socket to sink distance

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anwah

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Hello all can you tell me what the minimum distance a socket has to be from a sink. and if it is measured from edge or centre? allso the regulation number please.

 
Found this on another forum, dont know if it helps tho?

Usually a distance of 1.2M is recommended but this is not mandatory and you often see new builds with sockets about 600mm from the sink.

 
Hi Anwah

Welcome to the day shift

There are no regs for existing sockets but....

building regs say ....... 'accessories should be installed a minimum of 300mm from edge of kitchen sinks and draining boards to reduice the risk of being splashed'

common sense prevails in this case

 
Hi AnwahWelcome to the day shift

There are no regs for existing sockets but....

building regs say ....... 'accessories should be installed a minimum of 300mm from edge of kitchen sinks and draining boards to reduice the risk of being splashed'

common sense prevails in this case
Spot on there Theory bud! ;)

Concur entirley...

Good to see the day shift is on the ball:) :D :x :x:^O:^O

Also some kitchens are very small!

e.g. 6ft x 7ft was our kitchen when we first moved in prior to building extension!

In a kitchen this size... dam near impossible not to have anything more than a couple of foot from the sink or cooker!!! :( :_|

If sockets have to be near to a sink, try to put them on the draining board side Not the sink bowl side! ;)

 
Thanks for the quick replies,spent hours looking through regs.

 
Found this on another forum, dont know if it helps tho?Usually a distance of 1.2M is recommended but this is not mandatory and you often see new builds with sockets about 600mm from the sink.
No it doesn't - In an ideal world - Yes.

But it is as Theory says. ;)

 
Thanks for the quick replies,spent hours looking through regs.
You would still be looking...

and looking...

and looking...

and looking...

and looking...

and looking...

and looking...

till you'd read the whole bloomin lot! :^O :^O:^O

 
Back to the board for my missus - The Ironing board, that is.

** Takes a peek over my shoulder **

 
Back to the board for my missus - The Ironing board, that is.** Takes a peek over my shoulder **
Oh blimey...

took a funny turn then...

misread "Takes a peek over my shoulder"

As

Takes a pee over my shoulder

:eek: :p:^O:^O:^O:^O:^O:^O:^O:^O:^O:^O:^O

 
If it is any help to anybody out there...

here is a, "slight praphase", extract from NICEIC guidance on this topic...

NICEIC recommendations are as follows:-

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Re: how close can a socket-outlet or other accessory be installed to a domestic or commercial kitchen sink, or to a wash basin in a bedroom or cloakroom. BS 7671 does not specify a minimum distance. However, Reg 512.2.1 requires due account to be taken of external influences.

Extract from Regulation 512.2.1:

 
Oh blimey...took a funny turn then...

misread "Takes a peek over my shoulder"

As

Takes a pee over my shoulder

:eek: :p:^O:^O:^O:^O:^O:^O:^O:^O:^O:^O:^O
:^O

 
If all sockets have to have RCD protection, is there any real risk of an electric shock even if it got splashed?
You are quite right the shock-risk side of things would be covered by an appropriately located RCD...

But there are other considerations as well..

such as water damage & corrosion of internal components of the accessory.

Damp across switch contacts could cause arcing & sparking.

and reduce the life of the accessory.

obviously a direct water bridge across L & N could cause the inconvenience of an overload circuit trip.

Older installations Pre 17th could quite reasonable have a Non RCD protected socket in a kitchen..

During a kitchen re-fit, a larger or repositioned sink may become closer to a socket outet....

but as wiring has not been moved... no compliance issues with BS7671 may be raised or considered???

At the end of the day.. as the NICEIC guidance says...

a suitably IP rated socket, (e.g. MK master-seal:O] :) ), could be mounted anywhere, inc' over a sink ... but it would look naff!!!!!!!!!! :p ; \ :^O :^O

As Theory said..

Common sense needs to prevail & take into account external influences! :)

;) :)

 
obviously a direct water bridge across L & N could cause the inconvenience of an overload circuit trip.
I'm glad you said could, because a water bridge accross L & N on a ring main say, would have to break all the rules of conductivity (and water is a bad conductor, even when contaminated)..

(And lets be honest, that sort of current needed to trip a ring main, ain't gonna flow...)

:D

 
I'm glad you said could, because a water bridge accross L & N on a ring main say, would have to break all the rules of conductivity (and water is a bad conductor, even when contaminated)..(And lets be honest, that sort of current needed to trip a ring main, ain't gonna flow...)

:D
Interesting??? ?:| :|

perhaps you could explain the following:

1/

Earlier quote from NICEIC Post#13 last sentence paragraph re Domestic:-

Additionally, and more seriously, water may provide a track for the line voltage to be transmitted to the front cover of the accessory, giving rise to the risk of electric shock.
2/

Try a little experiment:-

Get your Ins res tester and a voltmeter.

With the voltmeter leads directly across the Ins Res tester leads

measure the actual voltage output when doing an Ins Res test @ 250v. (note your reading!)

Modify the above set as follows:-

Leave one Ins Res lead & one voltmeter lead connected together..

put the other one of the Ins res leads in a glass of water.

(e.g. crock clip onto side of glass.. make sure water covers the croc clip contacts.)

Put the other voltmeter lead on opposite side of glass, (contacts in the water)

Re- do the above test read voltage output from Ins res doing 250v test.

compare the two readings....

with my meters I only drop 2volts when introducing a glass of water

(approx 80mm diameter)

so hows this voltage getting across the poor conductor??

IMHO

If there is a bit of voltage to push things along. water is quite reasonable a passing a bit of current.

I think the poor conductivity bit is more to do with situations where one may be considering omitting earth bonding across pipework..

to create an equpotential zone!

which generally you are look for good electrical continuity to be maintained with negligible or no voltage present?

Thats my understanding for what its worth??

do I need to duck? from incoming missiles?

or hide in my trenches or bunker??? :eek: :O

;) :x

 
Interesting??? ?:| :| perhaps you could explain the following..................

Thats my understanding for what its worth??

do I need to duck? from incoming missiles?

or hide in my trenches or bunker??? :eek: :O

;) :x
Firstly...

http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2006/SamTetruashvili.shtml

As for the NIC, I take their views with a pinch of salt (which may help things along here)..

I'm sorry Specs, but A 2V drop in your IR voltage reading is hardly convincing, especially given the output impedance of the meter in the first place..

Connect an AC ammeter in series as well, just to prove my point..

Then add some impurities and see the improvement, but 10's of Amperes will never flow, however other contamination factors/worn outlet (previous arcing) etc may contribute to a more conductive path, but I still doubt it could trip a 32A mcb..

; \

 
Quote:

For example, if the conductivity of VERY PURE WATER is 0.000004

conductivity units, the conductivity of a saturated solution of common

table salt NaCl is 23 conductivity units, and the conductivity of a typical

metal such as copper wire is 60, 000, 000 conductivity units.

Extension15

 
300mm

Just finished a new build, installed everything as per the drawings .... what happens? The kitchen installer decided to move the sink and is now only 98mm from the damn sink!

UNBELIEVABLE!

 
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