The children and our electrical code

[slackerisme]

So we recall an insane amount of products every year due to perceived and possible threats to the health of our children. We have volumes of regulations pertaining to crib safety, SIDS avoidance, etc.

Yet as a nation we refuse to raise our outlets above a foot off the floor. I can't figure out why, it almost has to be cosmetic. Any electron herders have a better reason?

 

[Leo]

The height is not due to code, but like you say, preference. Many office and commercial locations install them in floor pots. And when you think if it, garage/workshop outlets are 4 feet off the ground for conveinence, not cosmetic appearance. My beef is how few recepticals are in a house and how many rooms are on one circuit. Out of six I actually owned, I only had one house that was wired right. It had twice as many recepticals as normally found and every room had its own circuit for recepticals, and lighting was on a different breaker than recepticals. There were 8 seperate exterior recepticals, all on GFI breakers. AND the whole house was wired in conduit pipe. That electrician was a real craftsman and did a fine job. His name was...oh yeah, that was me....It was the only new house I ever had.

 

[TaunTaun]

I give kids paperclips and forks, encouraging them to explore the world of electrical outlets. They tend to do it once, and then stop.

 

[Stschil]

So we recall an insane amount of products every year due to perceived and possible threats to the health of our children. We have volumes of regulations pertaining to crib safety, SIDS avoidance, etc.

Yet as a nation we refuse to raise our outlets above a foot off the floor. I can't figure out why, it almost has to be cosmetic. Any electron herders have a better reason?

Say it with me:

P A R E N T A L R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y

Being an old codger, I kind of think that, just maybe, it might actually be a good thing for parents to keep an eye on their kids, teach them about things that are good and bad for them, help them grow up to be responsible adults.

We don't need yet another rule to "save the children" and give lazy biological matter donors more reason to ignore their offspring.

 

[Classic]

Outlet covers are widely available.

 

[Mr. Habib]

Outlet covers are widely available.

Yes they are, however responsible parents willing to use them are not.

 

[Stschil]

Yes they are, however responsible parents willing to use them are not.

Why would I want the extra hassle of removing an outlet cover every time I want to stick a butter knife in the socket?

 

[1911 DeadHead]

Gotta watch them kids, and yes covers are available. One thing I hate about National Code is that Romex is still permitted in residential situations. Everything should be in conduit and providing a mechanical ground. Any jackass can use a hole hog and run these lamp cords thru a house. People ask me to work on houses with Romex, and I refuse. I'm a Chicago electrician and we have the strictest code in the country. Sorry had to vent that.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

The height is not due to code, but like you say, preference. Many office and commercial locations install them in floor pots. And when you think if it, garage/workshop outlets are 4 feet off the ground for conveinence, not cosmetic appearance. My beef is how few recepticals are in a house and how many rooms are on one circuit. Out of six I actually owned, I only had one house that was wired right. It had twice as many recepticals as normally found and every room had its own circuit for recepticals, and lighting was on a different breaker than recepticals. There were 8 seperate exterior recepticals, all on GFI breakers. AND the whole house was wired in conduit pipe. That electrician was a real craftsman and did a fine job. His name was...oh yeah, that was me....It was the only new house I ever had.

Keep in mind that "code" has changed over the years...

Wasn't that long ago that there wasn't "code" at all, either. So if you move into a 50 year old home that's not been updated, it certainly won't be up to 2012 standards. Same with a house build in...oh...1977 like mine. Or that has had an addition added on in...oh...1995 like mine.

-J-

 

[XMil]

I'm fine with the outlets where they are, but can move the switches down a foot or so where our hands are?

 

[indytechnerd]

here's a question, along the same lines. Why in the hell is everything nailed down to the studs with no slack? I've got 2 cable outlets (fortunately they're not needed right now) that are short because the doofuses that wired my house didn't leave enough slack in the box and nailed the cable to the stud.

 

[eldirector]

Yet as a nation we refuse to raise our outlets above a foot off the floor.

It is your house. Put/move your outlets to wherever you want. If you build a new house, spec whatever height you want. Not that it would matter. Even at 3' off the ground, your toddler can find a way if they REALLY want to.

What is this need to make any issue someone else's responsibility, anyway?

Even my 22-month-old knows to leave outlets alone. Sure, we keep an eye on her (for lots of reasons besides outlets), but she figured out darn quick that touching an outlet was "No, no!".

 

[1911 DeadHead]

here's a question, along the same lines. Why in the hell is everything nailed down to the studs with no slack? I've got 2 cable outlets (fortunately they're not needed right now) that are short because the doofuses that wired my house didn't leave enough slack in the box and nailed the cable to the stud.

Imagine you hung a picture or whatever and a nail hit the wire. You better hope it shorts and trips the breaker or fuse. But even then you'd have to cut the wall open to replace or jerry rig a splice in the wall. With conduit, you would not have these issues. Can't believe some of these quarter million plus dollar homes that are going up with this crap.

 

[Jaredjosh]

I stuck a paper clip into a socket when I was a youngster. I lived and now have a great respect for electricity. Life is full of valuable lessons.

 

[GM_Geezer]

Code is the MINIMUM acceptable installation. Your can always install beyond what code requires. Code is not a law. The entire or portions of the code may be adapted as law by a governing body. As pointed out in previous posts the code changes. I doubt most installations meet the current code.

 

[ThrottleJockey]

Imagine you hung a picture or whatever and a nail hit the wire. You better hope it shorts and trips the breaker or fuse. But even then you'd have to cut the wall open to replace or jerry rig a splice in the wall. With conduit, you would not have these issues. Can't believe some of these quarter million plus dollar homes that are going up with this crap.

Not so sure about the hole in the wall thing....could probably just pull new wire where there is damage without much trouble. My house was built in '64.....I worry about the wiring every minute of every day. Eventually we will have time and money to pull more modern wire and upgrade to 200amp service....I went up to the attic last summer and found SOME of the wiring replaced with actual extension cord. It's only electricity people, not magic or rocket science or anything....

 

[winstonsmith84]

My house was built in '64.....I worry about the wiring every minute of every day.

My house was built close to '64 too. 1864 . At some point in the 40's it was rewired with the rubberized cotton insulated wires and then partially rewired in the 1980s and updated to 100 amp service. There is still a decent amount of the old wire left. I really should get around to pulling new wire, but it is fine right now. The condition of the original wiring is fine. Except where some clown left a live lamp cord dangling in the wall.

 

[Miller Tyme]

So we recall an insane amount of products every year due to perceived and possible threats to the health of our children. We have volumes of regulations pertaining to crib safety, SIDS avoidance, etc.

Yet as a nation we refuse to raise our outlets above a foot off the floor. I can't figure out why, it almost has to be cosmetic. Any electron herders have a better reason?

And if we put them at counter height that would help..........

Guess you have never seen rugrats climb.

I for one am tired of a world where we have to try and make things safer so the idiots of the world, can live to be old and multiply.................

 

[indytechnerd]

Imagine you hung a picture or whatever and a nail hit the wire. You better hope it shorts and trips the breaker or fuse. But even then you'd have to cut the wall open to replace or jerry rig a splice in the wall. With conduit, you would not have these issues. Can't believe some of these quarter million plus dollar homes that are going up with this crap.

Possibly, but I can't imagine hammering hard enough to punch through the outer shielding on romex without the wire giving a little once I'm through the drywall. Anyway, that could happen now, and if the romex is anchored to the stud, it's not going to give at all.

Also, since it has occurred to me...why is every damn thing ran to exterior walls???? I think I have 1 or 2 phone/cable jacks that are on interior walls (not the one mentioned above, surprise, surprise).

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

It's been awhile, but according a quick perusal of 210 of the 2008 NEC, the only place where I see a height requirement for a general purpose receptacle is in a kitchen (<20" from top of counter), and outdoors (<6.5' from grade or deck). Also in regards to spacing, generally speaking, no section of wall over 2' can be more than 6' away from a receptacle. There used to be a little formula for determing how many receptacles are permitted on a general purpose 15 or 20A circuit, but it's been too long for me to remember and I'm not able to spot it in my code book right now.

Edit:
The loading information for receptacles is in 220--I said it's been awhile. You don't have to refer to this stuff all that often when you're programming robots and PLC's. If I'm reading it correctly, (it's like reading the tax forms), in a dwelling unit, the mininum load is 3va per sq foot. So, if I have a 20x20 room (400 sq ft), my minimum load it 1200va. I can only load a circuit to 80%, so the circuit must be rated for 1200/.8 or 1500va, which is 12.5amps (1500/120). So, I can supply a 20x20 room (general purpose receptacles, mind you) with a singel 15amp circuit. Keep in mind, these are MINIMUM standards. I can feed it with more than one circuit and "meet code". Of course life's never simple....there are other rules for fixed appliances, laundry rooms, kitchens, single receptacles on branch circuits, garages, etc.

The preceding should not be construed as expert advice. Use at your own risk. See you local, friendly electrician for advice on you particular situation...