Recommendation points
- On the convenience of using switches
- Childrenโs question
- Rebar Installation Height Summary
- Power grid planning without redundancy
What is the use of a household electrical network if it is inconvenient to use, or even completely annoying from day to day? Today we will deal with the fundamental principles of optimal placement of electrical fittings and find out at what height from the floor or tables should be located sockets and switches.
On the convenience of using switches
There are an unlimited number of unsuccessful examples of fine electrical placement. Three different industries intersect in defining the installation points for outlets and switches:
- Electrical safety.
- Practical use.
- Mnemonic relationship with controlled lighting zones.
At the same time, there are no unambiguous standards, only sets of specific industry requirements. In this situation, it will also not be possible to act by trial and error: the power grid is a rather expensive part of the overall project, is done once and is used all the time between major repairs..
Some of the rules are fairly straightforward and relate to general installation issues. For example, all switches in a dwelling must be installed at the same height and have a common on position. Of the two, the most convenient is the one in which the switch is closed with the top recessed. This is due to the peculiarities of the position of the human body when entering and leaving the room..
Another prerequisite is the creation of the most visual representation of which light source each of the switches controls, how the duplicate and pass-through keys are related, where is the installation most convenient in the room? Many will answer that this is a matter of personal preference for each tenant, but there are still some standards and generalized rules, and we will consider many of them below..
Letโs also agree that double and triple switches are not the best solution for a modern apartment. It is much more correct to distribute the control to single-button switches in a common frame.
Childrenโs question
When designing an electrical network, the question of the safety of using it, especially for young children, is at the head of the table. We will agree in advance that this mostly refers to the design of the reinforcement itself, and to a lesser extent concerns the locations of its placement.
Why? Yes, simply because the service life of a normal electrical network is 30-50 years, while the potential danger to a child persists for a relatively short time, up to 5-6 years. It is much more profitable to limit yourself to more expensive outlets with protective shutters that do not allow you to insert anything into them except a plug. You wonโt have to sacrifice ease of use.
The approach to switches is similar. There are recommendations that the switches should be raised to eye or shoulder level so that preschoolers do not play with the lights. However, the period of such pampering does not last very long, soon children reach a conscious age, but due to their small stature, the elders have to turn on and off the light for them..
The issue of security, however, cannot be taken lightly. Of the effective ways to protect yourself and children from electric shock, you can also offer plugs for sockets and differential protection for outlet lines. In the best case, a combination of several methods is applied.
Rebar Installation Height Summary
There is a short list of rules for the placement of ET-fittings, which makes using the power grid convenient for the vast majority of people, regardless of their personal habits and lifestyle..
The switches must be installed at the same height as the door handles. This correlates very well with the development of muscle memory, so keystrokes are performed as naturally and invisibly as possible for the living..
The installation location is determined by the type of room. The light in the living room must be controlled by a switch located in the same room. Common areas such as bathrooms, closets and corridors are equipped with external switches. In any case, try to locate general lighting control points 15โ20 cm from doorways and in such a way that it is convenient for a person to grasp the door handle and switch with different hands..
Outlets and groups are subject to slightly different placement principles. Agree that depending on the type of consumer, whether it is a vacuum cleaner that is switched on from time to time or, on the contrary, a permanently installed floor lamp, the placement rules should be flexible:
- sockets for general use and for extension cords are installed 25-30 cm from the floor;
- sockets for household appliances are installed so that the latter covers them with its body;
- sockets in the area of โโdesks are installed at a height of 80โ90 cm for convenient use without leaving the chair;
- in bathrooms, the minimum height of sockets is at least one meter from the floor, installation in shower cabins and closer than 30 cm to the washbasin is prohibited.
Power grid planning without redundancy
There are several standard templates that define the location and number of outlets in each group. Each berth will have enough space for one outlet to charge gadgets. If stationary local lighting (sconces) is not provided, the sockets are installed in pairs to turn on a floor lamp or lamp.
The location of the sockets in the kitchen: 1 โ refrigerator; 2 โ oven; 3 โ waste grinder; 4 โ kettle, blender, etc .; 5 โ hood
For a desk, the number of outlets in a common frame is determined individually, depending on the availability of stationary and portable electrical appliances. For example, a lighting fixture, printer and acoustics can be connected through a surge protector, while a laptopโs power supply is much more convenient to plug directly into an outlet. In each room, in the area of โโthe front door, one or a pair of single sockets should be provided to turn on the vacuum cleaner and similar consumers. In a place equipped for ironing linen, the socket should be installed 60-80 cm above the floor (usually, irons have very long power wires).
Near each berth there should be a key for controlling the local lighting in the headboard, as well as a pass-through switch for the main lighting in the room. It is very convenient: you do not need to get up every time before going to bed to turn off the light.
Location of sockets with switches at the head of the bed
Local lighting of niches, kitchen units or window lighting should be controlled from one point along with the main light. Lighting for work and study areas, desks, should be controlled directly from these areas.
Corridor lighting is best tied under the control of a series of pass-through and rocker switches. They are placed at the end points of the routes through the rooms according to the same rules as conventional switches: next to the doorway and with ease for use with both hands.
Example of location of 3-way switches
Switches should never be placed behind doors or where doors might be installed in the future. Do not place any electrical fittings closer than 15โ20 cm to window openings. With regard to the orientation of the holes in the socket, for single mechanisms under the common frame, you should choose horizontal, and for double sockets in the common housing โ vertical. This is due to the most advantageous mutual arrangement of straight and corner forks Shucko.
What is the recommended height for installing sockets and switches?