# Why do electrical outlets have to be near the floor? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 3, 2003, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-electrical-outlets-have-to-be-near-the-floor/211219 "2003-11-03T21:38:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jpeg\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@Jpeg\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jpeg_Jones)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-electrical-outlets-have-to-be-near-the-floor/211219/1 "2003-11-03T21:38:44Z")
As the father of a nine-month-old, I’m dealing with baby-proofing in a big way. You wouldn’t believe some of the elaborate measures I have to take to keep his little fingers out of the sockets. So, why do electrical outlets always _have_ to be down near the floor? The only thing I can think of is aesthetics. I would much rather have them higher up, though, like near where the light switches are. Okay, well not right next to them where you might be prone to accidentally jab your own fingers in, but at least higher up, out of reach of your standard toddler. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-electrical-outlets-have-to-be-near-the-floor/211219/2 "2003-11-03T21:46:11Z")
I have some friends who live in an area sometimes flooded by the Mississippi River. The electrical outlets on their ground floor are 4’ off the floor level. This reduces problems when there is 2’ of water in the house. Probably doesn’t meet code, but it’s a rural area and they say many folks have a similar setup. ---
**Author:** ![aerodave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f08c70/32.png) [@aerodave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aerodave)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-electrical-outlets-have-to-be-near-the-floor/211219/3 "2003-11-03T21:54:11Z")
Babyproofing…heh. I grew up with no such consideration from my parents. It only took a couple of times with a butter knife in the outlet to teach me to keep my hands off. Kids have it too easy now. But that’s for a different thread. [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-electrical-outlets-have-to-be-near-the-floor/211219/4 "2003-11-03T21:56:54Z")
Um, because that’s where the _cords_ are likely to end up (probably due to gravity), trailing along the floor. So the outlets are placed in proximity to the presumed eventual position of the electrical cords. Alternatative: cords snaking up and down your walls, staplegunned around the perimeter, or strung like clotheslines across the middle of the room. ---
**Author:** ![Jpeg\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@Jpeg\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jpeg_Jones)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-electrical-outlets-have-to-be-near-the-floor/211219/5 "2003-11-03T22:13:20Z")
Respectfully, **lissener** , most appliances that I can think of really don’t need the cord near the floor. Lamps, computer equipment, TV, etc. All are well off the ground. Unless you’re the type of guy who likes his toasters at ankle level, I don’t buy your explanation. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-electrical-outlets-have-to-be-near-the-floor/211219/6 "2003-11-03T22:23:34Z")
When they are near the floor, they are hidden by the furniture. For instance, you can have the plug in back of your couch, and the end tables lamps can plug into it, and no one can see the wires. If that plug was at 3 or 4 feet, it would look horrible. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Griffin)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-electrical-outlets-have-to-be-near-the-floor/211219/7 "2003-11-03T22:28:17Z")
Vacuum cleaners need it at floor level, and since you’re gonna be vacuuming all over the house this is why most sockets are at floor level. Also it hides them from view better - eg if you’re TV was plugged in 4ft up the wall it would look kinda crap really wouldnt it. Not all plugs are at ground level though, the ones in our kitchen are at worktop level and we have some at medium level handy for the computer and it’s periferals. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-electrical-outlets-have-to-be-near-the-floor/211219/8 "2003-11-03T22:32:49Z")
OK, suppose you have a lamp sitting on a table in your living room, about 3 feet above your floor. Now suppose that the outlet it’s plugged into is also 3 feet above the floor. That means that the cord is also going to be three feet above the floor. Now suppose that the table isn’t right up against the wall, and ask yourself how long it’s going to take before someone walks into it, or stumbles against it, or drops something on it, and sends the lamp (and possibly person) crashing into the floor. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-electrical-outlets-have-to-be-near-the-floor/211219/9 "2003-11-03T22:45:59Z")
> [@](#): > > Vacuum cleaners need it at floor level, Huh? Why do they **need** outlets at floor level. It seems for things like V.C.'s it would be more convienent to have them a few feet up to save from bending. I wondered if this was against code myself. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Griffin)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-electrical-outlets-have-to-be-near-the-floor/211219/10 "2003-11-03T23:10:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kanicbird \* > \*\*Huh? Why do they **need** outlets at floor level. It seems for things like V.C.'s it would be more convienent to have them a few feet up to save from bending. > > \*\* It’s quite simple. If they were 4ft up the wall the cable would run through the air rather than along the floor and it would get in the way more. There’s no harm in bending down to plug something in, keeps you flexible and fit. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-electrical-outlets-have-to-be-near-the-floor/211219/11 "2003-11-03T23:10:05Z")
Code requirements are _minimum_ requirements. What is primarily desirous is uniformity. Many electricians use the height of a hammer as a marker for outlets. Outlets are kept low for the above stated reasons of aesthetics and convenience. I believe that **dial’s** response is way off base. 110v will kill you just as dead as 220v, and just as quickly. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Griffin)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-electrical-outlets-have-to-be-near-the-floor/211219/12 "2003-11-03T23:11:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Chefguy \* > \*\*Code requirements are _minimum_ requirements. What is primarily desirous is uniformity. Many electricians use the height of a hammer as a marker for outlets. > > Outlets are kept low for the above stated reasons of aesthetics and convenience. I believe that **dial’s** response is way off base. 110v will kill you just as dead as 220v, and just as quickly. \*\* It’s not the voltage that kills it’s the ampage. Electric fences in the countryside can be several thousand volts but the ampage is tiny. ---
**Author:** ![Phnord\_Prephect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/df705f/32.png) [@Phnord\_Prephect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phnord_Prephect)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-electrical-outlets-have-to-be-near-the-floor/211219/13 "2003-11-03T23:40:27Z")
Actually, it seems to me that, assuming one is able to reach, the CEILING is the most logical place for a vacuum-cleaner cord. Keeps it entirely out of the way, right? ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-electrical-outlets-have-to-be-near-the-floor/211219/14 "2003-11-03T23:55:36Z")
Where are your bathroom outlets? I’ve always had one at sink-level or higher, presumably to use for a razor. And my kitchens have all had at least one countertop-height outlet for the toaster etc. This suggests that placement does have something to do with where the cord will be. I just moved into an office that was built for a different purpose. All the outlets are at about 3 feet off the ground. It is a big freaking nuisance because this shortens the functional length of all my cords by 3 feet, necessitating extension cords, which of course all have to be approved and stamped. In additioon, on several walls there’s a radiator between the outlet and the floor so I can worry about melting/burning the cords. More argument for cords at floor level being more satisfactory. ---
**Author:** ![Jpeg\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@Jpeg\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jpeg_Jones)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2003, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-electrical-outlets-have-to-be-near-the-floor/211219/15 "2003-11-04T00:11:43Z")
> [@](#): > > …this shortens the functional length of all my cords by 3 feet… I’m sorry, I just don’t understand how. Do your power cords have some need to be flat on the floor? And besides, most outlets are already 1-2 feet off the ground. > [@](#): > > …there’s a radiator between the outlet and the floor so I can worry about melting/burning the cords. Well, that certainly sucks. But it’s probably the fault of whoever installed the radiator. ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2003, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-electrical-outlets-have-to-be-near-the-floor/211219/16 "2003-11-04T00:13:53Z")
IIRC, there are no code requirements for the height of electrical outlets, only that there has to be one every six feet on a wall. ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2003, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-electrical-outlets-have-to-be-near-the-floor/211219/17 "2003-11-04T00:27:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jpeg Jones \* > \*\*Unless you’re the type of guy who likes his toasters at ankle level, I don’t buy your explanation. \*\* Kitchens and bathrooms seem to be an exception, as do basements. In our new home, all of the basement outlets are about 4’ off the ground or even higher (in a light switch/outlet combination) presumably as a protection against possible basement flooding. This is not a code violation where I am; we just bought the house and specifically asked. We also have three waist-level outlets in the garage/workshop, presumably meant to be above a workbench, and two outlets in the ceiling, for fluorescent shop fixtures and the garage door opener. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2003, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-electrical-outlets-have-to-be-near-the-floor/211219/18 "2003-11-04T01:34:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Griffin \* > **It’s not the voltage that kills it’s the ampage.** Sorry, but this is incorrect. My car battery can source 500 amps if called upon to do so. Yet I can grab the terminals and not be harmed. Yes, it is true a certain amount of current must flow through your body for it to be considered “dangerous.” Anything above 10 mA is asking for trouble. But since I = V/R, you need a certain amount of voltage in order to achieve this dangerous level of current. Thus a 1000 V supply than can source 0 to 100 mA is far more dangerous than a 12 V supply than can source 0 to 500 A. > [@](#): > > \*\*Electric fences in the countryside can be several thousand volts but the ampage is tiny. \*\* It may be several thousands volts when you’re not touching it. But I can guarantee it is _not_ several thousands volts _while_ you’re touching it… ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2003, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-electrical-outlets-have-to-be-near-the-floor/211219/19 "2003-11-04T02:12:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jpeg Jones \* > \*\*I’m sorry, I just don’t understand how. . . . \*\* Sorry, Jones; we should have specified that this only applies to people who have paid their gravity bills. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2003, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-electrical-outlets-have-to-be-near-the-floor/211219/20 "2003-11-04T02:16:18Z")
> [@](#): > > Sorry, but this is incorrect. My car battery can source 500 amps if called upon to do so. Yet I can grab the terminals and not be harmed. I’ve heard that voltage in the range of 100 to 500 volts is the most deadly. don’t recall where. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-electrical-outlets-have-to-be-near-the-floor/211219.md?page=2)