Re: British (european?) kitchen counter electric outlets

On 6/16/2024 1:19 AM, TTman wrote:

 

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We have 2 in our kitchen as a retro fit so we can charge 4 devices.

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I'm not sure if this is a good, long-term solution (if you already have
an abundance of outlets, already) as a failure in that charger now requires
the outlet to be replaced (instead of just unplugging and discarding a small
plug-in charger)
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And, as most outlets (in rooms other than the kitchen) are located just
above the floor level, the value of them in those places is dubious
(do you have a surface nearby on which you could set the device(s)
being charged?)

 UK regs now dictate the minimum height at which a power outlet can be located.That is 450 mm   ( In the very old days, they were screwed to the skirting board!)

Outlets servicing the (kitchen) countertop have constraints on their
placement (e.g., nothing "facing upwards", most within 12" from the top
surface of the counter (anything 12" or more BELOW the counter is not
counted as satisfying the requirement for countertop servicing).  And,
anything more than 18" above is similarly not counted.  (The goal is
to be able to reach these outlets with the short power cords typically
encountered on "small appliances".)
Whereas outlets in the house tend to be (closer than) ~12 ft apart,
this is tightened to ~4 ft on counters (because small appliances
tend to have ~24" cords but "floor lamps" will have 6 ft cords)
They also need to be GFCI protected and support at least two 20A
circuits.
You can buy some that will "pop up" out of the counter surface to expose
receptacles.
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(I don't like perforating the counter as spills are something that should be
of concern.)
You can also find outlets in the floor (something I also dislike!).
But, most other outlets are located about a foot above the floor
(the length of a carpenter's hammer makes a good measuring stick
for outlet placement).
Light switches are about 42 inches above floor level (where practical).
[Those above kitchen counters would be located similarly to receptacles]
Non-mains wiring doesn't need to follow the same sorts of wiring constraints.
E.g., you may find a length of RG6 (CATV or antenna feed) poking into a room
(from the outside of the residence!) through a hole bored in the wall without
benefit of a junction box or "wall plate".  Ditto for telephone or network
cabling.
This might be "dressed up" with a wall plate -- but, that is not backed by
a real junction box (instead, the wall plate is affixed to the drywall
and just gives the appearance of being a "real" electric box).
[Of course, you can also have a real junction box -- plastic or metal -- to
support the wall plate but this adds cost/complexity.]