Sockets built into the counter: a new level of comfort and safety in the kitchen

In the conditions of the modern accelerated pace of life, such concepts as "practicality", "convenience" and "coziness", are of decisive importance for the qualitative organization of any workplace in a residential or office space.

Many manufacturers of kitchen and office furniture, having adopted the latest technical developments and enlisting the support of designers, offer their clients more and more options for ergonomic and maximum efficient use of available space. An example is the socket, 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 placement of sockets in the kitchen

Switches and sockets, as the only sources of electric current, are an integral part of the kitchen. The location of some of them (for connecting a stove, refrigerator, TV) is planned in advance and 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 often cases in which there is a need to rearrange or connect additional electrical appliances. The most common way to solve these issues until recently was the use of extension cords and splitters with the inevitable increase in the number of wires and connections.

The order of operation and specificity of the built-in units

A feature of the innovation is that the electric socket block represents
A plastic or metal case with integrated outlets, switches and various connectors, equipped with a fuse and
Located under the countertop, on the floor or inside the hanging cabinets.

If necessary, it is easily pulled out by pressing the lever, button or by remote control, allowing you to use an unlimited number of electrical appliances in various places of the kitchen, and easily change their arrangement.

In addition, the sockets built into the countertop have an aesthetic and modern appearance, which is especially true for kitchens in the style of "high-tech".

The main advantages of hidden connectors

Among the advantages of built-in units and individual outlets, you can name:

• A significant increase in the level of kitchen safety due to the fact that the wires are neatly hidden and there is no risk of their mechanical damage.
• Correct placement of the blocks prevents moisture from entering the built-in sockets in the kitchen countertop.
• Inaccessibility or inaccessibility for children.
• Increase in the useful area of the countertop.
• Some models allow you to connect several devices in parallel, including those that need a USB or HDMI connector.

An undeniable advantage is also to consider a stylish and unique design that has built-in switches and sockets.

The possibility to hide the block of electrical outlets under the kitchen countertop, leaving only a flat cover on its surface, is relevant for small kitchens, and also indispensable for convenient placement of a large number of different items of dishes or products. However, experts do not recommend exposing these sections of the table to very high loads. For example, do not put wet vegetables or fruits on them, or cut anything.

Kinds of built-in sockets and their characteristics

The lineup of built-in blocks of electrical outlets is represented by products of such advanced countries as:

• Germany (Evoline). Offers several types of devices, with which to mount sockets, built-in countertops or in the floor. Among them are classic open sockets, vertical, horizontal blocks of cylindrical and rectangular shape.
• Sweden (Kondator). It produces built-in sockets of open or sliding type. Blocks can be equipped with connectors for various purposes, both basic and auxiliary.
• Italy (Simon). Focuses on the production of built-in blocks of electrical outlets for the office. Their functionality is due to a large number of different connectors.

Among the manufacturers of embedded devices, China is also worth mentioning, but this product is much inferior to European analogues in many respects.

The process of installing hidden outlets

Installation of the built-in block of electrical outlets implies a violation of the integrity of the countertop, sawing the hole of the desired shape and fixing the device with a special fastener. Wires are hidden inside cabinets, tables, skirting boards or wall boxes.

Optimum option is considered to design the placement of built-in sockets together 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 application will be maximally rational and justified.