Socket height regulation in old home

[bikerchic44]

Height only applies to current new builds so not necessary. If you are stripping out the whole house and having walls chased etc for new cables you might like to take a view on socket positions being at a more accessible height? I take it the current sockets aren’t in the middle of skirting and an inch off the floor?

No they are about inch above skirting. Walls are concrete so I’m having truncking

 

[nicebutdim]

No they are about inch above skirting. Walls are concrete so I’m having truncking

Concrete walls are no reason for surface wiring - at least not unless it's your preference.

 

[raylec]

Very nice room, that outlet can be relocated with a bit of work. Usually see ones that are a bit too low. Pic is for illustration purposes, not my work .

View attachment 42921

Sockets must be at least 18" in height off the floor reg IEE

 

[Spoon]

Sockets must be at least 18" in height off the floor reg IEE

Welcome to the forum mate.
As @FatAlan has said in post #60, it only applies to new buildings.

 

[HappyHippyDad]

Sockets must be at least 18" in height off the floor reg IEE

Hello raylec.
It hasn't been the IEE for quite a few years. It's the IET now. The regulation height of 450mm is not in IET publication of BS7671 I believe. Always happy to be corrected though.
You'll certainly find it in the government publication of the building regulations Part M.
Part M is for new builds but also for buildings undergoing 'material alteration'.
Part M then goes on to say (in a complicated way of course), that if the building is undergoing material alteration it can not be any worse than it was.
So basically, you cant make the sockets lower than they were before, but they can be the same height..... usually, unless they were so low before (skirting board) so as to cause mechanical damage, then they should be raised (Reg 553.1.6)

 

[davesparks]

Sockets must be at least 18" in height off the floor reg IEE

No they don't, there is no such regulation.

 

[Rockingit]

Hello raylec.
It hasn't been the IEE for quite a few years. It's the IET now. The regulation height of 450mm is not in IET publication of BS7671 I believe. Always happy to be corrected though.
You'll certainly find it in the government publication of the building regulations Part M.
Part M is for new builds but also for buildings undergoing 'material alteration'.
Part M then goes on to say (in a complicated way of course), that if the building is undergoing material alteration it can not be any worse than it was.
So basically, you cant make the sockets lower than they were before, but they can be the same height..... usually, unless they were so low before (skirting board) so as to cause mechanical damage, then they should be raised (Reg 553.1.6)

The IET 'Electricians Guide to the Building Regulations' does specifically say that Part M does not apply to rewires.

That said, if you're doing a full rewire, chases etc then I can see few compelling arguments to not use the 450-1200mm zones regardless.

 

[davesparks]

That said, if you're doing a full rewire, chases etc then I can see few compelling arguments to not use the 450-1200mm zones regardless.

It's ugly as hell having sockets halfway up the wall.
It makes the light switches far too low and they can easily end up being blocked by furniture.

On a rewire you can often reuse some locations, expecially for switches, and reduce the damage by not changing the height of the box.

 

[FatAlan]

If the cable drops from the ceiling, just think how much cable you save by having them higher. Keep them lower if fed from below.

 

[HappyHippyDad]

No they don't, there is no such regulation.

Similar to my reply

 

[DPG]

Similar to my reply

Davesparks's was a bit more concise

 

[brianmoooore]

Flush sockets, an inch above the skirting , would contravene the regs. Surface sockets, in the same position, would not.

 

[HappyHippyDad]

Flush sockets, an inch above the skirting , would contravene the regs. Surface sockets, in the same position, would not.

Blimey, I'd have thought it would be the other way around.

 

[brianmoooore]

Blimey, I'd have thought it would be the other way around.

The problem is with the flex exiting the bottom of the plug. With a flush socket, the flex will exit just above the skirting, which would be fine with an oval 0.75mm2 twin, but with a 3C 1.5mm2 flex, the plug will be being forced out at the bottom or twisted.
With a surface socket, bringing out the plug another 25mm or 35mm, the thicker flex will be able to hang straight down, over the surface of the skirting.
It will be much more vulnerable to furniture being moved about on a surface socket, but the regs don't really cover that.