Single sockets one above another - cable routes?

[JT101]

What is best practice for positioning socket backboxes one above another in terms of routing the cables.

Obviously I would normally chase up from directly below a socket back box, but if you have one positioned over the other, how do you get to the top one. I guess the obvious choice is to run through the bottom one, but I have read this is poor practice, as it can cause confusion, though I'm not sure how. It would be pretty obvious if they're that close together (1 inch in our case).
Presumably it's more the case when they are spaced much further apart, in which case I'm not sure what you would do either?

Thanks

 

[securespark]

I have done the same with two light switch back boxes, a 1 gang slightly above a two gang.

The cables running to the 1 gang box come one from above and one below, both in line with the one gang box and the one below runs through the 2 gang box before entering the 1 gang box.

 

[blup]

Or maybe you could use a single to double converter if space permits...

Blup

 

[ban-all-sheds]

What is best practice for positioning socket backboxes one above another in terms of routing the cables.

Obviously I would normally chase up from directly below a socket back box, but if you have one positioned over the other, how do you get to the top one. I guess the obvious choice is to run through the bottom one, but I have read this is poor practice, as it can cause confusion, though I'm not sure how.

But surely they are on the same circuit, and therefore have to be connected, so how could you do that without a cable running between the two?

Mechanical tip - use backboxes of the same make with 2 x 20mm knockouts on the top/bottom sides, and connect them together with two conduit couplers and 4 bushes.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Then you can have all the cables in the box with no problem

 

[ban-all-sheds]

IMO a significant number of people find a gap between the two accessories much more aesthetically pleasing.

 

[EFLImpudence]

IMO sockets installed vertically are not aesthetically pleasing either way.

 

[blup]

To the OP, if you go with tapping into the ring main, you may need to extend the cables slightly if there is no slack in the existing back box, or elsewhere e.g behind a stud wall if you have one, which would involve using appropriate connectors.

That was my experience, I'm a diyer.

Blup

 

[Tigercubrider]

you need a decent gap between vertical sockets or fitting a moulded plug is hard

 

[ban-all-sheds]

IMO sockets installed vertically are not aesthetically pleasing either way.

It's not ideal.

Just thought though - a gap is also very often needed for practical reasons, otherwise moulded plugs and wall-warts will foul each other.

The only vertical 2-gang I've seen is this:

and although the outlets look slightly further apart than 2 normal 1-gangs mounted vertically would be it still doesn't look far enough. And anything plugged into the top one will block the USB outlets - WTH were they thinking?

Another problem with those dual boxes can be not being able to use flat plate sockets.