In the conditions of the modern accelerated pace of life, such concepts as “practicality”, “convenience” and “comfort” take on decisive importance for the quality organization of any workplace in a residential or office space.
Many manufacturers of kitchen and office furniture, adopting the latest technical developments and enlisting the support of designers, offer their customers more and more options for the ergonomic and most efficient use of available space. An example is the sockets built into the countertop, which were invented to increase the working area and optimize the location of electrical appliances in the room.
The principles of placing outlets in the kitchen
Switches and sockets, as the only sources of electric current, are an integral element of the kitchen. The location of some of them (for connecting a stove, refrigerator, TV) is planned in advance and is taken into account when carrying out repairs or at the stage of developing a design project for kitchen furniture. There are no uniform standards, but experts recommend placing them at a height of up to half a meter from the floor.
There are frequent cases in which it becomes necessary to rearrange or connect additional electrical appliances. Until recently, the most common way to solve these problems was to use extension cords and splitters with an inevitable increase in the number of wires and connections.
The order of work and the specifics of the built-in blocks
A feature of the innovation is that the block of electrical outlets represents
a plastic or metal case with built-in sockets, switches and various connectors, equipped with a fuse and
located under the countertop, on the floor or inside the wall cabinets.
If necessary, it can be easily extended by pressing a lever, button or using a remote control, allowing you to use an unlimited number of electrical appliances in various places in the kitchen, as well as easily change their arrangement.
In addition, the sockets built into the countertop have an aesthetic and modern appearance, which is especially true for high-tech kitchens.
Key Benefits of Hidden Connectors
Among the advantages of built-in units and individual outlets are:
- A significant increase in the safety level of the kitchen due to the fact that the wires are neatly hidden and there is no risk of mechanical damage.
- Correct placement of the blocks prevents moisture from entering the built-in sockets in the kitchen countertop.
- Inaccessibility or inaccessibility for children.
- The increase in the useful area of the countertops.
- Some models allow you to connect several devices in parallel, including those that require a USB or HDMI format connector.
An undeniable advantage is also considered a stylish and unique design, which have built-in switches and sockets.
The ability to hide a block of electrical outlets under the kitchen worktop, leaving only a flat lid on its surface, is relevant for small kitchens, and is also indispensable for conveniently placing a large number of different utensils or products.
However, experts do not recommend exposing these sections of the table to too high loads. For example, you should not put wet vegetables or fruits on them, as well as cut anything.
Types of built-in sockets and their characteristics
The range of built-in power outlet blocks is represented by products from such advanced countries as:
- Germany (Evoline). It offers several types of devices with which sockets are installed that are built into the countertop or floor. Among them are classic open sockets, vertical, horizontal blocks of cylindrical and rectangular shapes.
- Sweden (Kondator). Makes built-in sockets open or pull-out type. Blocks can be equipped with connectors for various purposes, both primary and secondary.
- Italy (Simon). Focuses on the production of built-in power outlet units for the office. Their functionality is due to a large number of different connectors.
Among manufacturers of embedded devices, it is also worth mentioning China, but these products are significantly inferior to European counterparts in many respects.
The process of installing hidden sockets
Installation of the built-in block of electrical outlets implies a violation of the integrity of the countertop, cutting out the holes of the required shape and fixing the device using special fasteners. Wires hide inside cabinets, tables, baseboards or wall ducts.
The best option is considered to be the design of the placement of built-in sockets along with the development of the configuration of kitchen furniture, but it is possible to install such devices in the finished kitchen.
In any case, the sockets built into the countertop should be located taking into account the specifics of the equipment used, then their use will be as rational and justified as possible.