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During the replacement of electrical wiring, it is necessary to decide what will be the height of the sockets from the floor. That’s right – to decide, because there are no strict regulations and standards.
At what height can
There are no norms and standards governing the location of sockets and switches in rooms and general premises. There are only restrictions on the maximum height for sockets – no higher than 1 meter from the floor, as well as standards that relate to wiring in rooms with difficult operating conditions. In houses and apartments, these are bathrooms.
So all the same, at what height should the sockets be installed? There are two options:
- Use the standard adopted in the USSR – sockets at a height of 90-100 cm from the floor, switches – at 150-170 cm.
- Apply the European standard. Although this concept is relative – in different countries they are placed at different heights. But most often sockets are 30-40 cm from the floor, switches – 80-90-100 cm.
Which standard to use is your choice.
Where to place the switch
Switches are easier to deal with. They should be placed so that most family members can use them comfortably. It is convenient to turn on / off the light with a lowered hand. Lower your hand, mark the level of the palm. This is where the keys can be placed. This location is also ideal for children. They can reach this level already in 3-4 years. That is, adults will not have to turn on the light for the child if he wants to play or go, for example, to the toilet.
But this is far from the only option. In the bedroom, for example, you can install walk-through switches. They allow you to control the light from several points. In this case, one switch is placed near the door and one or two near the bed. So you can turn off the light without getting up. Very comfortably. The installation height of such a switch is somewhere on the level of the mattress on the side of the bed.
Choosing a place for sockets in the rooms
Choosing a place to install outlets is more difficult. They can be placed at least at floor level. By the way, there are floor models, the wiring of which goes in a special plinth with a cable channel. From the point of view of design, such an installation is the most invisible – they do not rush into the gas. But from the point of view of operation, it is far from ideal. To insert/remove the plug, you will have to bend or squat very low. For young people, although this is inconvenient, it is not problematic, but for older people, this location can be a problem. If there are elderly people in the family, it is desirable that the height of the sockets from the floor be at least 30-40 cm. In this case, you will have to bend, but this slope cannot be compared with the previous placement method. This is a compromise – and quite convenient, and not very conspicuous.
But not all power points in rooms need to be installed this way. For example, if the height of the sockets from the floor near the desktop is 40 cm or so, it will be very inconvenient to dive under the table every time. In such a place, it is better to put them 10-15 cm above the level of the countertop. This is really convenient.
Installation and connection of Internet sockets is described here.
Height of sockets in the kitchen
Wiring in the kitchen is a whole system. Firstly, each powerful device has a separate power line with a circuit breaker and RCD installed on it. There can be up to 10 such devices (dishwasher, oven, electric stove, washing machine, electric water heater, high-power built-in household appliances). These sockets must be brought out to the place where you plan to put the devices.
Leased lines for powerful electrical appliances
A dedicated line is needed for a refrigerator. But the reason here is not the increased power consumption, but the power surges that the refrigerator motor creates when it is turned on and off. It is better that other devices feel them to a minimum, and perhaps this is if there is a separate line. The socket for the refrigerator can be made at any height – at least 5 cm from the floor, at least at the level of the elbow (110-120 cm).
A dedicated power line with an RCD and an automatic machine is required for a gas heating boiler. It requires a stable voltage, and a separate line is a must. This outlet must be located taking into account the fact that it will be necessary to install a voltage stabilizer (if it is not installed in the entire apartment or house). The best option is on the side of the boiler. Left or right, as circumstances permit.
Choose the height depending on the connected equipment
For built-in household appliances, the height of the sockets from the floor is 10 cm (this is from the floor to the center of the socket, and from its lower edge – about 5 cm). They are placed on the wall behind the equipment. The location is such that you can reach through the plinth. At the same level, they put a power point for the washing machine. It can be made even higher if the sink cabinet does not have a back wall.
For lighting and hoods, sockets are made above the cabinets. Their bottom edge is 5-10 cm above the cabinets. The backlight switch is brought to the working wall, placing it immediately under the upper cabinets.
The rest of small household appliances are usually placed on the desktop, so it is convenient to connect them almost immediately above the countertop. The height of the sockets from the floor in this case is 110-120 cm. This will be about 15-20 cm above the countertop. Just the way we need it. If you order a kitchen set of non-standard height, adjust the position of the sockets accordingly.
Sockets for small kitchen appliances are grouped in three or four pieces side by side. It is convenient for operation and more acceptable for installation. Decide which technique it will be convenient to work with, count the number of units that will need to be turned on at the same time, add one or two “just in case”. This will be the required number of outlets. Their height is the same 15-20 cm above the countertop, that is, relative to the floor it will be 100-120 cm.
In the bathroom
The second problematic room for electricians is the bathroom. But the problems here are of a different nature – this is high humidity and the possibility of water ingress. To understand where to put sockets in the bathroom, you need to know where you can place household appliances. The bathroom is divided into zones (see photo).
Zone 0 is the highest probability of water intrusion. These are areas directly adjacent to the bathroom, shower, sink. In this zone, only 12 V sockets can be installed. But such voltage is rarely supplied in private homes. It’s just that there are no outlets at all.
In zone 1, installation of water heaters is allowed. In zone 2, in addition to boilers, you can put fans and lamps. And sockets should be in zone 3 – at a distance of at least 60 cm from the water source. It is necessary to install special sockets and switches, the degree of protection of which allows them to be used in wet rooms. Also, a prerequisite is the presence of grounding, an automatic device and an RCD with a leakage current of 10 mA.
The height of the sockets from the floor is again not regulated, but it makes sense to put them higher: to minimize the possibility of water ingress. Even if you put special sockets with covers, it’s better to play it safe.
Wiring Rules
When laying wiring to sockets and switches, certain rules must be observed:
- The layout of the room is strictly horizontal, stepping back 20 cm from the ceiling.
- From the junction box, the wire goes vertically upwards.
- The wires are connected in the junction box
Why such strictness? So that in any conditions you can understand where and how the wiring goes. If you lay it arbitrarily – obliquely, along the shortest path, etc., in a few years no one will remember where and how the wires pass and hanging, for example, a new shelf, you can easily get into the wiring. By adhering to these simple rules, you can always visually determine where the wires go – above the outlet or switch, no matter how high they are from the floor.