Looking for a pop up plugboard for kitchen bench...

Forums › Home Workshop DIY › Looking for a pop up plugboard for kitchen bench...

Talkiet

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#215551 2-Jul-2017 16:49

And not having much luck finding something locally. For this particular item I'd prefer to buy locally (and NOT from AliExpress for example) but here's an example of the sort of thing I am after.

Anyone got local supplier or product suggestions?

Cheers - N

Please note all comments are from my own brain and don't necessarily represent the position or opinions of my employer, previous employers, colleagues, friends or pets.

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#1810509 2-Jul-2017 17:05

https://www.electricaldirectltd.co.nz/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=1035

They're certainly available - but oh - that price!

A friend of mine has one, with cutout in stone benchtop it's kind of an irreversible thing. He does not like or recommend it, it's in a position with no other convenient sockets available, so appliances which most people leave plugged in (toaster, electric kettle) either need to be unplugged to lower the "power tower", or if not, then the tower has to be up all the time - which kind of defeats the purpose and worse - this thing is always in the way on the bench. It would have been better to get some standard sockets fitted on the wall at the back of the bench. For other uses (desktop etc) I expect they might be great, but for kitchens they might seem to be a great idea, but turn out to be an expensive nuisance, so think carefully before about where it's going to be and what's going to be plugged in to it before committing.

Talkiet

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#1810511 2-Jul-2017 17:15

Fred99:

https://www.electricaldirectltd.co.nz/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=1035

They're certainly available - but oh - that price!

A friend of mine has one, with cutout in stone benchtop it's kind of an irreversible thing. He does not like or recommend it, it's in a position with no other convenient sockets available, so appliances which most people leave plugged in (toaster, electric kettle) either need to be unplugged to lower the "power tower", or if not, then the tower has to be up all the time - which kind of defeats the purpose and worse - this thing is always in the way on the bench. It would have been better to get some standard sockets fitted on the wall at the back of the bench. For other uses (desktop etc) I expect they might be great, but for kitchens they might seem to be a great idea, but turn out to be an expensive nuisance, so think carefully before about where it's going to be and what's going to be plugged in to it before committing.

Thanks for the thoughts... It is something in my house build that I removed from scope for the builder so I could have more time to think about it... It is for a kitchen island and the only other place for power points is on the side of the island which isn't good either. I have had the electrician put a double power point inside the cupboard so I could make a choice on it later...

I definitely want power on the centre island so I am thinking of having it where the green dot is on this...

Cheers - N

ps. Sheit - yeah I'm not paying $430 for a multiboard!

Please note all comments are from my own brain and don't necessarily represent the position or opinions of my employer, previous employers, colleagues, friends or pets.

richms

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#1810518 2-Jul-2017 17:27

$70 or so arlec at bunnings pops in a 60mm hole.

https://www.bunnings.co.nz/arlec-4-outlet-pop-up-powerboard_p04331811

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Talkiet

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#1810524 2-Jul-2017 17:32

richms:

$70 or so arlec at bunnings pops in a 60mm hole.

https://www.bunnings.co.nz/arlec-4-outlet-pop-up-powerboard_p04331811

How did I miss that? Thanks, that'll do fine to start with!

Cheers- N

Please note all comments are from my own brain and don't necessarily represent the position or opinions of my employer, previous employers, colleagues, friends or pets.

Fred99

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#1810538 2-Jul-2017 17:53

That's more sensible pricing.

There's another type as well:

https://www.pdl.co.nz/Home-Owner/Products/Products/Powerpoints-Switches/Pop-up-Power-Outlets

They might be a bit less cumbersome than the tall tower types.

tdgeek

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#1810565 2-Jul-2017 18:31

Talkiet:

Fred99:

https://www.electricaldirectltd.co.nz/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=1035

They're certainly available - but oh - that price!

A friend of mine has one, with cutout in stone benchtop it's kind of an irreversible thing. He does not like or recommend it, it's in a position with no other convenient sockets available, so appliances which most people leave plugged in (toaster, electric kettle) either need to be unplugged to lower the "power tower", or if not, then the tower has to be up all the time - which kind of defeats the purpose and worse - this thing is always in the way on the bench. It would have been better to get some standard sockets fitted on the wall at the back of the bench. For other uses (desktop etc) I expect they might be great, but for kitchens they might seem to be a great idea, but turn out to be an expensive nuisance, so think carefully before about where it's going to be and what's going to be plugged in to it before committing.

Thanks for the thoughts... It is something in my house build that I removed from scope for the builder so I could have more time to think about it... It is for a kitchen island and the only other place for power points is on the side of the island which isn't good either. I have had the electrician put a double power point inside the cupboard so I could make a choice on it later...

I definitely want power on the centre island so I am thinking of having it where the green dot is on this...

Cheers - N

ps. Sheit - yeah I'm not paying $430 for a multiboard!

I'd side with Fred. Our island has outlets on the side. If you have appliances, the cords dangle to the side. If you had this cool, but maybe not so cool, you still have cords dangling on an exposed tower. While when use is over, retract it, but with ours its the same, except no hole. I thought its a nice idea, but Im wondering the other way now. If liquid dribbles into it, or moisture resides in it?

richms

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#1810631 2-Jul-2017 22:30

I knocked an 80mm cable gland thru into the cupboard below in the drink making area. Cords go down the hole, Powerstrip in the cupboard. Knocked that bench out as part of renevation but will do the same thing again on the new one.

Ideally everything would work like cordless kettles and I could just have the cable exit straigght down and bolt the bases in place, but I think that level of standardization will never happen. Things like the nespresso, its frother, the kettle base are ideal for that.

The toasted sandwich maker, george foreman, and other cooking appliances are less so.

Richard rich.ms

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richms

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#1810632 2-Jul-2017 22:32

Talkiet:

How did I miss that? Thanks, that'll do fine to start with!

Cheers- N

Its a 60mm hole, and the geniuses at bunnings do not sell a 60mm holesaw so you might need to get the kitchen guys to make the hole or else do what I did and order an aliexpress holesaw for a fraction of the price of anything you could find locally.

Richard rich.ms

richms

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#1810633 2-Jul-2017 22:33

Fred99:

That's more sensible pricing.

There's another type as well:

https://www.pdl.co.nz/Home-Owner/Products/Products/Powerpoints-Switches/Pop-up-Power-Outlets

They might be a bit less cumbersome than the tall tower types.

Im not sure if its that one, but i did see a 2 outlet similar popup one that used the old lame exemption of only 2 outlets to not have any overload cutout on it. Same thing that lets deathtrap double adapters still get sold.

A kitchen is the last place I would want that since most appliances are 10A give or take, so the cable from one that has no overload on it could take a massive overload and have no protection at all.

Richard rich.ms

mdf

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#1810635 2-Jul-2017 22:41

richms:

Talkiet:

How did I miss that? Thanks, that'll do fine to start with!

Cheers- N

Its a 60mm hole, and the geniuses at bunnings do not sell a 60mm holesaw so you might need to get the kitchen guys to make the hole or else do what I did and order an aliexpress holesaw for a fraction of the price of anything you could find locally.

OMG yes this! In the hardware section buying grommets. Only metric sizes, not imperial. Wander over to tool section to buy accompanying hole saw. No metric sizes, only imperial. Some to-ing and fro-ing. Then leaving, accompanied by dire mutterings.

Had a word with one of the guys I know well from my many games of hunt-the-right-sized-bolt. He thought it was idiotic too and did manage to get some stocked at my local (Lyall Bay), though it is the pro set where the saws are cheap enough but then you have to shell out another $50 for the arbor. Went with amazon for that purchase.

mattwnz

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#1810639 2-Jul-2017 23:30

This is where disconnected kitchen islands can be a PITA. Outlets on teh side are one solution. but not great for long term use due to cords hanging down, espeically where you have children running around, where they can catch them. But none of the island electrical solutions really suit anything plugged in all the time, like a jug. I usually like to have a wall on one end of the island, or an upstand, that allows sockets to go above the bench top, allowing things to be plugged in all the time.

richms

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#1810641 2-Jul-2017 23:44

mdf:

OMG yes this! In the hardware section buying grommets. Only metric sizes, not imperial. Wander over to tool section to buy accompanying hole saw. No metric sizes, only imperial. Some to-ing and fro-ing. Then leaving, accompanied by dire mutterings.

Had a word with one of the guys I know well from my many games of hunt-the-right-sized-bolt. He thought it was idiotic too and did manage to get some stocked at my local (Lyall Bay), though it is the pro set where the saws are cheap enough but then you have to shell out another $50 for the arbor. Went with amazon for that purchase.

The grommets are crazy prices too, all that overpriced hafeele stuff. I got all my grommets off aliex for about $3 for 10 of the things. Not $12 each.

Richard rich.ms

MikeAqua

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#1810744 3-Jul-2017 10:11

I put a couple of the PDL ones (or a similar predecessor product) in our old house in Blenheim.

Very happy with them.

Mike

MikeAqua

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#1810747 3-Jul-2017 10:15

richms:

A kitchen is the last place I would want that since most appliances are 10A give or take, so the cable from one that has no overload on it could take a massive overload and have no protection at all.

Is that any worse than a 2 outlet wall plate?

Mike

richms

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#1810750 3-Jul-2017 10:17

MikeAqua:

richms:

A kitchen is the last place I would want that since most appliances are 10A give or take, so the cable from one that has no overload on it could take a massive overload and have no protection at all.

Is that any worse than a 2 outlet wall plate?

Yes, because the 2 outlet wall plate will let you take 10A per side with no problems if it is on a 20A circuit.

Richard rich.ms

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