providing power to a moving kitchen island

[opps]

Hi all,

A friend is planning to have a fixed island in his new kitchen and a moving island that can be pushed to and from the fixed island when needed.

The fixed island will have one UK standard round plate socket (sorry, can't remember the name of the brand).

The moving island, when pushed up to the fixed island will use a cable with a 3 pin plug to plug in to the socket and then terminate with a powerCon connector at the other end which will plug into a powerCon socket on the moving island and then branch off to two of the single gang round UK type sockets on the moving island.

Will the above be acceptable? The sockets on the moving island will only be used to power laptops and tablets. IIRC PowerCon is rated at 16A, if need be, a fused spur can be added inline with a 13A fuse.

I appreciate that one should normally only have one spur, but will two be acceptable if the circuit is fused?

Thanks in advance.

 

[JohnW2]

.... Will the above be acceptable? The sockets on the moving island will only be used to power laptops and tablets. IIRC PowerCon is rated at 16A, if need be, a fused spur can be added inline with a 13A fuse. ... I appreciate that one should normally only have one spur, but will two be acceptable if the circuit is fused?

If, as I understand it, everything on the moving island will be powered by being plugged into a standard '13A' socket, with that plug having a 13A fuse, then it doesn't matter how many sockets it's supplying, and an additional fused connection unit ('fused spur') would not be needed.

What do you mean by "two of the single gang round UK type sockets". Do you perhaps mean round-pin sockets - and, if so, why?

Kind Regards, John

 

[bernardgreen]

a cable with a 3 pin plug to plug i

A cable with a plug at each end is NOT permitted, ( they are called "widow makers " )

The moving island should have a panel mounted plug similar to this

and the cable then has a matching cable mounted socket.

Neutrik powerCon connectors are a good option other than they do not have shutters in the sockets.

Could the cable be permanently attached to the moving island and coiled when not in use ?

 

[JohnW2]

A cable with a plug at each end is NOT permitted, ( they are called "widow makers " )

Indeed - but, although I may be be wrong, I didn't think that's what the OP meant when he wrote the words you quoted incompletely. I didn't think that he meant a "plug to plug" cable (widow-maker), but rather ...

"a cable with a 3 pin plug (to plug into the socket)"

I'm sure he will clarify, but I obviously agree that he can't have a (male) plug on both ends of the cable.

Kind Regards, John

 

[flameport]

powerCon socket

Entirely inappropriate, unnecessary, and not compliant with BS7671.

Sockets on the movable island wired in H07 flex, with a suitable length of the same flex to a standard 13A BS1363 plug.

 

[Tigercubrider]

How big are the islands?
It would be complicated or messy to have a system that either requires a 13A plug that connects to a 13a socket on the fixed island, or a dedicated lead and non domestic plug/socket.
I have used gear where two components would slide together, the moveable part having pins so that once the movable parts aligned, power was connected. Tons of work to make it work in a domestic environment.

Why not just fit enough sockets to the fixed island so that anything on the movable island can be plugged into it? Most things have an 18" to 36" lead.

 

[JohnW2]

Entirely inappropriate, unnecessary, and not compliant with BS7671.

I agree it is unnecessary (and that what you suggest would be adequate), but is it actually non-compliant with BS7671? ...

553.2.1 Except for a SELV or a Class II circuit, a cable coupler shall comply where appropriate with BS 6991, BS EN 61535, BS EN 60309-2 or BS EN 60320-1, shall be non-reversible and shall have provision for the connection of a protective conductor.

Kind Regards, John

 

[flameport]

Unshuttered sockets are not suitable for household use.

powerCon connectors are only suitable for disconnection/connection with no load - something that cannot be assured in a domestic kitchen.

 

[Sureitsoff?]

Unshuttered sockets are not suitable for household use.

powerCon connectors are only suitable for disconnection/connection with no load - something that cannot be assured in a domestic kitchen.

powercon true1 top can be connected/disconnected under load

 

[JohnW2]

Unshuttered sockets are not suitable for household use.

I think you are perhaps scraping the barrel a bit to find reasons to discredit what was proposed.

There can be very few households in the country which do not have, and use, at least some leads which have a BS1363 plug on one end and an unshuttered female connector on the other end (which is what the OP appears to be talking about), even if you consider them "unsuitable for household use" - whether for kettles/percolators etc., PCs, laptop chargers, TVs A-V equipment or whatever. I have, and use, countless of them.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Sureitsoff?]

surely the simplest way, if really required, to have power to a moving island is using a standard 13A plug feeding a length of curly cable which is terminated inside the island then to the sockets. its what I would do. why use a powercon?

 

[opps]

If, as I understand it, everything on the moving island will be powered by being plugged into a standard '13A' socket, with that plug having a 13A fuse, then it doesn't matter how many sockets it's supplying, and an additional fused connection unit ('fused spur') would not be needed.

What do you mean by "two of the single gang round UK type sockets". Do you perhaps mean round-pin sockets - and, if so, why?

Kind Regards, John

Hi John, I mean that my friend wants regular UK sockets that happen to have round plates rather than square or rectangular plates. They will accept regular UK plugs. You use a hole saw to cut the hole and they are held in place by using wings a bit like a dry lining back box. They seem to be legit, but expensive.

Good point regarding the lack of a need for a fused spur, thanks.

 

[opps]

A cable with a plug at each end is NOT permitted, ( they are called "widow makers " )

The moving island should have a panel mounted plug similar to this

and the cable then has a matching cable mounted socket.

Neutrik powerCon connectors are a good option other than they do not have shutters in the sockets.

Could the cable be permanently attached to the moving island and coiled when not in use ?

Coiling is not acceptable to him.

I don't see why the lack of shutters is an issue. My Festool PlugIt leads don't have shutters but they are legal.

The PowerCon True connector at the other end of the flex will look like this



He has opted for the True variant because it can be removed load.

 

[Tigercubrider]

You could still power it with a curly wurly lead and plug, just connect to an existing socket on the fixed island.
Having a couple of sockets on the diagonal edges of the island would allow almost 360° of movement for the mobile one.- recessed if necessary.

 

[opps]

I'm sure he will clarify, but I obviously agree that he can't have a (male) plug on both ends of the cable.

Kind Regards, John

Please see my previous post.

I assumed that the Powercon True connector would be acceptable. The internal connections don't seem to be accessible unless someone wants to physically insert a thin object. I get BernardGreens point about a lack of shutters but as per my earlier post, my Festool PlugIt connectors do not have shutters nor do other connectors such as the MasterPlug/PermaPlug connectors.