Switch/plug height - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

DaveVB · 02-08-2010, 10:09 AM

I have been in a house where the ho put the light switches at a height where as you walk by his hand naturally was at the same height as the switch ie.. no reaching up for the switch.
SO, the post about the mud room where one of the contractors mentioned something about the plug height got me wondering......"why are the plugs so close to the floor?" Personally I like working in our shop where you walk up to a plug that is 3' or so off the floor....no bending over to plug something in. Would there be something "wrong" in placing plugs in a house this way?
Now I am not a contractor or anywhere close! Don't flame me to bad

480sparky · 02-08-2010, 10:16 AM

There's only two Codes I know of that concern switch & receptacle heighth.

One is the NEC, which states that any receptacle over 5'-6" AFF cannot be considered as meeting the requirements of 210.52(4).

The other is ADA regs, which I don't recall the specifics offhand.

KennMacMoragh · 02-08-2010, 10:40 AM

I'd be pissed if they did that to my house. Nothing wrong with it I suppose, but it would look like hell.

Magnettica · 02-08-2010, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveVB

I have been in a house where the ho put the light switches at a height where as you walk by his hand naturally was at the same height as the switch ie.. no reaching up for the switch.
SO, the post about the mud room where one of the contractors mentioned something about the plug height got me wondering......"why are the plugs so close to the floor?" Personally I like working in our shop where you walk up to a plug that is 3' or so off the floor....no bending over to plug something in. Would there be something "wrong" in placing plugs in a house this way?
Now I am not a contractor or anywhere close! Don't flame me to bad

In a house we install them at 16" to the bottom of the box. Some do them at 18" to the middle, some like them cut-in to the baseboard molding. 36" is IMO abnormal and looks strange.

480sparky · 02-08-2010, 12:23 PM

When we're at my house, we'll wire it my way. When we're at your house, we'll wire it your way.

And when we're at the paying customers' house, we'll wire it his way, so long as it meets Code. If the customer wants switches 36" AFF, then he's gonna get switches 36" AFF. If the customer wants purple devices and orange polka-dot cover plates, as long as I can find purple devices and orange polka-dot covers he's gonna get purple devices and orange polka-dot covers. It's his house, not mine, so whatever he wants I don't have to live with.

rustyjames · 02-08-2010, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveVB

I have been in a house where the ho put the light switches at a height where as you walk by his hand naturally was at the same height as the switch ie.. no reaching up for the switch.
SO, the post about the mud room where one of the contractors mentioned something about the plug height got me wondering......"why are the plugs so close to the floor?" Personally I like working in our shop where you walk up to a plug that is 3' or so off the floor....no bending over to plug something in. Would there be something "wrong" in placing plugs in a house this way?
Now I am not a contractor or anywhere close! Don't flame me to bad

Maybe the house you were in, with the lowered switches, was occupied by someone using a wheelchair?

Speedy Petey · 02-08-2010, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rustyjames

Maybe the house you were in, with the lowered switches, was occupied by someone using a wheelchair?

48" is fine for wheelchair accessible switches.

See this thread: http://forums.mikeholt.com/showthread.php?t=66485

AFOREMA1 · 02-08-2010, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Speedy Petey

48" is fine for wheelchair accessible switches.

Good link Speedy

Magnettica · 02-08-2010, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 480sparky

When we're at my house, we'll wire it my way. When we're at your house, we'll wire it your way.

And when we're at the paying customers' house, we'll wire it his way, so long as it meets Code. If the customer wants switches 36" AFF, then he's gonna get switches 36" AFF. If the customer wants purple devices and orange polka-dot cover plates, as long as I can find purple devices and orange polka-dot covers he's gonna get purple devices and orange polka-dot covers. It's his house, not mine, so whatever he wants I don't have to live with.

I would agree with that 100%.

woodchuck2 · 02-08-2010, 08:30 PM

I myself always put my switchs at 50" and the recepticles at 16" unless the HO and or the GC request a different height.

K2 · 02-08-2010, 08:54 PM

48-1/2 to the top or to the bottom and the drywaller only has to make 1 easy cutout generally speaking.

I like the receps as high as possible if I'm bending over to make them up. They'd be at 48 if I had my way.

rselectric1 · 02-08-2010, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by K2

48-1/2 to the top or to the bottom and the drywaller only has to make 1 easy cutout generally speaking.

I never really concern myself with the drywallers when I'm the electrical sub. Many of them will rotozip your wires to shreds while cutting in boxes. (Not you Capt. Sheetrock

)

When it's my job, yes, I agree!

K2 · 02-08-2010, 09:34 PM

I like to watch out for the other guys plus it looks good, like we did it on purpose. ...
Except the other day a drywall finisher cleaned his knife/trowel on my ladder.

I took a scoop shovel of trash and dumped it in his mud bucket.

drywallnflorida · 02-08-2010, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rselectric1

I never really concern myself with the drywallers when I'm the electrical sub. Many of them will rotozip your wires to shreds while cutting in boxes. (Not you Capt. Sheetrock

)

When it's my job, yes, I agree!

WE ALWAYS GO THRU AND PUSH ALL THE WIRES TO THE BACK OF THE BOX BEFORE WE START HANGING A JOB, because we do think about the other trades too. If you have problems with your wires getting chewed up by a sorry drywall contractor, have your guys take 15 mins and walk thru with a hammer and use the handle to push the wires to the back of the box after your done doing your rough in. I'm sure it will save you alot of time in the long run.

rustyjames · 02-09-2010, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Speedy Petey

48" is fine for wheelchair accessible switches.

See this thread: http://forums.mikeholt.com/showthread.php?t=66485

That would actually depend on the wheelchair user's level of ability. Some people, (typically powerchair users) may not sufficient function to lift their arm(s) that high.

Speedy Petey · 02-09-2010, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rustyjames

That would actually depend on the wheelchair user's level of ability. Some people, (typically powerchair users) may not sufficient function to lift their arm(s) that high.

So are you saying the ADA is wrong?

rustyjames · 02-10-2010, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Speedy Petey

So are you saying the ADA is wrong?

I'm saying 48" might be too high for some wheelchair users.

Speedy Petey · 02-10-2010, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rustyjames

I'm saying 48" might be too high for some wheelchair users.

This depends on if you are building to regular standards, ADA standards, or a specific job standards.

Magnettica · 02-10-2010, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by K2

48-1/2 to the top or to the bottom and the drywaller only has to make 1 easy cutout generally speaking.

I like the receps as high as possible if I'm bending over to make them up. They'd be at 48 if I had my way.

Then you would have floor lamps no more than 24" from the outlet.

Magnettica · 02-10-2010, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drywallnflorida

WE ALWAYS GO THRU AND PUSH ALL THE WIRES TO THE BACK OF THE BOX BEFORE WE START HANGING A JOB, because we do think about the other trades too. If you have problems with your wires getting chewed up by a sorry drywall contractor, have your guys take 15 mins and walk thru with a hammer and use the handle to push the wires to the back of the box after your done doing your rough in. I'm sure it will save you alot of time in the long run.

What about the jerk who breaks the box and doesn't want to say anything about it because he's afraid of being fired? I'll take care of my own boxes thank you. The sheet rockers shouldn't be doing the electricians job and vice-versa.