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From: Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid>
Newsgroups: sci.electronics.design
Subject: Re: British (european?) kitchen counter electric outlets
Date: Sun, 9 Jun 2024 10:33:15 -0700
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On 6/9/2024 9:11 AM, Martin Brown wrote:
> On 08/06/2024 23:53, Don Y wrote:
>> In the US, we are required (new construction) to have two dedicated 20A
>> (2400W) circuits to service countertop "small appliances".  In addition,
>> there is also a requirement for a relatively tight spacing between
>> (duplex) receptacles -- the intent to keep cords short (IIRC, < 4ft...
>> we settled on 3').
>>
>> SWMBO was watching a britcom and commented at how few receptacles/outlets
>> were in evidence to serve the countertop.  Granted, each outlet is rated a
>> fair bit higher than US (each US outlet being 2400W -- the full load rating
>> of the branch circuit supporting it).  But, still, how do you address
>> NUMBERS of appliances in use, concurrently -- where each appliance will
>> likely draw only a fraction of the rated branch circuit's current so
>> total load isn't an issue?
> 
> That may be a side effect of stage sets not reflecting real life.

Possibly.  Yet one would think the set designer would likely imagine
a real kitchen ("Gee, where am I going to put the oven?") in designing
the set.  Overall *size* would seem to be the more variable issue.
Growing up, our kitchen was exactly as large as our living room (which
was considerably larger than any other room in the house).  The
(converted apartment house) that served as my dormitory in college
had a kitchen that had just enough room for a single occupant
alongside sink, stove, refrigerator.

> Historically you would have to go back to the 1960's or earlier to have as few 
> as two mains sockets in a UK kitchen. My kitchen has 4x2 outlets above the 
> bench and about 6 under it for fridge/freezer/washer/oven etc.

There are 14 outlets (7x2) in our small (150 sq ft) food prep area (we *eat*
in another area).  This doesn't count the outlets (or branch circuits)
used for the oven/stove, refrigerator, dishwasher or garbage disposal.
Or, any outlets on the "unproductive" wall that bears no counters.

> There certainly was a time when kitchens typically had only one high power 
> socket outlet on the (hard wired in) main cooker switch. But we are talking of 
> an era before rectangular plugs back when they were round pin. BS546 round pin 
> was the more recent and before that Wylex which was -o- a regional abberration 
> in the region where I grew up.
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC_power_plugs_and_sockets:_British_and_related_types
> 
>> E.g., we (presently) have a ~1KW microwave oven and a ~1KW toaster as
>> ever-present loads.  To that, it is not uncommon to add an electric
>> wok, hand or stand mixer, pizzelle iron, etc.  The abundance of
>> outlets makes it easy to add appliances as well as providing flexibility
>> over where they can be put into use.
> 
> That is no different in most of the UK. Sitcom sets don't always represent real 
> life. That said you can find older UK kitchens with too few mains sockets. New 
> build has to have a certain number. Those in regions prone to flooding also 
> have to have them above a certain height.
> (historically most were on the skirting board)

AFAICT, the minimum, here, would be two *circuits*.  As each would terminate
in a duplex receptacle, I'm guessing that would translate to 4 outlets.
The actual number would be determined by (roughly) the distance along
the wall behind the countertops -- a duplex receptacle for each 4 ft of
linear span (so, a corner could have two sets of outlets each 2 ft from
the corner of the wall)

> It has become more of a problem now that everyone has an iToy that needs 
> charging on a daily basis. Trivial loads but many sockets needed.

This -- hence my reference to "number of outlets" and not "power available".

I use at least two outlets any time I bake anything and as many as 6 when
I'm "entertaining" (not counting the stovetop!).  Note that most of those
loads can be small -- or intermittent -- but need to be powered constantly,
nonetheless.

The countertops have network drops available if someone wanted to
deploy a TV or laptop, there -- which would eat still more outlets.

Most of the places that I've lived, the kitchen is the social center of
the home so there's often a lot happening, there.

[We keep all of our rechargeables on a small table in the living room
where they are more easily accessed.  They will soon be moved to an
antique radio that I'm refinishing to house our media tank (I don't
like SEEING technology products in a home)]