Locating sockets for builtin kitchen appliances
 

We're planning the ring for builtin appliances in a new kitchen, and
would welcome advice on placing the sockets. Firstly, the sockets must
be hidden, and so below worktop height. In general we estimate about
50mm clearance between wall and back of appliance. A plug is about
30mm depth, and so a flush socket might just do, but could be tight.
Recessing the sockets into the wall would give more clearance, but
this would be more awkward to do. Once the floor is tiled, there will
be about 120mm clearance between bottom of floor units and floor, and
so we were considering mounting surface sockets under cupboards
adjacent to the applicances. However, having the ring be out of the
wall, and either the ring or a spur entering the wall to feed surface
sockets didn't seem that neat. So, no option seem that great, and
advice on where sockets are usually placed for builtin appliances
would be most welcome, and also about the idea (and "legality") of
sockets under cupboards.

In article ,
Jonathan wrote:
We're planning the ring for builtin appliances in a new kitchen, and
would welcome advice on placing the sockets. Firstly, the sockets must
be hidden, and so below worktop height. In general we estimate about
50mm clearance between wall and back of appliance. A plug is about
30mm depth, and so a flush socket might just do, but could be tight.
Recessing the sockets into the wall would give more clearance, but
this would be more awkward to do. Once the floor is tiled, there will
be about 120mm clearance between bottom of floor units and floor, and
so we were considering mounting surface sockets under cupboards
adjacent to the applicances. However, having the ring be out of the
wall, and either the ring or a spur entering the wall to feed surface
sockets didn't seem that neat. So, no option seem that great, and
advice on where sockets are usually placed for builtin appliances
would be most welcome, and also about the idea (and "legality") of
sockets under cupboards.

Since kitchen units tend to be fixed to the walls, etc, I don't see
anything wrong in using surface mount sockets attached to the back or
sides of the units - inside them, as it were. I would (and did) use metal
clad ones though.

--
*If God dropped acid, would he see people?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Jonathan wrote:
We're planning the ring for builtin appliances in a new kitchen, and
would welcome advice on placing the sockets. Firstly, the sockets must
be hidden, and so below worktop height. In general we estimate about
50mm clearance between wall and back of appliance. A plug is about
30mm depth, and so a flush socket might just do, but could be tight.
Recessing the sockets into the wall would give more clearance, but
this would be more awkward to do. Once the floor is tiled, there will
be about 120mm clearance between bottom of floor units and floor, and
so we were considering mounting surface sockets under cupboards
adjacent to the applicances. However, having the ring be out of the
wall, and either the ring or a spur entering the wall to feed surface
sockets didn't seem that neat. So, no option seem that great, and
advice on where sockets are usually placed for builtin appliances
would be most welcome, and also about the idea (and "legality") of
sockets under cupboards.

Legally you do need to be able to isolate the appliance so fitting
sockets completely inaccessibly behind a built-in appliance is a no-no.

I put my (flush) sockets behind cupboards adjacent to the appliance, and
cut a hole in the back panel of the cupboard in front of where the
socket was, just big enough to get a hand through, switch off the
socket, and to be able to pull the plug back through in order to change
the fuse if need be. If you plan the position of the hole/socket
carefully, the hole will be well above the base of the cupboard or any
shelf therein, so stuff won't fall through the hole and down the back
into oblivion.

David

On 15 Mar 2005 10:02:10 -0800, (Jonathan)
wrote:

We're planning the ring for builtin appliances in a new kitchen, and
would welcome advice on placing the sockets. Firstly, the sockets must
be hidden, and so below worktop height. In general we estimate about
50mm clearance between wall and back of appliance. A plug is about
30mm depth, and so a flush socket might just do, but could be tight.
Recessing the sockets into the wall would give more clearance, but
this would be more awkward to do. Once the floor is tiled, there will
be about 120mm clearance between bottom of floor units and floor, and
so we were considering mounting surface sockets under cupboards
adjacent to the applicances. However, having the ring be out of the
wall, and either the ring or a spur entering the wall to feed surface
sockets didn't seem that neat. So, no option seem that great, and
advice on where sockets are usually placed for builtin appliances
would be most welcome, and also about the idea (and "legality") of
sockets under cupboards.

Hi

The back of the base unit does not usually go up to the underside of
the worktop (1100mm short I think I remember) so you will have a gap
big enough to put a surface box immediately under the worktop, fixed
to the wall (in an adjacent unit) and still have access to the switch.

Even if the unit has a drawer in the top (drawer line) you may remove
the drawer for access to switch the socket off.


Should you have no suitable adjacent units for what ever reason, then
sink a back box into the wall behind the appliance (appropriately
placed to afford the best clearance depending on the form of the back
of the appliance) BUT put this socket on a spur to a switched fuse
unit (on the ring) above the work top!! In line with the double
sockets above the worktops.

This is the method I have used on many many occasions

Andy

Hi

The back of the base unit does not usually go up to the underside of
the worktop (1100mm short I think I remember)

110 mm,,, (11 cm)

Andy

In message , Andy pandy
writes

Should you have no suitable adjacent units for what ever reason, then
sink a back box into the wall behind the appliance (appropriately
placed to afford the best clearance depending on the form of the back
of the appliance) BUT put this socket on a spur to a switched fuse
unit (on the ring) above the work top!! In line with the double
sockets above the worktops.


No need for FCU here (thought it won't hurt), the plug will be fused, so
a 20A switch is fine.
--
Chris French, Leeds