Hello everyone,
Today I would like to ask for your experiences.
I am now at the point of planning the electrical installation and find it difficult, for example, to estimate the number of power outlets needed. For your information, it is a rather small house with about 100m² (1,076 ft²) of living space.
I come from a poorly equipped apartment and have largely adapted. When I hear what friends plan, I can hardly imagine that so many outlets are necessary... 21 outlets in the living room, for example???
What I have considered:
Living room: TV, stereo system, DVD player, telephone, charger, laptop, lamp, Christmas tree, possibly a game console, raclette grill, vacuum cleaner. 14 outlets?
Kitchen: stove, dishwasher, fridge/freezer combo, microwave, kettle, waffle iron, blender, coffee maker, lighting, music system. 12 outlets?
Children’s room: TV, music system, computer, charger, lamp, vacuum cleaner. 8 outlets?
Bedroom: Similar? Probably without TV for me...
Bathroom: Hairdryer?
Hallway: always at least one outlet?
What would be a reasonable number? Is the above list too minimalistic? What have I forgotten?
I would like to plan LAN connections in every room.
What should be considered or possibly provided for easy future upgrades?
What would be some nice-to-have features that people nowadays might want? I probably don’t know many of them.
I am thinking of a sensible standard setup, not a high-end gadget plan, and would consider having empty conduits or similar installed in case of future expansions.
Do you have any tips for me?
Today I would like to ask for your experiences.
I am now at the point of planning the electrical installation and find it difficult, for example, to estimate the number of power outlets needed. For your information, it is a rather small house with about 100m² (1,076 ft²) of living space.
I come from a poorly equipped apartment and have largely adapted. When I hear what friends plan, I can hardly imagine that so many outlets are necessary... 21 outlets in the living room, for example???
What I have considered:
Living room: TV, stereo system, DVD player, telephone, charger, laptop, lamp, Christmas tree, possibly a game console, raclette grill, vacuum cleaner. 14 outlets?
Kitchen: stove, dishwasher, fridge/freezer combo, microwave, kettle, waffle iron, blender, coffee maker, lighting, music system. 12 outlets?
Children’s room: TV, music system, computer, charger, lamp, vacuum cleaner. 8 outlets?
Bedroom: Similar? Probably without TV for me...
Bathroom: Hairdryer?
Hallway: always at least one outlet?
What would be a reasonable number? Is the above list too minimalistic? What have I forgotten?
I would like to plan LAN connections in every room.
What should be considered or possibly provided for easy future upgrades?
What would be some nice-to-have features that people nowadays might want? I probably don’t know many of them.
I am thinking of a sensible standard setup, not a high-end gadget plan, and would consider having empty conduits or similar installed in case of future expansions.
Do you have any tips for me?
O
Obstlerbaum20 Feb 2019 11:27Mycraft schrieb:
But that’s completely the wrong approach. Why lay down a power strip and create a tangle of cables when it’s better to have 2-3 more outlets built into the wall? Then I only need one switchable outlet. There are no absolute truths here, just different ways to solve the problem...
You have to set your priorities and balance between quantity and budget to determine what makes sense where.
Regarding Obstlerbaum’s bathroom: do you have a mirrored cabinet with sockets for electric toothbrushes? Or do you not use something like that? Is there a mirror light? Then another one for the hairdryer and possibly an additional socket somewhere else to plug in a heat lamp for babies, and suddenly three sockets are either too few or actually too many.
Regarding Obstlerbaum’s bathroom: do you have a mirrored cabinet with sockets for electric toothbrushes? Or do you not use something like that? Is there a mirror light? Then another one for the hairdryer and possibly an additional socket somewhere else to plug in a heat lamp for babies, and suddenly three sockets are either too few or actually too many.
Obstlerbaum schrieb:
Then I only need a switched socket. There are no absolute truths here, just different solutions...The media outlets can also all be connected to a single switch. This way, you can control 3/5/10 sockets (in the wall) at once if needed. So, the argument doesn’t really hold.
Thank you very much!
I would count the "permanent devices" first, and then provide additional free outlets for temporary use. The coffee machine, blender, or waffle iron are not in constant use for me, but the electric kettle is (just an example for the kitchen).
It’s also clear that the outlets need to be distributed thoughtfully. Especially in the kitchen, you have to consider where the work surfaces are and what activities take place where.
I definitely don’t want to start with distribution boxes behind the TV cabinet.
Thanks for the advice regarding the bathroom; at the moment, I only use the hairdryer there. An electric toothbrush with a battery, a baby is no longer planned – but I had planned an extra socket anyway.
So, I have now come up with something over 60 outlets. Maria expressed it well: balancing budget and quantity – that sums it up perfectly.
I would count the "permanent devices" first, and then provide additional free outlets for temporary use. The coffee machine, blender, or waffle iron are not in constant use for me, but the electric kettle is (just an example for the kitchen).
It’s also clear that the outlets need to be distributed thoughtfully. Especially in the kitchen, you have to consider where the work surfaces are and what activities take place where.
I definitely don’t want to start with distribution boxes behind the TV cabinet.
Thanks for the advice regarding the bathroom; at the moment, I only use the hairdryer there. An electric toothbrush with a battery, a baby is no longer planned – but I had planned an extra socket anyway.
So, I have now come up with something over 60 outlets. Maria expressed it well: balancing budget and quantity – that sums it up perfectly.
Obstlerbaum schrieb:
Addendum: I counted what we have coming in. Living/dining room: 15, kitchen: 13, office/guest room: 8, workshop: 7, child’s room: 7, second office: 6, bedroom: 5, bathroom: 3. Then about 10-15 more for hallways, guest toilet, garage, garden room, terrace, etc.I’m in a similar range with my estimates.
O
Obstlerbaum20 Feb 2019 13:02Maria16 schrieb:
You just have to prioritize and balance quantity and budget to decide where it makes sense.
Regarding Obstlerbaum’s bathroom: do you have a mirrored cabinet with outlets for electric toothbrushes? Or do you not use those? Is there a mirror light? Then another one for the hairdryer and possibly another in a completely different spot to plug in a baby heat lamp, and suddenly three outlets are too few or basically too many.We’re not fans of mirrored cabinets; there is a light mounted on the wall above the mirror. Wall outlets are not included in the count; I meant really only the outlets. The heat lamp hasn’t been needed for quite some time...Mycraft schrieb:
You can also connect all media sockets to one switch. That way, you can switch 3/5/10 outlets (in the wall) on or off at once if needed. That argument doesn’t hold.Actually, it does—but you can check off:[ ] You know my builder’s price list
[ ] You know how much my power strip costs
In short: cheaper and without any disadvantages for me.
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