Your Guide to Hamilton Litestat and the Positioning and Arrangement of Premium Switches and Sockets

The positioning and arrangement of switches and sockets in the home is a vital component of your aesthetic design. If you fail to position your premium switches and sockets correctly, the result will look inelegant and distasteful. We’ve recently added Hamilton Litestat products to our catalogue – Hamilton creates high-quality electrical wiring products, which have been carefully manufactured to meet a whole host of specific needs. You can order any of the Hamilton products included in the article here!

Hamilton offers high-quality decorative electrical wiring accessories designed and manufactured to meet the project demands of architects, designers, and installers.

However, if you are a first-time home builder or considering a renovation, you may not know where to position your sockets and switches. To ensure you have the proper knowledge required to do so, we will take a look at the issue in detail.

In this article, we shall discuss how to place your premium switches and sockets in the kitchen, where they should be ideally positioned in the bathroom, as well as the rules and safety regulations regarding switches and sockets outside. Let’s take a look.

Ideal Placement for the Kitchen

The kitchen is often the busiest room in your property regarding electrical items and has the most power requirements. When you also factor in the need to make sure the electrical items are in the proper position for safe usage in the kitchen, the positioning of switches and outlets becomes a little bit more complicated.

Naturally, you will want something like this Hartland Primed White Double Pole Switched Socket in your home. However, if you don’t position it correctly, it becomes an eyesore that messes with your style.

Sockets and Outlets

When thinking about sockets and outlets for your kitchen, it is essential to understand that there are two types. There is the type of socket found above your worktop and the one below. The placement of the sockets and switches will depend upon the type of equipment you are using and the way you intend to style your kitchen.

The first type of socket is the one which is located above your worktops. Naturally, these are more concerning because they directly contribute to the image of your kitchen. These are the kind of appliances like your microwave, kettle, and toaster.

The second type of socket outlet is the one which is located underneath your worktops. These are usually less important because they are obscured by cabinets and the machinery you use. Things like washing machines, tumble dryers, dishwashers, fridges, freezers, and integrated ovens are all considered to be below worktop sockets.

Regarding sockets located below your worktops, the only absolute prerequisite they need is that they are reachable in an emergency. You need to be able to isolate the appliance by turning the switch off or unplugging it from an outlet. For this reason, an isolator switch is often wired in and kept above the appliance for easy access.

When exploring sockets located above the worktops, it’s recommended that you put them at least 10 to 15 cm above the surface. Aside from that, it is up to you where you choose to place the sockets for convenience. Some people choose to put sockets directly behind things that are chopping boards and knife racks to give themselves more plush space.

However, for the sake of safety, it is essential to remember that you must be able to isolate any of the appliances you plug into the sockets, so they should not be completely obscured. A smart technique you could consider implementing is the position of a switch or socket directly underneath the shaded part of a cabinet. This means that when the light fixtures provide light to the room, the shaded areas contain less-than-attractive sockets.

Light switches are a different kind of challenge. It’s important to position them in easy-to-access areas that aren’t too tall but aren’t too short at the same time. The average light switch is usually a little bit below shoulder level. That way, it is still accessible to be reached in an emergency, but not so short you have to stoop.

Light switches are typically located by the door for ease of use. Something like this Hartland CFX Gloss White switch is sleek and subtle and would be a good fit. In many cases, you can style switches to be on the same side as your dominant hand.

What You Need to Know About Sockets and Switches in the Bedroom

It is essential to understand that when we work with sockets and switches in the bedroom, we position them according to the bedroom area they are in. Your typical bedroom is split up into three zones. There are the entrance, central, and ancillary areas, which are the little nooks and crannies.

The Entrance

Regarding the entranceway, it is vital to have at least one outlet and switch near the bedroom entrance or outside the bedroom. The reasoning for this is so that people can switch on the lights and the fans before the end of the room. Alternatively, you could take a low-intensity LED light night and put it at the lower half of the bedroom wall for ease of access and passage.

The Main Area

Generally speaking, it’s advised that you put one outlet at the table height of each of the bedside table areas. There could also be a three-way light switch connected to the outlet entrance and two bedside table outlets so that each person can turn off the main light before sleep. Lamps can also be attached to the outlets located at the bedside tables.

Ancillary Areas

When dealing with ancillary areas, it’s important to use space to your advantage. For example, study tables should have electrical outlets placed at table height. However, it’s also essential to consider positioning outlets at ankle height if you don’t know the table size beforehand.

A big problem with outlets and switches is the placement of cabinets and wardrobes. These can often block an outlet off completely. You should definitely think about those before you consider concealing electrical boxes for outlets within the walls. Alternatively, consider assigning a wardrobe space beforehand to help with placement.

Something like this Hartland CFX Gloss White Double Pole Switched Socket would be a good pick. Not only is it highly attractive, but it’s also straightforward to work with. Plus, it’s a good idea for something like a multiplug at a study table.

Sockets and Switches Outside

If you take the time to install a switch or a socket outdoors, it’s a handy feature for your home. It means you don’t have to run extension leads from inside the house anymore, and you can have power in places like garages and sheds.

With that being said, it’s important to make sure that you do things safely and efficiently. Most people tend to have plug sockets at the back and the front of the property, simply for convenience’s sake.

For your safety, all electrical products you install must be done per local building regulations. If you don’t know these rules or don’t feel confident in interpreting them online, consult with a registered electrician.

IP Ratings

While not vital for the positioning of sockets and switches, IP ratings must be understood before work can begin.

Every electrical fitting you can purchase has an IP rating that tells you in what environment it can be used. IP stands for “ingress protection,” followed by two numbers afterward. The first of these numbers tells you how easily dust and other objects can get into the electrical fitting. The second number tells you how easily water can get in.

These numbers range from zero, meaning there is no protection, to 6 for four objects and eight for water, denoting complete protection, respectively. This means that an IP rating of IP 68 refers to a product that is not only submersible in water, but also totally dustproof. This is the kind of product you would want to select for outdoor usage where possible.

Fittings and Positioning

Ideally, your socket must have a weatherproof cover to protect it when not in use. There should also be a surface mounting box that stops moisture from getting in. Some types of sockets have weatherproof covers you can use while the socket is being used.

Regarding positioning, it is mainly up to you where you choose to put a socket. However, it’s recommended that you put it in a sheltered place so that even when it is in use, it’s not exposed to the elements. Even a tiny amount of water could cause an electrical fire.

Light switches generally follow the same principles as indoors. You can typically get away with installing a switch near the doorway, usually where the dominant hand goes. Doing so at the outdoor area entrance helps to provide illumination before you have to step outside.

Something important to note is that when it comes to modern buildings, they have a timber frame and interior installation. This means that you cannot drill through the wall to run a cable through the external wall of the building. The reason is that the interior cavity is filled with insulation material, forming a vapour barrier. If you break the vapour barrier, you compromise your home’s insulation.

Notes on Bathrooms

Bathrooms are often small spaces and require minimal outlets and switches. The same basic rules apply to placements. However, choosing waterproof outlets is recommended and keeping the overall placement and volume of outlets and switches to a minimum. Otherwise, the space appears cluttered.

Conclusions

The positioning of light switches and sockets in the home significantly impacts the overall design. The style of your home can be entirely ruined by the careless placement of a button or socket.

However, it is essential to recognise that there are health and safety concerns underpinning many decisions you must make. Placing sockets in discreet places is fine, but they must be isolated in a crisis. Therefore, unless you intend on having isolator switches located in convenient areas around the home, there is an element of compromise in the kitchen.

The bedroom is usually the best place to have free roam regarding switches and sockets. Depending on how you configure your bedroom, there are many ways in which you can decorate it. You are free to position sockets and switches however you choose. Many great design choices can come from being creative with your positioning.

The outside of the property is a little more complicated because your switches and sockets need to have a suitable IP rating. However, those that do, as well as an adequately maintained waterproof cover, can be placed with reasonable freedom. Or for that, you might want to use Double Switched RCD Protected 13A Outdoor Socket.

That said, many attractive switches and sockets are available in the home. This is a good example – the Hartland CFX Gloss White 4 Way Rocker. It could afford you precise control over an entire room if you wanted it.

As is always the case with electrical sockets and switches, do not attempt installation unless you are trained and qualified. Many electricians would be happy to perform the task for you in a safe way. Provided that you maintain safety guidelines when installing these types of objects, there is no reason why they cannot be implemented in your home.