In today's world with a fast pace of life, people are increasingly trying to facilitate their work and free up extra time for family and entertainment. To save energy on washing dishes or cooking, electrical appliances help. In addition to the usual refrigerator, electric kettle and stove, many in the kitchen have assistants such as microwaves, blenders, slow cookers, double boiler, food processors, dishwashers and other appliances. All these devices help to significantly save time and energy. But at the same time, they carry a huge load on the electricity network of the entire apartment. Kitchen appliances consume almost half the power of the current collectors of the entire apartment. Of course, all devices are not used at the same time, but this does not reduce the load, because along with the items listed, power consumption goes to other electrical equipment and apartment electronics: a computer, tablet, TV, air conditioning, washing machine and much more. Based on this, it is worthwhile to understand that the wiring in the kitchen should be displayed as a separate group, and preferably in groups.
Power Consumption
Before you plan the number and height of outlets from the floor in the kitchen, you will have to work on a kind of energy consumption plan. So, below is a list of electrical appliances that will be operated in the kitchen, with their capacity:
- Lighting - 150-200 watts.
- Microwave - 2000 watts.
- Refrigerator - 100 watts.
- Dishwasher - 1000-2000 watts.
- Electric kettle - 2000 watts.
- Oven - 2000 watts.
- Water heater - 2000 watts.
- Hob - 3500-7500 watts.
The following devices require special connection:
- Dishwasher;
- Washer;
- hob;
- water heater;
- oven.
The greatest load on the network comes from the operation of an electric stove, an oven and a water heater.
A typical connection is suitable for a microwave, electric kettle, food processor, refrigerator, electric grinder and toaster. At the same time, dishwashers and washing machines, an electric kettle, and a microwave consume the most power. Although all these devices will not be connected to the network at the same time, the load is quite high. Consequently, the average power ranges from 10-15 kW, as a rule, power collectors have a power of 7 kW, during normal and alternate operation of appliances in the house. If this indicator is higher, then it makes sense to output 380 V wiring and distribute it in phases.
Wiring cable
After solving the issue with power, you need to choose a cable for wiring. The selection rules are simple:
- with a load of devices up to 3.5 kW - a copper cable VVGNG-Ls 3 * 2.5mm 2 ;
- with a load of devices up to 5.5 kW - a copper cable VVGNG-Ls 3 * 4mm 2 ;
- with a total load of all devices up to 10 kW - a copper cable VVGNG-Ls 3 * 6mm 2 ;
- with a total load of all devices up to 15 kW - VVGng-Ls 3 * 10mm 2 copper cable.
It is recommended to do wiring with a three-core cable, this will greatly facilitate work in the future, in the case of cable replacement work.
Regulatory documents and rules for placing outlets in the kitchen
Strict rules and regulations indicating the optimal number and height of outlets from the floor in an apartment or private house simply do not exist. Although there is a document that sets out some recommendations for their location and quantity. So, the document SP 31-110-2003 states that the placement of sockets should be at a height of less than one meter from the floor. The rules for the installation of electrical installations indicate the interval from the outlet to the pipeline with gas (more than 50 cm). Sockets in hazardous locations must have a residual current device (RCD) with a trip current of up to 30 mA.
Next, we will consider at what height should the sockets located in the kitchen be from the floor .
European socket installation standards
To date, the wiring is done according to the European standard, this is due to the increase in the new housing stock. According to these rules for installing outlets, their height should be 30 cm from the floor, and the switch - 90 cm. This is also due to the convenience of using electrical appliances by all family members. Convenient for living rooms.
Sockets in the kitchen
It is necessary to plan such moments as the height of the outlets from the floor in the kitchen, taking into account the design of the room itself. Otherwise, these devices may simply not be in the place where they are needed, and thus remain unused.
The position along the wall and the height of the outlets from the floor in the kitchen are also determined taking into account the dimensions of the kitchen furniture itself, the length and height of the room. In order not to be mistaken in the calculations, you should sketch the kitchen plan on a sheet and after you transfer your project to the walls of the kitchen and install the sockets in the right places, without forgetting the rules of the RCD. The distance from the countertop to the outlet should be at least 5 cm, so they can be hidden behind the appliances and not disturb the overall picture of the kitchen.
The placement of outlets in the kitchen is also not regulated. They can be distributed on the basis of expediency. But still there are certain requirements specified in the Electrical Installation Rules. They say that switches and sockets should be located at a distance of 60 cm or more from the doorway of the shower cabin, as well as from the sink. And also the distance to the gas pipeline should be more than half a meter.
These are mandatory requirements of fire safety rules, they need to be followed without question, even if you have to change the design of the kitchen a little.
At what height from the floor do sockets do?
Given the convenience of placing appliances and the frequency of operation of kitchen appliances, special rules have been formed for placing outlets. Their height has three levels of placement.
- The first is the height of the sockets from the floor in the kitchen 10-15 cm for an electric stove, refrigerator, dishwasher. It is expedient and practical. Having installed kitchen furniture, access to sockets is left only from below. And the wires will not hang on the walls, but will be aesthetically hidden.
- The second is the height of the installation of sockets from the floor in the kitchen 110-130 cm: appliances for turning on a blender, microwave, kettle.
- The third - 200-250 cm - the height of the outlet for lighting and hoods. They are accessible and hidden behind the kitchen cabinets on top.
An equally important point in the placement of outlets is the required number of them. There is a golden rule - for each stationary kitchen appliances there is one socket, plus two blocks along the edges of the countertop and one more should be placed near the dining table.
How to lay wires?
Having decided on the height of the outlets and their number in the kitchen, you need to decide which way to lay the wires. The following methods are most popular: in the baseboard, in a plastic box, in the wall in grooves.
The latter method is the most time-consuming, since first you need to make a groove, lay a wire in it, plaster it and cover it with wallpaper or paint over.
By planning how the wiring will go, you can determine the amount of cable you need. For simple outlets, the cable section is two and a half square mm and six square mm to devices with a large load.
Conclusion
Repair in the apartment, especially planning and laying electrical wiring, is one of the most crucial moments in home improvement. Modern life simply cannot be without an established lighting system and the operation of electrical appliances.
When doing repairs in a house or apartment, many people have a lot of questions: what cable to choose, at what distance the circuit breakers should be installed, at what height to install sockets from the floor, how to arrange furniture, how to hide wires and many others. It is easier to answer them by studying the information on the rules for the placement of household appliances, the necessary supply of current, taking into account their power, etc. Information can be obtained in the special literature. If you carry out repairs yourself, about what height from the floor of the outlet to do, the distance between them and which cable to use, it is better to consult a specialist.
Using very simple safety standards, simple rules and common sense, you can achieve the most convenient location of such devices at home. It is better to calculate and foresee everything correctly in advance than to redo all the electrical wiring in the future.