The comfort of using electrical sockets largely depends on how well the location of their permanent placement in a fixed wall condition is chosen. Moreover, the location of sockets in an apartment is primarily determined by the convenience of connecting any of the sockets used in it. household appliances. In addition, before placing sockets within the apartment, you should take care in advance that in the future they will not be hidden behind pieces of furniture (if there are no alternatives in its arrangement, for example). Thus, a competent approach to the identified problem will allow you to do without tedious procedures for connecting and laying special extension cords along the walls or moving the device itself closer to the outlet.
In our article we will try to tell you in detail how to correctly distribute sockets within each room, as well as introduce you to the basic rules for choosing a specific location for their installation. If you follow these rules, you will not have any problems associated with the inability to quickly connect a particular household appliance.
Distribution of sockets along the wall surface
The distribution of sockets along the walls of residential premises depends on functional purpose premises, as well as the number of connected electrical devices present in it. Taking this circumstance into account, before placing sockets in the apartment, a separate diagram is drawn up for each room, tied to the general layout of your apartment. The provisions of the current standards (PUE, SNiP, etc.) strictly define the permissible areas for placing sockets in the kitchen, bathroom, living room and other areas of the apartment.
Moreover, these restrictions apply not only to the location of installation products relative to the floor (in height), but also to their distance from the communication elements existing in the room ( gas pipes, exhaust ducts, etc.). The layout of sockets and switches for a bedroom, for example, is shown in the drawing.
Additional information: On areas of the wall surface that are completely free from foreign objects, the position of the socket is selected based on considerations of ease of use. For example, an additional socket for connecting a laptop charger is installed near coffee table(taking into account the regulated distance from the floor).
Location restrictions
Let us immediately note that the locations of sockets in a particular room are not strictly standardized, however, general recommendations their installation in certain areas is usually taken into account. Thus, the choice of optimal positions for placing socket products in height, as well as their distance from door and window openings is normalized by the following restrictions:
- height relative to the floor - at least 20-30 cm;
- when placing the installation product near the desktop (in the kitchen or in the office), this distance can be increased to 90-120 cm;
- distance from door jambs and window openings is at least 10-15 cm.
An example of choosing locations for installing sockets
As an example, let’s look at the choice of positions for electrical outlets in the living room and study. The following areas for the location of installation products should be provided in these rooms: 
- Up close doorway, where there is often a need to connect a mobile heating radiator or a portable vacuum cleaner. The location of this outlet is selected in accordance with the requirements of the regulations (at a distance of 10 cm from the door frame and 20 cm from the floor);
- In the area where the television receiver is located, in which the socket is mounted at the required height so that it is not visible at all;
- In the sofa area, the socket should be installed in such a way that phone or laptop chargers can be powered from it. Most often it is made double, which makes it possible to connect a floor lamp to it, for example. Another installation product near the floor can be intended for connecting an electric fireplace or floor lamp;
- For a work office, the choice of location for sockets is determined by the convenience of connecting a personal computer and chargers to them, as well as the possibility of connecting to the network table lamp The position of the sockets above the desktop is determined by standard standards (at a distance of about 10-15 cm).
You can find examples of the location of sockets and switches for the kitchen and bathroom in the next section.
Bathroom, kitchen and hallway
The bathroom is characterized by such an arrangement of socket products that would provide the owner with the convenience of using electrical appliances specific to this room (hair dryers, curling irons, razors, etc.). At the same time, the choice of their placement locations is regulated by the requirements of the PUE, according to which the sockets must be located at a distance of about 60 cm from the bathroom (shower stall) or sink located within the room.
Important! These restrictions are explained by the requirements safe operation electrical appliances in rooms with high humidity air.
Particular attention should be paid to the selection of positions for placing sockets in the kitchen, where their position is determined not only by ease of connection, but also by the requirements of distance from nearby gas pipes (at least 0.5 meters). At the same distance, a place is selected for their installation near the hatches of ventilation shafts and exhaust openings. General scheme placement of electrical outlets in the kitchen is given below.
In the hallway standard apartment Usually one socket is used, which can be located below the mirror stand (directly above the baseboard) at a height of about 20 centimeters. In the indicated place it will be convenient to connect a hair dryer, vacuum cleaner, hair curlers, phone charger, and also electrical device for drying shoes.
Please note: If the hallway has a large area, you can install another socket in it, mounted in a block with a key switch.
In conclusion, we note that not only the convenience of connecting to the network, but also the safety of working with household appliances in use depends on the correct choice of location of outlets within residential premises.
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 rooms of the house large number various electrical appliances. It is for this reason that when drawing up a diagram of sockets in an apartment, many different details must be taken into account.
What is the ideal height for sockets?
If you look at photos of sockets in an apartment, you will see that in most cases they use either the option of placing them directly above the baseboard, or approximately at hip level. Of course, there are other options when viewing design projects, but they are not used so often by electricians for many reasons.
When placed at hip level, the advantage is easy access directly to electricity for all devices that will be on various surfaces. In the first case, the convenience will be noticeable when using such household appliances like a vacuum cleaner.
Where should sockets be placed in the bedroom and reception room?
In the living room, as well as in the room reserved for sleeping, at what height to install the socket is generally completely unimportant, due to the fact that it will mainly be used for floor lamps that stand on the floor or small table-type lamps. The only nuance will be the obligatory placement of sockets on each side of the bed, and at all chairs.
Even if at this stage of the renovation you are sure that the floor lamp will not stand 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 near the sofa.
Make sure that the living room has a couple of slots for a home theater and music system. If you are a fish lover, then do not forget to take into account the necessary sockets for lighting and a water filter for the aquarium. These outlets must be as easy to access as possible in the future.
Important point. Think in advance about the route your vacuum cleaner will take during cleaning. If the area of the room is large enough, then the most convenient option for locating sockets in the apartment is in the far part of the room and right at the entrance. This way you will save yourself from having to constantly stretch the cord electrical appliance constantly trying to reach the far reaches of the room.
Office at home
For a home office, it is imperative to have a couple of “exits” right next to the desk. Low-level installation of socket wiring 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 an external camera, as well as computer speakers, requires its own outlet.
If you have to charge your smartphone, player or tablet quite often, then the main thing here is that all sockets must be located literally at hand.
New generation sockets: with a lot designed for a telephone, a USB input and a TV antenna.
When thinking about the question of how to make a socket with your own hands, you must understand that today more and more different household appliances can be charged without problems using the simplest USB cord. It is for this reason that the usual socket and plug are not always needed.
Reduce the number of outlets in your home during renovation by installing a special device for future charging using USB. It makes it possible to charge several devices simultaneously, while reducing the charging time. Sockets of this type can be easily installed next to classic ones in a single frame. It is best if they are installed near the work surface to avoid the risk of stepping on the charging device.
Another similar device makes it possible to combine a socket in the usual sense with a universal built-in 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
Under no circumstances should you connect the refrigerator using an extension cord. That is why the outlet in the kitchen must be installed not only in the required place, but also taking into account this limitation.
In practice connection oven, like any modern cooking surface, is carried out through one or even two sockets. An important point is that these are predominantly 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 the apron. In the future, you will be able to connect a blender and a kettle there throughout the day.
Important point. To operate the microwave and TV in the kitchen, it is best to make a special camouflaged exit in advance. If there are few sockets in the necessary places in the kitchen, then you can even connect them to lateral surface the bottom of kitchen cabinets. To disguise the nest, you can use the folding section modern type on hinges.
Bathroom sockets
There should always be literally a couple of slots available at home, used for an electric razor and hair dryer. You can also place one or two additional sockets on the floor if there is a washing machine 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 power supply must be separately provided for them.
In conclusion, it is worth noting that you should not forget about safety precautions. Since without proper care, sockets usually become clogged with dust quickly enough, it is necessary to clean them at least once a week.
Photo of sockets in the apartment
The location of power supply points, the installation height of sockets and switches is a serious issue that requires planning, drawing up diagrams, and calculating their number for each room.
If you approach the installation with advance planning, you won’t have to unwind the extension cord, trip over the carrier, and plug everything in there, thereby overloading the outlet or even the network.
Our material will help you determine the optimal amount of electrical fittings and the rules for their location. We will also tell you about all the intricacies of placing and installing electrical points 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 are appearing, without which it is difficult to imagine life.
Appliances fill our homes, but the number of outlets remains unchanged. Cases when a person runs around the house or office in a panic, looking for a free connector to charge a smartphone, are happening more and more often. What's the end result? 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 using them will become as comfortable 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, fixing products below 150 mm from the floor is completely unsafe. If water gets into the socket, the threat to life is simply colossal.
The reasons for this can be various situations, from a leaking faucet or pipe, to breakdown of household appliances or forgetfulness of the owners.
#3. Specifics of installation in the living room
Home theater or simple, or better than 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 cabinet, be mounted into a wall, or fit into a special cell of a furniture wall.
The power cord must not dangle or be under tension. It should be completely hidden behind the screen.
#4. Rules for location in the kitchen
Every year we develop more and more smart technology to ensure human comfort and time. 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 and dishwasher, electric stoves.
But the main thing is a refrigerator, a microwave oven or a slow cooker, sometimes both. Mixer, juicer, food processor, toaster, blender, coffee maker and TV - this list is probably endless.
There is a simple method for placing sockets in an apartment , step by step execution which will help make your home comfortable and safe. Now, as part of our large article “Apartment Electrical Project | Do-it-yourself electrical project,” using this technology, we will select the places where it is best to place sockets and create detailed diagram for electrical installation.
To select installation locations, we will need an apartment plan; we have already discussed in detail how it can be created in the article “”, in which we drew a plan two-room apartment- “Khrushchevka”.
Using this example, we will draw up a diagram of the location of sockets in the apartment.
1.
First of all,
you need to decide on the location of the furniture and put it on the plan. The more carefully you think through the desired environment, the more accurate and verified the location of sockets, switches, lighting and other electrical equipment will be.
It's best if you go through furniture stores and decide on the specific models of tables, sofas, and armchairs that you plan to purchase. Knowing their sizes, you can easily transfer them to the scale of the apartment plan.
As an example, let's take a sofa with overall dimensions WxDxH(width, depth, height) - 2000mm x 800mm x 850mm.
To place a sofa on the apartment plan, you need to schematically display it in a horizontal section.
After converting the actual dimensions of the sofa to our scale of 1:20, the drawing of the sofa will have the following parameters:
Let me remind you that the scale of the apartment plan we built earlier is 1 to 20, i.e. to convert furniture to a given scale, everything overall dimensions must be divided by 20 (in millimeters).
Now you can place the sofa on the apartment plan, in the place you need, while the proportions of the sofa relative to the apartment will be fully respected.
In our example, we will furnish the main areas that are usually found in every apartment:
1. Sleeping area
2. Recreation area
3. Workplace
4. Kitchen space
5. San. Knot
You can apply furniture projections to the apartment plan in any way convenient for you - draw with a pen/pencil, make an applique (cut out furniture models and attach to the drawing), the main thing is to maintain the scale. We followed the simplest path, used a graphic editor and we got the following:
2. The next step is, using the same method, we arrange all stationary electricity consumers. They can be designated schematically, geometric shapes, repeating the general overall dimensions translated to the plan scale. It is best to do this on a separate copy of the apartment plan with the furniture arranged.
Indicate, within the framework of the plan, everything possible devices that you will use in the future is very difficult, try to show all the stationary, large-sized and energy-intensive ones, like a refrigerator, washing machine, water heater, etc. Keep in mind the rest of the electrical appliances that you are going to use; in the next stage, when we start arranging sockets on the plan, this information will be very necessary.
3. Further you can start arranging sockets on the apartment plan. It is best to do this sequentially, room by room. The principle here is simple, all regular consumers of electricity must have an electrical outlet near them, plus a certain number of outlets must be kept in reserve for devices that are connected periodically.
Imagine where and what devices you will use and arrange sockets on the plan accordingly. Be sure to design free sockets; it’s hard to predict what other electrical appliances you’ll need, but it’s better to provide places for connections in advance.
The more accurately you think through your future interior, its filling with electrical appliances and appliances, the more accurate the calculation of the number and installation locations of electrical outlets will be.
4. Once you have mapped out all the major electrical outlets on your floor plan, it is necessary to determine the locations of other electrical installation devices- sockets of low-current networks, such as: TV sockets, Internet (rj45) sockets, audio, etc.
5.
When placing sockets on the apartment plan, you should immediately indicate the installation heights of the socket blocks, while taking into account the size of furniture, appliances, door openings, etc., so that the sockets are not covered by interior elements.
For convenience, I advise you to immediately decide on the main installation height of the sockets; we wrote about what installation standards exist in the article “”. In the future, it is necessary to indicate the installation height of sockets on the plan only if it differs from the standard one.
6. When you have finally decided on the placement locations, plotted it on the apartment plan and noted the installation heights, you can calculate the dimensions of the exact location of sockets in real apartment . To do this, use a ruler to measure the distance from the nearest corner to the center of the socket (if it is a block of sockets, to the center of the first socket in the block) and multiply the resulting value by the scale, in our case by 20.
Example: So, the image below shows an example of such a size conversion. If the length to the socket is 60mm in the drawing, the actual size will be 60x20=1200mm.
7. We put everything on the socket layout diagram required dimensions (indicate the dimensions on the side where accuracy is most critical).
Consider standard sizes socket blocks:
- standard socket assembly measures approximately 80mm x 80mm
- block of two sockets - 80mm x 150mm
- block of three sockets - 80mm x 225mm
- block of four sockets - 80 x 295mm
- block of five sockets - 80mm x 365mm
Try not to use blocks of more than four pieces (posts) in the socket layout diagram, because Not all manufacturers have frames of this size. If you need to make more than 4 sockets nearby, divide them into groups (2 and 3, 3 and 3, etc.)
By following these simple instructions, you can independently create a detailed diagram of the location of sockets in the apartment. At the same time, all sockets will be in their places, all electrical appliances in the apartment will have points for connection to both electrical networks, and to low-current, signal. You will forever forget about all kinds of extension cords and tees, about bundles of lying and hanging wires.
Only such a systematic step-by-step design will allow you to choose the maximum comfortable places location of sockets. The resulting diagram of the electrical outlet network in the apartment will be useful for subsequent cost calculations and directly electrical installation work in the apartment, will be important integral part electrical project.
The issue of the correct location of electrical connectors, that is, sockets and switches, needs to be given timely attention, even at the stage of planning the placement of all household appliances. In addition, you need to take into account the number of large and small equipment, according to which the installation of sockets and switches will be carried out.
There is a certain set of electrical installation rules that experts follow, and you can take note to become more knowledgeable before starting installation work.
How to position sockets correctly
So, the first thing that may puzzle you when installing sockets is their height relative to the floor level.
In kitchens, sockets should be installed at a height of about 1 m. 30 cm, but this indicator sometimes changes, depending on dimensions and placement kitchen furniture.
It’s good if the main part of all kitchen outlets is located above the work surface, because it’s convenient. But, nevertheless, we should not forget that minimum distance there should be at least 50 cm from the sockets to the sink and gas pipeline.
In bathrooms and other rooms with high humidity, sockets are not allowed to be installed lower than 1 m above the floor.
In addition, their location near a bathtub, shower stall (or inside it) is prohibited. If the socket is mounted next to a sink, you should choose a higher location so that splashes of water do not fall on the connector.
3
In residential premises, sockets, according to the rules, are installed at a height of 20-30 cm above floor level.
But it is worth noting that such an arrangement is not appropriate in a house where small children live. If sockets are already installed, you should choose a design with a special curtain and lock to protect children from accidents.
How to position switches correctly
You are probably familiar with the time when it was customary to place switches in apartments at the shoulder or eye level of an adult, that is, at approximately a height of 1 m 70 cm. Today, the device for switching lighting fixtures is installed according to ergonomic convenience.
- The switches are located at the doorway on the side of the door handle at a distance of 10 cm.
- The height of the switches according to the floor is 80 - 90 cm, at the level of the hand lowered down.
- In bathrooms, the minimum distance from the switch to the shower doorway is 60-70 cm.
- Switches installed above the work surface in the kitchen, as well as sockets, should not be located close to the sink or gas pipeline closer than 50 - 60 cm.
Personal comfort
The above are general standard rules for the placement of sockets and switches, but in own apartment you may have personal needs for their installation.
For example, many people read before going to bed, therefore, a socket for a table lamp is simply necessary near the bed. By the way, it is better to install it according to the rules, at a height of 30 cm above the floor. But it is better to place the switch a little lower than 80 cm away - ideally, next to the outlet.
1
Modern configurations of furniture: kitchen, work or leisure - can surprise, largely due to hidden capabilities. Such as built-in or under the countertop, retractable organizers with several sockets for portable devices (chargers, electric kettle, laptop) and others modern devices, without which we can no longer imagine our existence.
It should be noted that such built-in sockets must be insulated, especially if they are located on work surface kitchen furniture or island. And the installation process should be entrusted only to specialists, even at the stage of designing the cabinet body.
