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Saturday, May 17, 2008
How high socket can a socket be.....?
A recent enquiry has made me realise that I haven't posted the following fundemental piece of information; namely, what are the permissable heights of sockets (prises) in France? All measurements are taken from the horizontal cente of the socket i.e. a line linking across the the live & neutral pins.
Firstly, the maximum height for all sockets is 1.3 metres (1300mm). An exception to this rule is when a socket for an extractor hood is required above a cooker or hob, when it must be no lower than 1.8 metres (1800mm).
Bizarrely (in my opinion) the minimum height above finished floor level for a standard 16A or 20A socket in a normal indoor situation is 5cm (50mm)! You'd be hard pushed to get certain right angled plugs in at that height (& you'd probably be down on your knees to do it....). I find that 40cm (400mm) is a good compromise of convenience & aesthetics. Sockets dedicated to individual appliances (washing machine, dryer, dish washer etc.) should be placed in relation to available space behind the specific items, if possible.
Sockets fitted above worktops in a kitchen or similar situation must be between 8cm (80mm) & 25cm (250mm) above the worktop surface. Sockets are not allowed above sinks or hobs (apart from the the exception for extractors already mentioned).
A 32A socket must be no lower than 12cm (120mm)
A splash-proof 16A socket (prise étanche) as required outside or in a cave/sous-sol must be no lower than 1 metre from the floor.
Of course, if you don't want to get involved in all this kind of detail & want someone to wire your property for you (& if it's within striking distance of Vire), then please get in touch.....