has anyone ever put sockets in the floor, like you see in meeting rooms, in a kitchen?

[poocatcherchampion]

I'm reluctant to get an island in our new kitchen as I don't want to permanently shape our space but we probably want more work surface with something on wheels. it will probably mostly go in the middle of the room by the table.

I think it would be daft not to put power to it - either for the work surface bit or the table as everyone always needs plugs but it seems to be the most flexible thing would be one of those floor boxes you see in meeting rooms (I go to a lot of meetings)

Is that mad or brilliant?

I'd be worried about it getting wet?

How would you mop the floor?

mop around it? mop the lid.
you don't soak the floor do you?

not a big mopper

You can get outdoor sockets so you can probably get something watertight to cover them with. Great idea, go for it.

DH was going to do something similar in the living room but he took so long to get round to it that I carpeted before he'd done it!

that's positive! its what I like to hear!!

My first though was what if you spill something / drop a glass or mug of liquid? You wouldn't want that heading into a socket (never occurred to me about mopping )

I don't think you would get planning permission or whatever it is you need for it - what if there was a flood for a start? They need to put sockets up at a certain height due to building regs. you need a proper sparky to do these things nowadays and he wouldn't do it contrary to regs if he is qualified as he could lose his registered status.

Would be handy but I don't think its possible.

My DH was talking about doing something similar, he wants power cables coming from the floor up through the kitchen island so you get sockets on the side of the island if that makes any sense? A but like on the science lab benches at school.

Not in the kitchen but we do in our playroom. No idea why, we didn't put them in. They have a lift-up cover.

well we will use a proper electrician to do it. our builder didn't seem to think it would be a problem.

and they sell the things everywhere so they are clearly not banned. and you only have set heights for sockets on building new houses.

so it only remains to decide whether it is a good move

Electrical work needs to confirm to building regs, no? I have a feeling that sockets in the floor in a domestic setting wouldn't be approved, but I could be wrong.

you might be right. I meant that my electrician would confirm that side of it.

I'm all sad now. majority say no

daft idea if you ask me, just put plenty of sockets in the walls.

Couldn't you have a "tower" of plugs - like a 4 x gangway but vertical, that you pulled up out of the floor? When you finished with it, you could lower back into the floor and have waterproof cover over the top.

I've seen these and they're a great idea. They have an integral flap for mop protection.
Building regs may say no bah bloody humbug but it works a treat if you want a lamp in the middle of a room too without a trailing wire.

Plenty of wall sockets only works in small rooms.

We have a pop up socket in our island - love it and even has 2 USB ports. Would this be any good fof you?

I don't think so in a wet room like kitchen/bathroom.

In the island, yes, great idea. Not in the floor.

Also wouldn't it be a trip hazard, not what you want in a room where you walk around with hot and/or sharp things.

I'm pretty sure that you've got to be at least 450mm from the floor. That's certainly the case for new builds. If you ask 3 sparks about whether or not (or the extent to which) it applies to alterations; you'll get 4 different opinions.

I personally don't think it's a good idea. There's a reason the minimum height is now 450mm.

Also, the reason they often have plugs in floors in meeting rooms (apart from to power Dorren's Hoover) is because there's usually an accessible floor void and it represents less of a risk than snaking a cable across a room to power a laptop or conference call phone.

My advice......don't bother (in a domestic setting)

Not a socket, but we had electricity to a heater in our island. The wires ran under the floorboards. Couldn't you run a wire up and put a socket on top?

We have them in our kitchen/living room, but in the living room part, well away from the "business end" and at the side of the room, so it is possible.

The covers snap down pretty sharpish and clip securely onto the base plate so potentially protected from spills/mopping etc. They do protrude a few mm from the floor however, so fine at the edge of the room where nobody walks, but it is something you would need to consider if you put them in the centre of the room to service an island.

I think it is probably doable, but talk to your electrician and see what they say. I agree any island should have power (so many don't) but you may have to compromise - moveable and no power or fixed and powered.

We have them in the living room, but I wouldn't in the kitchen as they would be a hazard.

I used them in a work setting. They had metal lids, very strong springs. You moped over them.

No idea, but do add USB ports, whatever you do. Revolutionise your life :).

we have concrete floors too downstairs so would be real bother to put wires in - do you have a suitable floor if it were legal?

We have sockets on side of Island. Why clutter the floor with them?! Or am I missing something...