Let's try to imagine modern life without electricity.
What is difficult? It is almost impossible to imagine that one can refuse
the usual washing machine of your own computer, a music center or an iron. And if
an electric kettle or microwave, you can still replace it with gas or, a refrigerator
- to the glacier or cellar, instead of
to equip a fan heater, then an equivalent replacement for a TV in the absence
electricians, alas, not yet. Electricity is our everything! Today we will find out how
install correctly
sockets and switches, and determine the appropriate installation height of sockets and switches in
living space.
Placement of outlets and
switches will depend on several factors:
- the purpose of the room itself;
- interior design;
- convenience of connecting electrical appliances;
- comfort and personal preferences for residents.
The basic rule for the installation of electrical appliances and equipment -
this is full compliance with safety requirements and compliance
electrical safety standards.
For our country
characteristically placement of sockets on
a height of 50 to 100 cm from the floor. Recently, it has become fashionable to produce
layout of sockets in accordance with European standards and install sockets on
height 30 cm from the floor. Such skirting sockets have swivel plates,
which, under the action of a spring mechanism, immediately close the outlet of the socket,
as soon as the plug is removed from it.
Actually, at
electrical wiring, the basic rule is practicality and convenience when
on-off electrical equipment, installation of sockets and switches, their number and
height is a matter of taste for homeowners, but still there are a couple of nuances.
For example, near
computer or writing desk
it is better to place the electrical outlet just above the tabletop, at a level of 80 cm from
floor level. In the working area of the kitchen, the optimal mounting height of the socket is slightly
above a meter - from 110 to 140 cm. For a bathroom, for safety reasons, the installation height of sockets and switches can be no lower than 180 cm from the floor. It should be said that the rules
electrical safety, it is not recommended to install sockets in rooms with
high humidity - bathrooms and toilets, showers. Socket for
it is advisable to take the washing machine out into the corridor.
When placing switches you can too
be guided by two standards - Russian,
with a height of 150 cm from the floor, and European, with a height from 50 to 80
cm.
For switches too
have their own requirements. The most convenient is the location of the switch on
the level of the hand of the lowered hand of an adult, it is somewhere 70-80 cm from the floor. But
if there are small children in the house, then the electrical safety rules assume that
so that the installation of outlets and
switches was at the maximum safe height - for switches not
below 180 cm, and the sockets require special plugs or sockets with swivel
plates. Experienced craftsmen advise in the kitchen to install a switch at the level
shoulder. In the bedroom, the switches can be duplicated and placed near the bed
at a height of 75 cm.
According to
building codes, for every 6 - 10 m of living space should be installed
at least one outlet. These standards also apply to corridor spaces. The height of the installation of sockets and switches in the corridors is not regulated: here the main principle is convenience.
For dashboard with
electric meter has its own standards.In most cases, it is located near the front door, on
height 150-170 cm from floor level.
In a modern kitchen
regardless of its size, there must be at least two outlets. So written in
construction documents. In fact, even these two will obviously not be enough.
Therefore, immediately install a separate outlet for each household appliance:
refrigerator, freezer, dishwasher, stove, microwave,
teapot. You can make several available outlets for a mixer, coffee grinder,
kettle on the kitchen apron.
Strongly not
installation recommended
sockets and switches in an area of high humidity - in the area of \ u200b \ u200bthe sink and
cookers, as well as behind built-in household appliances and drawers, i.e. there,
where they are difficult to access. It should be noted that the installation of the socket is carried out on
a distance of at least 50 cm from the gas pipe, water pipe system,
central heating batteries, electric stove, sink.
According to the rules
electrical installations height
installation of sockets and switches should be convenient for the connected
to them household electrical appliances. Multiple wall outlets can be installed
on special non-combustible skirting boards. The number of outlets is taken from the calculation
free area, which is located in front of the outlet. If before
outlet of free area less than 75 cm, then it is recommended to position the outlet
at a height of 40 to 125 cm.If the free space is 120 cm,
Then you can install the sockets at the level of 22.5 - 135 cm from the floor. Summarizing all of the above, we conclude that
that the average figure for installing an outlet in a general-purpose room is 30-40 cm,
and the most acceptable height for placing switches is 80-90 cm.
When arises
the need to replace or transfer the socket, the installation of sockets and switches requires the work of a specialist.
Unauthorized repairs are only possible with the appropriate knowledge in the field
electrical safety.
Being engaged in renovation or construction, many apartment owners are wondering how to properly place switches or sockets in an apartment. After all, not only the convenience of using them depends on this, but also the safety of operation, and, consequently, health.
In order to properly deal with this issue, let us consider the rules for their placement that existed in the recent past and new trends that came from other countries.
Old traditions
In Soviet times, it was customary to install lighting switches in living quarters near the entrance to them at shoulder height of an adult or to place them under the ceiling. And the sockets were mounted in the wall at a distance of 90-100 cm from the floor.
An example of placing a ceiling switch in a hallway. To control the light, a cord is tied to a mechanical spring-loaded lever hidden inside the case. At the first pull, the light turns on, and at the second, it goes out.
Wall switches were placed at a level of about 160 ÷ 180 cm from the floor. This distance was considered the most appropriate, optimal for controlling light. An example of placing a switch block between a doorway is shown in the photograph.
The following photo shows the location of the outlet in the room according to the old rules.
Nowadays, residents of many apartments still use electrical wiring with such an arrangement of switching devices, they are accustomed to it, they consider it the norm.
New trends of the times - Eurostandard
In fact, the term "Eurostandard" is often used now, but it does not define anything particularly concrete in the issue we are considering, since it came to us from neighboring countries together with the concept of "Eurorepair", it is intended for a complex of calculations of structures in construction and their protection in the interests of consumer.
The current building codes, as well as the rules in electrical installations, do not strictly limit the height of placement, the number or location of sockets and switches in residential premises. They only give general recommendations, stipulating hazardous premises and methods of installation in them in compliance with protective measures.
In the kitchen, the smallest distance from electrical appliances, including sockets and switches, to gas equipment (stoves, gas pipelines) should be more than 50 cm.
Inside bathrooms, it is permissible to install sockets in zone 3, which is limited to a distance of 60 cm from sinks, bathtubs and other water equipment. GOST R 50571.11-96 defines the rules for the use of protective devices in such premises: differential circuit breakers, RCDs, isolation transformers.
Therefore, it is necessary to choose the location of electrical outlets and switches taking into account the convenience of using them, and not only traditions established in the past.
For each room, before carrying out electrical work, it is necessary to draw up a sketch, a plan-diagram on a scale with the location of furniture and electrical appliances, mark on it the points of connection to the electrical network, including low-current circuits: telephone, television, alarm and other devices.
It is important to provide a small supply of these places for future equipment. Practice shows that this is justified.
Location of outlets
For stationary equipment, such as a TV, computer, washing machine, freezer ... it is necessary to have them with free access to them, but it is advisable to hide them behind the devices themselves.
It is customary for design purposes to place periodically used sockets at the same height from the floor, usually this distance is chosen to be about 30 cm. In this case, they are less noticeable. It is recommended to choose such a number so that it is convenient to use a vacuum cleaner and portable electrical appliances in all rooms.
Electrical outlets above the desk, bedside tables are placed above the furniture surface at a height of 10 ÷ 20 cm.
Location of switches
It is recommended to mount them on the wall near the entrance door from the side of the handle at a distance of more than 10 cm from the opening and a height of about 90-100 cm. This location is convenient for adults: there is no need to raise your hand high. And children from the age of four can already use the lighting themselves.
Ceiling designs for pull-down control switches are still used in room design.
The type of room and its purpose must also be taken into account for the installation of switches. In a long corridor at its ends, you can install two pass-through switches to control one luminaire. At the entrance to nearby rooms, you can put a block of several switches to control the light in separate rooms from one place.
In the bedroom, it is convenient to position the switches so that they can turn off the lighting without getting out of bed by simply raising your hand.
The rule of installing 30 cm sockets from the floor and 90 cm switches, applied in most cases, is considered universal. If you are not sure about the future location of furniture or electrical appliances in the room, then feel free to use this method.
How to plan the placement of outlets and switches in rooms
To draw up a working sketch of the location of electrical appliances and furniture, use the general recommendations given in the picture below.
It is convenient to place inside the corridor:
branch box for switching cables.
apartment switchboard with automatic circuit breakers;
an electric meter (it can be installed in an apartment panel or separately, depending on local conditions);
switch or block of them;
The picture below shows one of the possible options for installing electrical appliances in the corridor.
For a bedroom, the layout of sockets and switches on both sides of the bed is shown in the following figure.
Bathrooms and showers for electrical safety due to high humidity require special attention. The placement of an outlet, a fan and a button for remote control of electrical appliances in them is shown in the plan below.
The following diagram shows the installation of electrical equipment in the kitchen, taking into account the location in different places of the sockets for the hood, gas stove and electrified utensils: a multicooker, an electric kettle, a pressure cooker, a bread machine ...
Here, the height of the outlet above the table can vary depending on its height. It is convenient to install it so that it rises 10-15 cm above the surface of the furniture. Moreover, for a modern kitchen it is better to use not a single electrical outlet, but a whole block of them.
The location of power points, the height of the sockets and switches is a serious issue that requires planning, drawing up diagrams, calculating their number for each room.
If you approach the installation with preliminary planning, then you will not have to unwind the extension cable, stumble over the carrier and connect everything there, thereby overloading the outlet or even the network.
Our material will help you determine the optimal number of electrical fittings and the rules for their location. We will also tell you about all the intricacies of placing and installing electrical outlets in an apartment or house.
It is estimated that each person uses approximately six different electrical appliances per day. And the number is constantly growing. New devices and gadgets appear, without which one can hardly imagine life.
Appliances fill our homes, and the number of outlets remains the same. Cases when a person runs in panic around the house or office, looking for a free connector for charging a smartphone, are more and more common. What is the bottom line? You have to turn off the printer or something else.
It is not difficult to avoid such situations, you just need to know how to correctly position the connectors. Then it will be as comfortable to use them as possible.
Image gallery
We must not forget that products may be subject to even greater danger. Since the bathroom is at risk of flooding, it is completely unsafe to fix products below 150 mm from the floor. If water gets into the outlet, the threat to life is simply colossal.
The reasons for this can be various situations, from a leakage of a tap or pipe, to a breakdown of household appliances or forgetfulness of the owners.
# 3. The specifics of the installation in the living room
Home theater or simple, or better two. The first is for the TV receiver itself, and the second is for the satellite receiver. The height level should be determined based on the location of the TV itself. It can stand on a pedestal, be built into the wall or fit into a special cell of the furniture wall.
The power cable must not hang down or be under tension. It should be completely hidden behind the screen.
#4. Location rules in the kitchen
Every year, more and more intelligent technology is being developed to ensure human comfort and time consumption. Naturally, the amount of equipment, and therefore in some places, is simply off scale. It is imperative to provide for the connection of an exhaust hood, possibly a washing machine, dishwasher, electric stove.
But the main thing is a refrigerator, microwave oven or multicooker, sometimes both. Mixer, juicer, food processor, toaster, blender, coffee maker and TV - the list is probably endless.
Understanding the electrical stuffing at home
And now you are looking after the laminate flooring, you consult with the designer about the tiles in the bathroom and think, and not whether to change all the electrical filling. Let's leave the tiles and laminate flooring alone for now and go in order - let's start with the electrical component of the home.
15 years ago: what you need to know about electrical wiring
If you live in a relatively new house, you don't have to bother too much: the wiring here is planned and divorced taking into account the needs of a modern person. In new buildings, even at the design stage, it is often taken into account that powerful household appliances will be installed in the kitchen, and one outlet is not enough. 
Housing, which is more than 10-15 years old, was built according to old projects that have survived from Soviet times. By these standards, there were two electrical outlets per room. Well, is it true that such a powerful electric was in the apartments of our dads and moms? Washer turned on on weekends, TV and fridge. Accordingly, all the electrical wiring in those apartments was designed only for lighting and low-power household appliances. 
In the nineties and two thousand years, the situation changed radically - the technique was available to everyone. And it was at this time that the number of fires and ignitions sharply increased due to the fact that the wiring was burning, which could not withstand a heavy load. Therefore, if you have already started redevelopment or repairs, do not be lazy and change the old cables for new ones, of a larger cross-section, or generally for copper ones - they are better and withstand heavy loads, albeit more expensive.
Sockets: where to install and how much to take?
First, sit down and work with the designer to think about how many outlets you need to be happy. As a rule, such questions somehow drop out, get lost in the general list of what needs to be done. And after the renovation, the apartment is suddenly overgrown with electrical extension cords, and even extension cords plugged into extension cords with splitters. Draw a floor plan of the apartment along with the furniture and appliances. Think about where it would be convenient for you to connect this or that electrical appliance. Determine the height of the sockets and their distance from walls and windows. But first things first: let's go through the rooms, from the hallway to the toilet, and together we will think about how best to place the sockets. Corridor and hallway
In the corridor or hallway, two or three pieces will be enough. Most often they are used to turn on a thermal shoe dryer. Therefore, do not lift the connectors too high. Of course, you do not need to hide them behind a coat rack or behind a door, it is best to place them in the corners. It is better to turn on wall lamps directly through a separate switch connected to the mains. Living room
This is the room in which the family spends most of the time when they are at home. Here, as a rule, there is a TV set, a cable or satellite TV set-top box, a media center, or some other audio-video equipment, such as game consoles for children. Often in the living room there is a base for a city phone handset, a wi-fi router. Already five or six points. Plus, you need to leave a couple of free connectors just in case: charge your mobile phone, turn on your laptop. But you never know! 1. Sofa area
To correctly place the sockets, together with the planning of the electrical network, you need to immediately think about the arrangement of furniture in the room. Otherwise, it turns out that they are located behind a sofa or wardrobe. Most of the electrical appliances in the living room are always on, for example, air conditioning, TV, set-top boxes, router, telephone. The sockets for them can be obscured by an armchair or, for example, a decorative flowerpot. Free points should be easily accessible.
2.TV area
If the sockets for all electronic gadgets in the living room can be left at the level of 30 cm from the floor, then a separate approach is needed to the socket for a TV hanging on the wall or an air conditioner. In this case, provide a place directly behind the TV screen or near an air conditioner so that the hanging wires do not spoil the picture.
Bedroom
What to do in the bedroom? Sleep? Of course. But even here there is a technique, so it is worthwhile to figure out in advance where to place the rosettes in the room. 1. Sleeping place
If your bedroom has a classic format with a double bed and bedside tables at the edges, it would be nice to have two points near each of them: connect a night lamp and put your mobile phone or tablet on charge. The same number of connectors is needed for two separate beds. If there is also a dressing table in the bedroom, then there should certainly be sockets near it, preferably two or three. Turn on the hairdryer, for example.
2.TV area
TV in the bedroom is common. Most often, it is hung on the wall so that it is convenient to watch it while lying on the bed. Therefore, a point is also needed for him. The principle of its installation is the same as for the hanging TV in the living room - behind the screen. The air conditioner in the bedroom requires another outlet, which must be installed at the top, next to the installation site of the air conditioner. Remember the ugly dangling wires? This is exactly the case.
Children
1. Sleeping place
Children's room - the same bedroom, only for the younger members of the family. While they are very small, they do not need a lot of electrical appliances: a bedside lamp is enough.
2. Play area
But later, your offspring will need additional places for charging: for gaming gadgets, a personal computer and computer peripherals, a game console. Two laid down by building codes is clearly not enough, especially if the child is not alone. Connectors in the nursery are often made "safe", that is, with special covers and plugs that the baby cannot pull out on his own. If the child is small, it makes sense to install just such. And no dangling wires for a child to pull on!
3. Workplace
You also need to think about the number of outlets in the place that you plan to allocate for the desktop. All computer hardware and desktop lighting requires one point for each piece of technology. And, as always, one more in reserve.
Kitchen
In terms of the number of electrical appliances per unit area, the kitchen will give odds to any room. Let's just count: refrigerator, electric stove or gas stove, but with electric ignition, oven, extractor hood over the stove, microwave oven, electric kettle. And these are only those devices that are constantly connected to the network. Plus, the kitchen can accommodate a washing machine and dishwasher. 
In addition to them, there is also a mixer, a blender, a coffee grinder and a coffee maker, an electric meat grinder and a juicer, a crepe maker, a sandwich maker and a bunch of all sorts of devices that are taken out and turned on regularly. We count again: for those who are on all the time - eight, and at least five should be "just in case." Therefore, the question of how to properly place rosettes in the kitchen has its own technical nuances.
1. Household appliances
The slots for the refrigerator and stove can be located right behind them: how often do we rearrange the kitchen? They turned on and forgot. If you have a microwave oven on the refrigerator, and this often happens, its point is in the same place - behind the refrigerator. The same applies to the washer and dishwasher: the connectors for them are usually hidden behind the kitchen unit. Many do not know where to place the outlet for the always-on hood. In our opinion, the most suitable place is under the ceiling. If you are going to use an electric stove and an electric oven, they require separate, thicker wiring.
2. Additional equipment
It is convenient to plug small and infrequently used appliances into the slots located above the worktop. It is convenient to use two groups of three: many designers offer their clients just such an arrangement. Another option is to build them into the countertop.
Bathroom and toilet
In houses that were built more than thirty years ago, such electrical communications in the bathroom and toilet were not provided at all. People then had never heard of such miracles as a jacuzzi or a shower stall, so no one asked themselves the question of how to place sockets in the bathroom. hairdryer. Today everyone knows about these miracles, they are all accessible and enjoyable. Therefore, when designing a bathroom, you need to immediately look after the places for the outlets. Important:
- All switches and other electrical equipment must comply with the standard for electrical equipment for wet rooms (protection class at least IP44) and be reliably grounded. The designer or designer should definitely tell you about this. The socket for the jacuzzi and shower stall can be installed behind their decorative walls, you will not constantly turn on and off these units. the bathroom mirror, which usually hangs over the washbasin, can be mounted with one or two points. One can be used to power the lamps above the mirror, the second - for a hair dryer, razor and other small appliances. Naturally, we remember about the protection class and grounding.
- If the dimensions of the bathroom allow you to install a washing machine as well, remember that the connector for it is located at a distance of at least 50-60 cm from the water pipes
And further...
All this, of course, is understandable at first glance and seems to be simple. It seems that you can handle it yourself. And the truth: buy a screwdriver, pliers, a couple of coils of cable, and a new homemade electrician is ready. You can google a couple more articles on "how to plug in sockets correctly." Draw a diagram and plug in all the sockets, saving some money on the designer, designer and professional team. But you probably already imagine what will come of it. By the way, the fire department telephone number is 101. All modern houses and apartments are designed in such a way that any room is as functional as possible. Therefore, today you will not surprise anyone with the fact that in each of the premises of the house there are a large number of various electrical appliances. It is for this reason that at the time of drawing up a diagram of outlets in an apartment, many different details must be taken into account.
What is the ideal height for the outlets?
If you look at the photo of the sockets in the apartment, you will see that in most cases either the option of placing directly above the baseboard, or approximately at the level of the thigh is used. Of course, other options are encountered while viewing design projects, but they are far from being used by electricians as often for a variety of reasons.
When placed at hip level, the advantage is convenient access directly to electricity for all appliances that will sit on various surfaces. In the first case, the convenience will be noticeable when using such household appliances as a vacuum cleaner.
Where to place the sockets in the bedroom and guest room?
In the living room, as well as in the room set aside for sleeping, at what height it is completely unimportant to install the outlet as a whole, due to the fact that it will mainly be used for floor lamps that stand on the floor or small table-type lamps. The nuance will consist only in the obligatory laying of sockets on each side of the bed, and for all chairs.
Even if at this stage of the repair you are sure that there will not be a floor lamp next to the chair, it is not a fact that you will not change your mind, for example, six months later.
The socket used for the charger is best placed next to the bedside table or close to the sofa.
Make sure that the living room has a couple of slots for a home theater, music system. If you are a lover of fish, then in this case, do not forget to take into account the necessary sockets for lighting, a water filter near the aquarium. These outlets in the future must be as easy as possible to access.
An important point. Think in advance what the route of your vacuum cleaner will be during cleaning. If the area of the room is large enough, then the most convenient option for the location of the sockets in the apartment is in the back of the room and right at the entrance. Thus, you will save yourself the need to constantly stretch the cord of the electrical appliance in constant attempts to get to the far parts of the room.
Home office
For a home office, there must be a pair of "outputs" right at the desktop. The low level of installation of wiring sockets in an apartment with your own hands is ideal for those cases when the computer is of a stationary type. Do not forget that very often for an external camera, as well as for computer speakers, it is necessary to have its own socket.
If you have to charge your smartphone, player or tablet quite often, then the main thing here is that all the sockets must be located literally at hand.
New generation sockets: with phone tray, USB input and TV antenna.
Thinking about the question of how to make an outlet with your own hands, you should understand that today more and more various household appliances can be charged without problems using the simplest USB cable. It is for this reason that the usual socket with a plug is far from always needed.
Reduce the number of outlets in your home during renovations by installing a dedicated device for future USB charging. It makes it possible to charge several devices at the same time, while shortening the charging time. Sockets of this type can be easily installed next to the classic ones in a single frame. They are best placed near a work surface to avoid the risk of people stepping on the charger.
Another similar device makes it possible to combine an outlet in the usual sense together with a built-in universal battery. The main convenience lies in the possibility of installation in absolutely any single slot, which not only saves space in the room, but also significantly increases your "tactical" capabilities during repairs.
Sockets in the kitchen
In no case should the refrigerator be connected using an extension cord. That is why the socket in the kitchen should be installed not only in the required place, but also taking into account this restriction.
In practice, the connection of the oven, like any modern cooking surface, is carried out through one or even two sockets. An important point is that these are mainly simple three-phase sockets powered by their own RCD.
If we talk about kitchen or household appliances in general, then when analyzing how to replace an old outlet with a new one, it is best to simply put it on an apron. In the future, you can connect both a blender and a kettle there, and during the day.
An important point. For the operation of the microwave and TV in the kitchen, it is best to make a special disguised exit in advance. If there are few outlets in the necessary places in the kitchen, then they can be brought out even to the side surface of the lower one from the kitchen cabinets. To conceal the nest, you can use a modern hinged folding section.
Bathroom sockets
In the public domain, there should always be literally a couple of slots at home, used for an electric razor and a hair dryer. Also, one or two additional sockets can be placed on the floor if there is a machine for washing clothes right in the room.
If you plan to install a hydromassage panel or a new generation bathtub with a built-in TV in the bathroom, then a hidden type of power supply must be provided for them separately.
In conclusion, it is worth noting that you should not forget about safety precautions. Because sockets tend to clog with dust quickly enough without proper care, they should be cleaned at least once a week.
Photo of sockets in the apartment
