Socket Heights (English Regs)

[MortarThePoint]

The regulations vary across the UK, so this is relevant to the English Regs (Part M).

 

Most commentary I can see on the English regs potentially seem to make a subtle mistake.

 

Where do you measure the 450mm to? Clause 1.18 of Part M says "their centre line". But then it references a slightly unrealistic drawing. Both copied below.

 

Whether you applaud the regulations intent aside, it needs to be understood as many want to put the sockets as low as 'allowed'. I would read 1.18 to mean the Green line below, or perhaps the Blue at a stretch though that's going to vary by socket manufacturer. I see lots or commentary referencing the Black line or perhaps even the Red line where people have added a little extra for carpet thickness etc.

 

Where have people gone with this in their own builds? Personally, I've always lived in older heights and would prefer the sockets lower upstairs in bedrooms (NB: logically the NI regs don't mandate a height here as in most dwellings there is no wheelchair access to the first floor, but that's irrelevant in England).

 

 

 

[joe90]

I have wondered about this before, my lecky said he mounts stuff between the 450-1200, not centre line in case some jobs worth challenges him!

[ProDave]

I have always regarded the 1200 as the top of the switch plate for example.  I have never known A BC inspector actually measure them.  They would have to be a long way off the regs for that to happen I think.

[Russell griffiths]

I would talk to your bc, I spoke to mine about it and he just said as long as it looks right he won’t be measuring them. 

[ProDave]

Remember this only applies to general use sockets.  So a socket dedicated to a particular function can be any height, e.g high up the wall for a tv, very low down a wall for a built in appliance etc.

 

 

[MortarThePoint]

7 minutes ago, ProDave said:

Remember this only applies to general use sockets.  So a socket dedicated to a particular function can be any height, e.g high up the wall for a tv, very low down a wall for a built in appliance etc.

 

Very interesting. Do you have a reference for that?

I asked my BCO if I could have some lower and he thought all had to be high, but that wasn't considering non-general use.

[ProDave]

6 minutes ago, MortarThePoint said:

 

Very interesting. Do you have a reference for that?

I asked my BCO if I could have some lower and he thought all had to be high, but that wasn't considering non-general use.

It's mentioned somewhere in the Scottish regs it might be different in other places.

 

Chances are BC won't see most of the socket heights until final inspection.  He is not going to make you drag the washing machine out to check the socket behind it is at regulation height.  And if you have a tv mounted high on a wall, is he really going to argue that the cable should be hanging down from it and plugged into a 1200mm high socket rather than a socket hidden behind the tv?

 

If he was going to be that stupid, I would remove the tv, fit a blank plate in place of the socket and invite him back.  There is no cure for stupid.

[Marvin]

I'm getting older, and prefer sockets that I plug into at a height where I don't fall down trying to reach them and that's why ours are between 450mm and 1200mm in our "forever home".  

[Onoff]

Just now, Marvin said:

I'm getting older, and prefer sockets that I plug into at a height where I don't fall down trying to reach them and that's why ours are between 450mm and 1200mm in our "forever home".  

 

Indeed. Watching my old man in his house on the nanny cam. Leaning down behind the sideboard to reach the TV socket right down low. Good chance of over balancing.

[MortarThePoint]

I appreciate the benefit of higher sockets and that was why I asked my BCO if I could have a mix. All bedrooms are having 4 double outlets and feels like the two more discretely positioned ones could be high (e.g. by the beds) and the other two, which are in the open, lower down. A teenager probably uses sockets 10 to 100 times as many times as an OAP. Sadly my dad's given up playing Scalextric.

[ProDave]

3 hours ago, MortarThePoint said:

I appreciate the benefit of higher sockets and that was why I asked my BCO if I could have a mix. All bedrooms are having 4 double outlets and feels like the two more discretely positioned ones could be high (e.g. by the beds) and the other two, which are in the open, lower down. A teenager probably uses sockets 10 to 100 times as many times as an OAP. Sadly my dad's given up playing Scalextric.

Sockets can be anywhere from 450 to 1200 so no problem with high sockets, we have them in the utility room even where there is not a worktop.