Floor Sockets

[Barney12]

Hi All

 

We've got a couple of fairly open plan spaces and SWMBO has a particular passion for table lamps. In our last place one of the annoyances was that she couldn't place tables and lamps in a central place without trailing wires. So........

 

I've been pondering provision for floor sockets. The biggest issue I see is trying to second guess where they need to be. There's fat chance of the boss agreeing on precise furniture layouts until things are built but I should be able to achieve some approximate locations. So it should be a simple case of ducting in the slab and some sort of floor box? Now what I'd really like to do is come up with some sort of hidden top to the boxes in case they don't get used, downstairs is going to be tile or slate. Upstairs engineered Oak strip. I've seen plenty of those commercial ones where they match the carpet tiles but that's far too big and industrial. The domestic ones I've seen are those metal hinge plate types.

 

Oh and one last question. How far does mains wiring need to be away from the UFH pipes?

 

Has anyone had any experience or done something similar?

 

TTFN.

 

 

[reddal]

3 minutes ago, Barney12 said:

I've been pondering provision for floor sockets.

 

I can't tell you how to do it - but I would definitely recommend doing it. We have a big table in the middle of a room and its always got wires trailing around it because someone needs a laptop charger etc. A floor socket would have been much better.

[ProDave]

Commercial offices have raised flor tiles sitting about 6" above the real floor. Along the real floor are sockets every few metres. the floor sockets fit into the carpeted floor tiles and plug into the fixed sockets and give you the flexibility to move the floor sockets about if you change the office layout.

 

I can't think of anything like that for fixed flooring, so you really are going to have to decide and comit to their locations.
 

[Barney12]

8 minutes ago, ProDave said:

Commercial offices have raised flor tiles sitting about 6" above the real floor. Along the real floor are sockets every few metres. the floor sockets fit into the carpeted floor tiles and plug into the fixed sockets and give you the flexibility to move the floor sockets about if you change the office layout.

 

I can't think of anything like that for fixed flooring, so you really are going to have to decide and comit to their locations.
 

 

Yep, going to have to make decisions. Still though need to find a "near invisible" cover though.

[PeterW]

You will struggle on the cover as I know someone else who did ! Commercial ones are really designed for carpet tiles and are very loose fitting. Your other option is stainless and flush but these stand out on a floor. 

 

Other option is to get a stainless frame made and a suitable infil - that would allow you to use whatever you want and only have the edge of the frame showing although when something was plugged in you would need to leave the infil out. 

[Gone West]

How does having floor sockets fit in with the recommendations in Part M stating sockets and switches should be between 450mm and 1200mm above floor level?

[AliG]

I am planning a floor socket so thought I better check.

 

Part M starts off by specifically saying it is talking about wall sockets, floor sockets don't appear to be covered by the regulation.

 

I'm in Scotland, the regulation there is less clear. It says that "standard" sockets should be at least 400mm above floor level. I think you could argue that this is not standard.

 

I can't find any way of having a floor socket that doesn't seem to involve having a metal plate in the middle of the floor, you need to plan where furniture goes so it is underneath it.

[AliG]

These look quite neat and is waterproof. It is more expensive but doesn't have the flap sticking up.

 

http://floorbox.co.uk/IP66-Waterproof-Box

 

Available here for £80 ex vat.

 

http://www.officepowerproducts.com/waterproof-floorbox-39-c.asp

[ProDave]

The regulations on switch and socket heights are for "general purpose" accessories. You can have a dedicated socket for a special function at any height, e.g one high up for a wall mounted tv or projector. So if there is any question, stick a label on the floor socket "table lamp only" and it's no longer a general purpose socket.  Or just put a rug over it when the BC inspector comes to look. 
 

[Onoff]

Problem solved:

 

https://www.connectionsathome.co.uk/lighting/table-lamps/fatboy-transloetje-light.html?utm_source=googleShopping&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=furniture&gclid=CICTwOT3zc4CFQeNGwodHxsPQw

 

[Barney12]

27 minutes ago, Onoff said:

Problem solved:

 

https://www.connectionsathome.co.uk/lighting/table-lamps/fatboy-transloetje-light.html?utm_source=googleShopping&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=furniture&gclid=CICTwOT3zc4CFQeNGwodHxsPQw

 

 

Two words: fug ugly  

[Barney12]

I've been contemplating this further today. I think the only answer is to have a "trap door" frame fabricated from stainless steel. Then it will be a case of fabricating some sort of void for a standard metal back box and socket. In all not that tricky. 

[Onoff]

Google "cordless table lamp".

 

Could you maybe site a few of these potential socket positions all interconnected with ducting and each covered with a tile etc. 

[Nickfromwales]

42 minutes ago, Barney12 said:

I've been contemplating this further today. I think the only answer is to have a "trap door" frame fabricated from stainless steel. Then it will be a case of fabricating some sort of void for a standard metal back box and socket. In all not that tricky. 

It'll need to be dirt and dust proof, plus splash proof. Good luck. ?

[Barney12]

4 hours ago, Nickfromwales said:

It'll need to be dirt and dust proof, plus splash proof. Good luck. ?

 

Oh, yea of little faith  

[le-cerveau]

As for the building regs bit remember the enforceable bit is:
M1. Reasonable provision shall be made for people to:
        (a) gain access to; and
        (b)  use
the building and its facilities.

Section 8 (accessible switches and sockets outlets in the dwellings) is all advisory (should) so at your discretion, as long as you provide some at the appropriate height you can argue with any inspector reminding him that the only legally enforceable bit (the statute) say that reasonable provision shall be made!

[Mandana]

Interesting to read this topic as we have 3 floor sockets in our plan. Still trying to find some that aren’t fugly!

 

Has anyone found any that look decent? 

[TonyT]

https://www.mkelectric.com/en-gb/Products/WD/albanyplus/Floormounted/Pages/740MCO.aspx
 

MK do some.

 

i prefer 2amp sockets and switching the table lamps on from the door switch location.

[joe90]

1 minute ago, TonyT said:

i prefer 2amp sockets and switching the table lamps on from the door switch location.

+1, I have done this in several houses including our new build, multiple sockets fir when SWMBO changes the furniture around ?. best thing ever.

[Mandana]

6 minutes ago, TonyT said:

https://www.mkelectric.com/en-gb/Products/WD/albanyplus/Floormounted/Pages/740MCO.aspx
 

MK do some.

 

i prefer 2amp sockets and switching the table lamps on from the door switch location.

Thanks for the link!

 

They will be on the wall switch too. 

[Russell griffiths]

I have two floor sockets planned but I’m hoping to hide them, I am a hater of cables on show. 

 

I plan to do this, stupid or not I don’t really care it’s my place. 

 

I will have two side tables either end of a sofa on the table will be a lamp, the cord for the lamp will run down the leg of the table into a fake leather look box thing that sits between the legs of the table, the bottom of this box will be removed and will sit directly above a single 5amp floor socket, this socket will be connected to a wall switch. 

 

 

[Jilly]

https://visualhunt.com/battery-operated-table-lamps

 

These are much less fugly.