Just like any other electrical outlet, a floor outlet is used to ensure easy access to the electrical current. A floor outlet can have many benefits for the home, from practicality to appearance. A floor outlet can be installed anywhere on the ground, depending on your needs, and provides a power source to areas where devices are far from regular outlets. If you are interested in exploring this as an option for your home, contact us, the best Clearwater home electricians, for a quote.
What Is A Floor Outlet?
A floor outlet is also known as a poke-through or a drop-in, and it has an incorporated mounting plate located on the surface level of a room. Similarly, the outlet receptacle is at floor level or just below the surface – in which case, there is yet another plate covering the socket when it is off.
Most of the floor outlets have different covers –screw-in or flip – that protect the receptacles when they’re not in use. Some floor installation sets have all the necessary equipment included, but others only have the surface cover plate, and the outlets and electrical floor box need to be purchased separately.
Is a Floor Outlet Safe?
Floor outlets can be so useful when it comes to powering devices such as lamps, TVs, audio sets, and kitchen appliances, but they can also be risky when they are not covered. Electrical floor outlets must be covered properly when they’re not in use, otherwise, they could cause several issues or deteriorate. If you already have a floor outlet installed or want one in the future, look at the following tips to make sure your household is kept safe:
Always Use The Manufacturer’s Original Outlet Cover
In most cases, floor and wall outlets come with a safety cover for when they’re not in use. These covers keep outlets clean, preventing dirt from clogging the sockets, as well as keeping people from touching or tripping over the electrical contacts. To avoid any issues, read the manufacturer’s instructions manual before any electrical project.
Use A Rubber Mat To Cover Floor Outlets
Using a rubber mat over a floor outlet is also a good way of protecting it. Additionally, rubber is not a great power conductor, so it can prevent electrocution in case the outlet malfunctions. Rubber mats are also slip-proof and can eliminate the risk of someone sliding and uncovering the outlet. However, if the sockets are above the floor level, rubber mats should be brightly colored to draw attention to them and keep people from tripping over them.
Leave Some Room Above The Floor Outlet
If you are thinking about putting furniture above floor outlets, check that there is a distance of at least three inches between them. No matter what kind of furniture you want to cover an outlet, it should never touch the opening of the outlet. The reason why is because it could lead to some debris falling into the outlet or it can overheat the sockets, resulting in short circuits, electrical fires, etc.
Places Where It’s a Good Idea To Use Floor Outlets
Living Room
The living room is where most people spend their time at home. They entertain guests and celebrate important events. Therefore, it is a must to have plenty of outlets available, on every wall and every corner of the room. Open spaces can be a challenge though, considering there aren’t many walls.
It is a good idea to use floor outlets to meet all electrical needs in open spaces since they can power several devices – TV sets, sound systems, and lighting fixtures. If you consider the holidays, having an extra outlet will be very helpful when it comes to lighting up Christmas lights, etc.
Home Office
Planning a home office’s electrical layout can be a bit difficult. A good choice is to place outlets on the walls that are dedicated to lighting that can be covered by a desk. However, if you want to be creative, you can place floor outlets and supply easy power to lamps, chargers, and computers.
More importantly, assess your power needs. For some jobs, you may not need many outlets, but some special devices like spotlights, heavy tools, or cameras demand more power and need more outlets.
Bedrooms
Bedrooms tend to have big pieces of furniture that cover walls, like a bed, dressers, nightstands, etc. You need to design your electrical grid according to your furniture setup, but also for the room’s specific needs – reading lights, charging devices, and grooming appliances. For a better idea, you can use this guide to know how much power your appliances need.
Floor outlets are designed to provide easy access to electrical power, just like any other plug. The main difference is that they can be installed anywhere on the floor, depending on the need of the space, and can power devices that have to be further from traditional sockets.
In conclusion, floor outlets are a great idea because of their versatility. They call come with a special design depending on the type of flooring – concrete, tile, or wood – and different boxes – some can pop up when the outlet is used and go back down when it’s done.
Related post: Are Sparking Outlets Dangerous?
Installing Floor Outlets in Clearwater, Florida
The electrical upgrade can improve your home’s value and appearance dramatically. You will be shocked at the difference the right electrical upgrade will do for your home. Looking to install floor outlets? Contact East-West Electric, the best home electrician in Clearwater, FL. We have good working knowledge and the experience needed for this. Call us right away at (727) 771-9403.