A while back, I put in a bunch of safety outlet plates into my home in the interest of baby-proofing, and got to thinking – why on Earth are outlets generally installed less than two inches off the ground? Beyond the baby electrocution issue, you have to bend over to plug in and unplug everything, and aside from floor lamps, I can’t think of anything that benefits from the toe-high location.
Given the opportunity to build or renovate my own home in the future, I’m going to install all of the electrical outlets 1/3 of the way up the wall (standard chair rail height, usually 32-40 inches above the floor), unless someone can give me a reason not to.
Benefits:
- no baby zapping, and it will keep most cords out of toddlers’ reach
- no bending over to plug in and unplug; great for people with limited mobility
- no need for extra long cords when using appliances or charging phones atop a table
- reduce need to move couches or climb under tables to access the outlets behind
- no ugly cords dangling below a wall-mounted television
- extra/open outlets could be used for lighting with a simple plug-in sconce
- with plugs easier to reach, people are less likely to yank the cord, reducing wear
Problems:
- Floor lamps would look funny with dangling cords
- Â Really short people might resent me
That’s really all I can come up with. Â Am I missing a good reason to continue putting outlets on the floor? Is it just the risk that people would leave electronics dangling by the cord?
I wonder if it’s the interior walls and how everything is structured inside. But I also don’t see a problem with this. Maybe aestheticly it’ll look weird being higher up but at the shop, it helps to have outlets that are mid person height to easily plug in our many appliances.
I should also consider this when (if) designing my future home