The height of a socket for a worktop
Installed above the worktop, the sockets have different functions. Indeed, they allow you to connect small electrical appliances that are used daily, such as a toaster, a coffee maker, a kettle, etc. You can also use them for the electrical utensils that you use occasionally , such as a blender, a food processor, etc. They must therefore be easily accessible to allow you to connect and disconnect the devices at your convenience.
The height of the sockets will therefore depend on the height of the worktop once it is finished. In general, the worktop is at a height of between 85 and 95 cm above the finished floor. You should then place the plugs at least 8 cm above it and, ideally, 15 to 20 cm above it. Of course, they will be more visible, but they will be more accessible and any splash of liquids will be less likely to reach them and cause a short circuit.
The number of shots
Depending on the room in your home, the NF C 15-100 standard recommends installing a minimum number of outlets, for practical reasons, but also for safety.
Thus, it is necessary to have at least:
- 5 in the living room;
- 3 per room;
- 1 in the bathroom;
- 1 in circulation rooms or in the case of a separate toilet.
Regarding the sockets in the kitchen, as we have mentioned, the sockets above the worktop will be widely used by various small electrical appliances. It is therefore important to install enough so that you do not have to unplug a device each time to be able to plug in the one you need at that time. Ideally, you should therefore provide one outlet for each electrical device that you want to leave plugged in and at least one more for occasional connections.
In general, the standard recommends the installation of at least 4 outlets above the worktop out of the 6 recommended in the kitchen.
This is a minimum, it is often preferable, especially if you have a spacious kitchen, to opt for a larger number. However, in a small kitchen, 6 outlets may be sufficient.
How to install the outlets of a worktop?
Be careful, for safety reasons, make sure, when designing your worktop, not to provide sockets where your sink or the hobs will be installed.
As a rule, electrical outlets are installed before the worktop is laid. It is therefore necessary to refer to the notion of finished meter to know where to install them. The finished meter is a line that is drawn on the wall at 1 meter from the ground, once it is finished, that is to say after laying the covering. Then, to mark the location of your holds, you need to know the height of your future worktop and proceed as explained below.
Let’s say the height of your worktop is 90 cm. It will therefore be installed 10 cm below the finished meter. If you want to place the sockets 15 cm above the worktop, ie: 90 + 15 = 105 cm, then all you have to do is mark their location 5 cm above the finished meter. You avoid any unpleasant surprises.