Electrical Outlet Height From Floor

If you haven t installed the flooring yet be sure to add the thickness to the height measurement.

Electrical outlet height from floor. A 20 amp receptacle is designed to accept the special plug on heavier use appliances and if such an appliance plugs into a 15 amp circuit there is a danger of drawing too much power and. A common height for a wall outlet is between 12 to 18 inches aff above finish floor. The national electric code doesn t establish a minimum standard outlet height in the basement or in any other part of the house but the rule of thumb followed by most electricians is to place the outlets 16 to 18 inches above the floor. If you are setting box heights prior to the installation of the subfloor floor covering or any underlayment be sure to account for this expected height difference.

The standard height for wall outlet boxes is about 12 inches from the top of the floor covering to the bottom of the receptacle box or 16 inches to the top of the box. In the garage electrical outlets should be 18 or more above floor level. For switches and 12 in. In rare instances outlets are still installed in baseboards and in the floor with proper box covers.

The national electrical code nec doesn t say much about the proper height of an electrical outlet above the kitchen floor or any floor for that matter. There is no danger to installing 15 amp outlet receptacles on a 20 amp circuit in fact this is the standard practice but under no circumstances should a 20 amp receptacle be installed on a 15 amp circuit. Use letters and symbols to identify boxes. Electrical code citation for electrical outlet height in garages jan 6 2015 kevin o hornett said.

Add 2x4 blocks to position boxes away from wide window and door trim. The average height for outlets is 12 inches from the floor to the center of the outlet box. The distance is measured from the middle of the electrical box to the floor so if you re using a standard 4 inch box its top can be 17 or 50 inches above the finished floor. For outlets or line them up with existing boxes to determine electrical outlet height.

Mark the height from the floor to the center of the boxes usually 48 in.