (the 400mm level is for non-dwellings).

My mistake 450 it is

 

[Paul_C]

Why the suggested minimum height is 2 inches higher for dwellings is anyone's guess!

As far as numbers and locations are concerned, I would certainly second all the suggestions to put in more than rather than less, since it's that much easier to do that than have to come back afterward and add sockets because you find that you don't really have enough. At the very least, you should be able to stand any device with an average-length cord at any point around the outside of the room and be able to reach a socket.

Any kitchen countertop area large enough to hold an appliance is also a candidate - Even an 18-inch wide section standing alone which you think might never need an outlet could turn out to be a convenient place for a kettle or toaster later.

 

[Monkeh]

Why the suggested minimum height is 2 inches higher for dwellings is anyone's guess!

Allowing for skirtings?

Then again, I can't see any sane person fitting a socket 400mm off the ground in any working environment.

 

[Paul_C]

Allowing for skirtings?

That wouldn't affect the overall height above floor level though, which is where the measurements are taken from. And hotel rooms and such like often have skirtings as well, yet the suggested minimum height for such rooms (being non-dwellings) is 400mm.

 

[Chri5]

I would suggest you visualise each room, the furniture, bed, wardrobe, TV locations all impact on the positioning of sockets.

There's no point in sticking sockets in a corner, if large furniture will be place in the way making them redundant.


At bed position consider a secondary light switch to allow lights to be turned on / off when in bed. Each hallway area should have a socket for cleaning.

A study area with a PC / printer / router and all the gubbins will require quite a few sockets.


Do the work on the basis that the sockets need to be matched to appliance locations. So if you intend to have a dresser with mirror for the wife to put makeup on, then a socket for the hairdrier and a light position would be required.

Common sense, and something you should resolve with every occupant of the house- Bed position 1st, then desks, TV's etc..

 

[flameport]

Information here:
http://www.eca.co.uk/filelibrary/download/?FileID=1283

 

[ColJack]

one would presume that the differing height in domestic and non domestic is to do with predicted occupancy by less abled persons..
A hotel would have specific rooms for people with wheelchair access requirements ( wider doors, grab rails in the bathrooms etc ) so those rooms would be spec'd differently whereas a dwelling may at some point be solely occupied by a less abled wheelchair user so needs to be arranged so as to accomodate their needs..
likewise for commercial / industial premises etc where there is most likely to be someone else available to assist with such operations as plugging things in..

one thing that has always made me wonder about these heights is how is a person who can't plug something in lower than 450mm from the floor supposed to pick up an unplugged plug from the floor in the first place..