Outside socket at a funny old height.

[La Poste]

Greetings all.

My next door neighbour has asked me to put a socket outside his garage but at a very funny height.
It will be used at Christmas to plug outside flashing and dancing lights and decorations into.
I think he wants to light up the whole of the front of his garage.
The thing is he wants it at a height of about 2 metres.
This threw me, I am aware of regulation heights for switches and sockets inside but does this extend to outside sockets as well?
I've never been asked this one before and I wonder what your thought are.

Thanks alot.

 

[Marvo]

I don't know the UK regs but I sympathise with him immediately. I have a socket just under the eves of my house for exactly the same purpose. Maybe you can use a dedicated socket with an angled earth pin if the regs forbid it with a normal one.

 

[sparkinlee]

Surely the regs only apply to general purpose socket outlets, in practice if not in wording? After all, sockets behind kitchen extract fans hardly meet the height regulations (I know, that would have an accessible switch or FCU as well, but you get my drift).

The purpose of the regulations, as I understand them, is to make the sockets accessible for those with limited mobility... seems to me that if someone is mobile enough to be stringing up lights across the front of their house and garage, they are mobile enough to use a socket 2m from the ground.

 

[La Poste]

Thanks.

I suppose if they are immobile I could always install a disabled chair lift to get to it.

I might tell him he needs one installed just to comply with the regs.

 

[telectrix]

the height of sockets and switches, as specified in the building regs, and the osg. applies only to new build internal sockets/switches. your client can have the soclet installed on the chimneyt if he wants, as long as it comlies with BS7671

 

[La Poste]

On the Chimney now that's a thought.

 

[Knobhead]

Damn you Tel, as I was reading the thread I thought about the chimney but you were there before me!