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Original poster

Switch and socket heights - you have to be joking!!!!!

18 replies

Anonymousbird · 24/02/2011 08:15

My electrician announced late last night, 3 and a half months into my renovation that he is going to be putting all the sockets and switches in my rewired 250 year old house 500 mm off the ground (sockets) and 1200mm off the ground (switches)!!! I told him he would do no such thing and didn't care less if I don't get my bloody certificate, as I intend to DIE in this house.

Has anyone else come across this? Does this seriously apply in a 250 year old house we just happen to be renovating and which is not open to the public in any way?

OP posts:

BellaBearisWideAwake · 24/02/2011 08:22

Just been rewired and yes sockets are higher than they used to be! Not sure what the problem with switches is though?

curlywurlycremeegg · 24/02/2011 08:23

Yup, it's to meet building regs, now regs are different in all authorities so there may be some way round it with yours, it would be best to speak to your building inspector. Whilst I understand the reasoning behind it in new build and public properties I find it unbelievable in other properties. We recently have had the same issue when adding a loft conversion, the idea behind the rule is that the house is accessible to all when the property comes on the market again, however for it to be that I would have to install two stair lifts also, which is obviously not in the regulations and not going to happen!

DaisySteiner · 24/02/2011 08:24

Yes, ours are all like this in our extension. Light switches are lower so I grope around the wall looking for them when I walk into a room! I do know someone who managed to get an exemption on the grounds that their house was multilevel with lots of steps so was never going to be suitable for a disabled person anyway

Original poster

Anonymousbird · 24/02/2011 08:28

You can't get a wheelchair through my front door, (or down my steep gravelled drive, across a village green) due to the angle, let alone up the (very narrow) steep stairs.

But I have all existing sockets and switches through out the house, except in the one extension room we are building, so I have to go around and MOVE them all according to him, simply because I am rewiring behind the switches and sockets.... so all those extra holes to fill in and plaster?? Surely not!!!

Already looking forward to discussing this with my Building Regs Man!

OP posts:

skandi1 · 24/02/2011 08:31

Whilst this is to comply with building regulations in a New Build Home, I don't believe this applies to refurbishments!

I think your sparky is trying to get a bit of extra cash by moving your sockets and switches (more work).

To be sure, just phone your local Building Control Office. They are most helpful and can guide you.

You mention your home is 250 years old - is it listed??

If your home is listed, the sockets and switches absolutely CANNOT be moved due to its listed status.

HTH

TheSkiingGardener · 24/02/2011 08:33

It doesn't sound right that you have to move existing ones. I would challenge that with the electrician.

candleshoe · 24/02/2011 08:33

It is the new rules I'm afraid - I have had to have these silly plugs in my new kitchen!

mamatomany · 24/02/2011 10:49

You don't have to move existing ones unless you need building regs, which a lot of people I know have never applied for and it's never been a problem.
Just keep your mouth shut when you come to sell about any work that's been done, if you mention it the solicitors want certificates.

Thandeka · 24/02/2011 13:01

hmmm we have just had our old house rewired and our spark just put them where they were before and chopped in a few extras for us too all at nice low heights.

But currently staying in a new build and the plug sockets are all high on the walls- very annoying.

I do hope it is newbuilds not old properties!

cuckooclock · 24/02/2011 14:54

I live in a new home and my sockets are only 300mm from the floor. Are these rules the same throughout the country?

Odelay · 24/02/2011 15:07

i thought sockets had to be higher in case of flooding, rather than DDA?

ethelina · 24/02/2011 15:12

My electrician tried this on when our extension was built 2 years ago. I told him to get stuffed and put the sockets exactly where I wanted them. He did it.

NorkyButNice · 24/02/2011 15:13

We had our 30s house rewired last year and were given a choice of where we wanted the sockets and switches. I think for any new work (loft conversions, extensions etc) you'd have to go with the "new" regulation heights.

ChunkyPickle · 24/02/2011 15:16

Doesn't apply to domestic re-wire, extensions or in non-inhabited rooms (ie. kitchen - although I'm guessing other regs apply there)

www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk/diy_electrics_height_of_switches_sockets.htm

This guy comes across as fairly trustworthy and agrees with all the other websites I had a look on but has better pictures.

Goodness knows why these regs (part M apparently) aren't more easily accessible on a government site!

Original poster

Anonymousbird · 24/02/2011 16:22

Bless you all, and yes, why AREN'T the regs readily available?!?!?

I'm not sure if my electrician was trying to pull a fast one or not, he is very experienced so surely must know that rewires of existing properties aren't inside the regs... I challenged him on it, he kind of said, well, that's what we have to do these days, so I said, no you don't. He simply answered, well you are the customer I suppose, I'll do whatever you tell me to do!

So I get the desired result, he will put them where I want them, but not for the right reasons.... so presumably the next property he moves on to, he will come out with the same old tut.

Phew. DH absolutely blew a fuse (pardon the pun!) last night when I mentioned this, so at least we've sorted that one out...

OP posts:

malovitt · 24/02/2011 16:44

Just had my house rewired, and unfortunately, I wasn't around much during the day and let the electrician get on with it. Didn't realise that all the plug sockets were going to be higher than they were before.

It meant that all the sockets in the bedrooms were exactly the same height as the bed frames, therefore we could not have any beds against the walls anymore.

I managed to catch the last couple before the plasterer came and made him move them further down but it is really annoying!

Deux · 24/02/2011 16:58

I've just had quite extensive rennovations done and added sockets to existing rooms and they have been placed at the same height as existing sockets. We've had building regs approval. New switches have been placed at the usual height.

greenlotus · 24/02/2011 21:12

The building regs are all online so you can peruse them if you are interested!

Part M

New houses must comply with the regs but extensions of existing houses (that don't have compliant sockets to start with) don't need to, as I read it.

I suspect electricians just put everything at the new height to avoid having to work out whether it's needed or not.

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