Hello everyone,
how did you approach the topic of electrical installations? How many sockets/power outlets did you plan for, and where? The homeowner has calculated a certain amount, but I believe that won’t be sufficient.
how did you approach the topic of electrical installations? How many sockets/power outlets did you plan for, and where? The homeowner has calculated a certain amount, but I believe that won’t be sufficient.
Hello,
I spent about 2-3 months on my electrical planning.
At first, I thought placing the few sockets, light switches, network outlets, and connection points wouldn’t be too difficult.
The more I read, the more complicated it became.
In my opinion, you should thoroughly study this and allow yourself enough time, just like with the floor plan.
As nordanney already mentioned, the planning is very individual.
It depends on the floor plan and your personal needs.
I got an easy-to-use CAD program for the electrical planning and first furnished the house exactly to scale. Only then did I start the actual planning.
The furniture placement in the rooms should be accurate (height-depth-width).
Just as an example:
If you want 1-2 pendant lights over the bedside tables in the bedroom,
to ensure that the lights hang correctly over the tables later, you should consider a few points:
- What are the dimensions of the bed frame?
- What are the dimensions of the bedside table? (width and depth)
In most cases, there is a window to the left or right of the bed.
If you want to hang curtains, don’t forget they need about 15cm (6 inches) of space. This means that if you want to position the bed in the middle of the room, the center will be between the curtains and the opposite wall.
So I furnished room by room and tried to pay attention to all these details.
I wouldn’t just install sockets in every corner by default, but carefully consider every scenario of where furniture will be placed, and then install the sockets accordingly.
In the end, you can still play it safe by installing double sockets in the corners.
For lighting planning, I would recommend dividing the lighting into three groups wherever possible:
- General lighting
- Task and functional lighting
- Decorative lighting
Summary of key points for electrical planning:
Light sources:
- Pay attention to the beam angle
- Try to keep color temperatures consistent, avoid mixed light
- CRI value ideally above 90
- Dimmable or non-dimmable
- Work areas should be brighter (300-500 lux)
- Living areas should be more cozy
Lamps:
- Direct lighting
- Indirect lighting
- Combination of direct/indirect lighting
- Large light sources = diffuse, soft light
- Small light sources = directed, hard, direct light
Lighting planning:
- For general lighting, the fixture doesn’t always have to hang in the center of the room, but rather according to the furniture placement. For example, if there are tall cabinets along one wall, the room’s center shifts. So don’t measure the midpoint from wall to wall, but from the cabinet to the opposite wall.
- Mirror lighting
- Niche and decorative lighting
- Picture lighting
- Staircase lighting
- In offices and children’s rooms, create additional diffuse, glare-free task lighting over desks
- Bright lighting in kitchen work areas
- Island lighting in the kitchen
- Pendant lights over the dining table should hang about 60-70cm (24-28 inches) above the table. Choose beam angles so the lights don’t glare.
- In the living room, instead of a single ceiling light in the center, consider placing the light over the coffee table.
- In the garage, it’s better if lights are distributed in the aisles between cars rather than directly over the cars
- Additional lighting next to beds in children’s rooms
- Additional front mirror lighting (theater lighting concept)
- Christmas lights on windows
- Floor and pendant lamps in the living room for cozy lighting
Exterior:
- Christmas lights
- Driveway lighting
- Floor lighting on the terrace
- Terrace lighting
- Decorative exterior lighting (e.g., shrubs, fences, etc.)
Audio:
- Home theater
- Possibly built-in speakers (e.g., in bathroom, dining room, or kitchen)
Network:
As mentioned earlier, definitely plan at least one double outlet per room.
- Depending on the floor plan, 1-2 access points per floor and one for the terrace
- Possibly Cat cable for video surveillance
Sockets:
- Remember USB sockets. You don’t necessarily need many sockets next to the bed in bedrooms. Sometimes one with 2x USB ports may be enough. We will install USB sockets in the most important areas for us.
- Hide sockets behind the TV unit in the living room and run cables in conduit to the television
- Sockets above work tables
- Sockets in window reveals
- Sockets on the kitchen island
- Switchable sockets
- Sockets in the attic
- Outdoor sockets around the house
- Socket for electric grill
Other considerations:
- Power cables for weather stations
- Power cables for rain and wind sensors (e.g., for external blinds or garden irrigation)
- Power cables for garden irrigation
- Power cables for garden house
- Power cables for awning control
- Solar cables
- Power cables for whirlpool bathtub
- Power cables for automatic toilets
- Power cables for infrared heating in the bathroom
- Preparation for electric vehicle charging station
- Power cables for toilet odor extraction
I hope this information helps you with your planning.
I spent about 2-3 months on my electrical planning.
At first, I thought placing the few sockets, light switches, network outlets, and connection points wouldn’t be too difficult.
The more I read, the more complicated it became.
In my opinion, you should thoroughly study this and allow yourself enough time, just like with the floor plan.
As nordanney already mentioned, the planning is very individual.
It depends on the floor plan and your personal needs.
I got an easy-to-use CAD program for the electrical planning and first furnished the house exactly to scale. Only then did I start the actual planning.
The furniture placement in the rooms should be accurate (height-depth-width).
Just as an example:
If you want 1-2 pendant lights over the bedside tables in the bedroom,
to ensure that the lights hang correctly over the tables later, you should consider a few points:
- What are the dimensions of the bed frame?
- What are the dimensions of the bedside table? (width and depth)
In most cases, there is a window to the left or right of the bed.
If you want to hang curtains, don’t forget they need about 15cm (6 inches) of space. This means that if you want to position the bed in the middle of the room, the center will be between the curtains and the opposite wall.
So I furnished room by room and tried to pay attention to all these details.
I wouldn’t just install sockets in every corner by default, but carefully consider every scenario of where furniture will be placed, and then install the sockets accordingly.
In the end, you can still play it safe by installing double sockets in the corners.
For lighting planning, I would recommend dividing the lighting into three groups wherever possible:
- General lighting
- Task and functional lighting
- Decorative lighting
Summary of key points for electrical planning:
Light sources:
- Pay attention to the beam angle
- Try to keep color temperatures consistent, avoid mixed light
- CRI value ideally above 90
- Dimmable or non-dimmable
- Work areas should be brighter (300-500 lux)
- Living areas should be more cozy
Lamps:
- Direct lighting
- Indirect lighting
- Combination of direct/indirect lighting
- Large light sources = diffuse, soft light
- Small light sources = directed, hard, direct light
Lighting planning:
- For general lighting, the fixture doesn’t always have to hang in the center of the room, but rather according to the furniture placement. For example, if there are tall cabinets along one wall, the room’s center shifts. So don’t measure the midpoint from wall to wall, but from the cabinet to the opposite wall.
- Mirror lighting
- Niche and decorative lighting
- Picture lighting
- Staircase lighting
- In offices and children’s rooms, create additional diffuse, glare-free task lighting over desks
- Bright lighting in kitchen work areas
- Island lighting in the kitchen
- Pendant lights over the dining table should hang about 60-70cm (24-28 inches) above the table. Choose beam angles so the lights don’t glare.
- In the living room, instead of a single ceiling light in the center, consider placing the light over the coffee table.
- In the garage, it’s better if lights are distributed in the aisles between cars rather than directly over the cars
- Additional lighting next to beds in children’s rooms
- Additional front mirror lighting (theater lighting concept)
- Christmas lights on windows
- Floor and pendant lamps in the living room for cozy lighting
Exterior:
- Christmas lights
- Driveway lighting
- Floor lighting on the terrace
- Terrace lighting
- Decorative exterior lighting (e.g., shrubs, fences, etc.)
Audio:
- Home theater
- Possibly built-in speakers (e.g., in bathroom, dining room, or kitchen)
Network:
As mentioned earlier, definitely plan at least one double outlet per room.
- Depending on the floor plan, 1-2 access points per floor and one for the terrace
- Possibly Cat cable for video surveillance
Sockets:
- Remember USB sockets. You don’t necessarily need many sockets next to the bed in bedrooms. Sometimes one with 2x USB ports may be enough. We will install USB sockets in the most important areas for us.
- Hide sockets behind the TV unit in the living room and run cables in conduit to the television
- Sockets above work tables
- Sockets in window reveals
- Sockets on the kitchen island
- Switchable sockets
- Sockets in the attic
- Outdoor sockets around the house
- Socket for electric grill
Other considerations:
- Power cables for weather stations
- Power cables for rain and wind sensors (e.g., for external blinds or garden irrigation)
- Power cables for garden irrigation
- Power cables for garden house
- Power cables for awning control
- Solar cables
- Power cables for whirlpool bathtub
- Power cables for automatic toilets
- Power cables for infrared heating in the bathroom
- Preparation for electric vehicle charging station
- Power cables for toilet odor extraction
I hope this information helps you with your planning.
@pagoni2020
I have one access point installed on the ceiling of the upper floor, which provides excellent coverage. Even on the ground floor, the signal is better than the FritzBox located in the utility room on the ground floor. Well, it’s not a large house.
In the utility room, there is a small network cabinet with a switch, where the five double CAT cables converge, plus the connection from the access point. That’s it.
I have one access point installed on the ceiling of the upper floor, which provides excellent coverage. Even on the ground floor, the signal is better than the FritzBox located in the utility room on the ground floor. Well, it’s not a large house.
In the utility room, there is a small network cabinet with a switch, where the five double CAT cables converge, plus the connection from the access point. That’s it.
OK,
There are some great tips here, some I had never heard of, although some others seem a bit unnecessary.
I have a rough idea of your planned house in mind, so here are a few concise suggestions:
In the utility room, having 6 power outlets can be very useful. You charge batteries here and might have a second refrigerator; for us, all 4 outlets are in use. It’s best if they are installed at workbench height near a shelf. In the kitchen, you don’t have space to leave all your freestanding appliances plugged in, so many outlets will be taken up by built-in appliances anyway. Then have two outlets on each side of the stove and one in the corner for the coffee machine.
Living room: for the TV, a power strip is often enough. On both sides of the sofa, at least one, preferably two outlets are good for charging phones, floor lamps, sewing machines, or other electrical devices. In the dining area, many like having two wall lights above a sideboard, so that requires wall wiring.
The outlets planned under the light switches in every room — I would move those to a different location. They are mainly for vacuum cleaners and can be placed in the hallway.
I was told it’s best to distribute outlets in all corners of the rooms. Later, you can easily upgrade to double outlets yourself.
One outdoor cable is enough for the garden and garage; you can add on later if needed.
Are outdoor lights at the front and on the terrace included? An outlet on the terrace would be very useful.
In the bedroom, we like a two-way switch between the door and a socket behind the bed for small reading lamps on both sides—basically a nightlight to help fall asleep.
Oh, and every room should have LAN wired in nowadays.
Whether you need double wall plates, color-changing step lights on every stair, LED strips everywhere, triple outlets every meter, five individually controllable outdoor lights on different roof sides, or four outlets every kitchen work meter — these features are rare and should be carefully considered if you want to avoid wasting money.
P.S. If you plan to get a cordless vacuum or a robot vacuum cleaner, remember to consider outlets at floor level as well.
There are some great tips here, some I had never heard of, although some others seem a bit unnecessary.
I have a rough idea of your planned house in mind, so here are a few concise suggestions:
In the utility room, having 6 power outlets can be very useful. You charge batteries here and might have a second refrigerator; for us, all 4 outlets are in use. It’s best if they are installed at workbench height near a shelf. In the kitchen, you don’t have space to leave all your freestanding appliances plugged in, so many outlets will be taken up by built-in appliances anyway. Then have two outlets on each side of the stove and one in the corner for the coffee machine.
Living room: for the TV, a power strip is often enough. On both sides of the sofa, at least one, preferably two outlets are good for charging phones, floor lamps, sewing machines, or other electrical devices. In the dining area, many like having two wall lights above a sideboard, so that requires wall wiring.
The outlets planned under the light switches in every room — I would move those to a different location. They are mainly for vacuum cleaners and can be placed in the hallway.
I was told it’s best to distribute outlets in all corners of the rooms. Later, you can easily upgrade to double outlets yourself.
One outdoor cable is enough for the garden and garage; you can add on later if needed.
Are outdoor lights at the front and on the terrace included? An outlet on the terrace would be very useful.
In the bedroom, we like a two-way switch between the door and a socket behind the bed for small reading lamps on both sides—basically a nightlight to help fall asleep.
Oh, and every room should have LAN wired in nowadays.
Whether you need double wall plates, color-changing step lights on every stair, LED strips everywhere, triple outlets every meter, five individually controllable outdoor lights on different roof sides, or four outlets every kitchen work meter — these features are rare and should be carefully considered if you want to avoid wasting money.
P.S. If you plan to get a cordless vacuum or a robot vacuum cleaner, remember to consider outlets at floor level as well.
untergasse4330 Sep 2020 09:08Andre77 schrieb:
@pagoni2020
I have one access point installed on the ceiling of the upper floor, and it covers everything really well. Even on the ground floor, the signal is better than the FritzBox router located in the utility room on that floor. Well, it’s not a large house though.
In the utility room, there is a small network cabinet with a switch, where the five double CAT sockets converge, plus the line from the access point. That’s it.You got lucky and saved money. Unfortunately, this is a single opinion/experience and neither representative nor applicable to other houses. Whether one access point on the upper floor is enough to cover the entire house depends on many factors.By the way, CAT cables can be used for much more than just networking. They can also transmit audio and video signals, which is convenient if you are interested in multiroom audio and/or multiroom video setups. It’s quite nice to avoid piles of electronics in the living room and use that space for other purposes.
P
pagoni202030 Sep 2020 09:34untergasse43 schrieb:
Got lucky, saved money. Unfortunately, this is a single opinion/experience and is neither representative nor applicable to other houses. Whether one access point on the upper floor is enough for the whole house depends on many factors.
By the way, Cat cables can be used for much more than just networking. You can also transmit audio and video through them if you want to deal with multiroom audio and/or multiroom video systems. It’s quite convenient when you don’t have piles of electronics in the living room and can use the space differently.
I aim for a similar basic solution that is absolutely sufficient for us because I know our needs and user behavior. We do not use cameras, motion detectors, or complex audio/TV setups; it will be more or less a "copy" of what we currently have. Music is streamed via Wi-Fi speakers, and TV is set up in fixed locations. Still, it’s interesting to read how others would do things differently and why.
I think @Andre77 also meant that as a single opinion in response to my specific question, just as most other opinions are usually personal viewpoints.
For my needs, this opinion is helpful.
What you describe afterward, as well as others’ views, allows me to decide if that approach might be suitable.
Of course, every homeowner must evaluate everything based on their individual situation regarding benefits and technical functionality.
S
Stefan00113 Oct 2020 07:41Regarding Wi-Fi and Ethernet (CAT), it is worth mentioning that Wi-Fi currently works very well. This might change in the future if two more children are added and four 4K streams are running simultaneously (not to mention 8K streams). Most likely, Wi-Fi performance will improve as demand increases, but whether to take that risk is a decision each person must make for themselves.
Therefore, I would not recommend Ethernet everywhere as a must, but where a fixed connection is clearly foreseeable, I would also use it: home office, TV area, children’s rooms. This way, you can accommodate the high-demand devices without the costs immediately escalating.
Therefore, I would not recommend Ethernet everywhere as a must, but where a fixed connection is clearly foreseeable, I would also use it: home office, TV area, children’s rooms. This way, you can accommodate the high-demand devices without the costs immediately escalating.
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