A power point or switch can spark when a plug goes in or a switch moves. Near a cooktop it can also get hot or splashed, and near gas it can ignite a leak. AS/NZS 3000 keeps accessories out of set zones around these hazards. This page explains each zone.
Near the floor
A power point within 75 mm of a floor must take its plug out horizontally, unless it is a floor socket‑outlet made for that place (Cl 4.4.2.2(b)). There is no other general height in the standard. Heights above a bench or for access come from building codes and the client.
Near a cooktop
A cooktop, deep fryer, griddle or other open cooking surface needs its own switch (Cl 4.7.1). The switch goes near the appliance, where it can be seen and reached easily, and not on the appliance. The user must not have to reach across the cooking surface to use it. A note advises a switch within 2 m of the appliance.
No power point or switch may go in the prohibited location of Cl 4.7.3 and Figure 4.17:
- on any wall, cupboard or other surface within 150 mm of the edge of the cooking surface,
- from the top of the cooking surface up to a range hood or cupboard above it, or to 2.5 m above the floor, whichever is lower.
Near an outdoor gas cylinder
Gas from a cylinder of LP gas is heavier than air and pools low. Cl 4.18.2.1 keeps ignition sources, such as power points, switches, lights, switchboards, meter boxes and air conditioners, out of the hazardous area of Figure 4.18. The area widens from the top to the base:
| Cylinder | A, at the top | B, at the base |
|---|---|---|
| Exchange | 500 mm | 1500 mm |
| In-situ fill | 1500 mm | 3500 mm |
The top is 0.5 m above the valve. Both widths are measured from the cylinder centre line. Equipment selected for the hazardous area under Cl 7.7.2.4 is not an ignition source, and an approved combined gas and electrical meter enclosure is exempt. In a New Zealand home, only equipment that serves the gas supply may go in the area at all (Cl 4.18.2.3).
Open a power point 1200 mm from an exchange cylinder.
Near a gas relief vent
A gas relief vent on natural gas, LP gas or biogas has an exclusion zone (Cl 4.18.4, Figure 4.19): a cylinder ahead of the vent and a hemisphere behind it.
| Vent diameter | Length, L | Diameter, D | Radius behind, r |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 50 mm | 1.5 m | 1 m | 0.5 m |
| Over 50 mm | 1.5T | T | 0.5T |
T is the vent diameter in millimetres over 50, in metres: a 100 mm vent gives T = 2. Where an object blocks the discharge, the zone becomes a sphere. The zone applies up to 200 kPa.
New Zealand only
- An indoor compartment for a gas cylinder may hold no equipment or wiring connection that can ignite gas, such as a power point, switch, dishwasher or waste disposal unit (Cl 4.18.3).
- In a home, a zone around a reticulated gas regulator, 800 mm in radius about the riser and 1600 mm high from the ground, holds only equipment that serves the gas supply (Cl 4.18.5, Figure 4.20).
Near a sink, basin, bath or shower
The zones around water are in Section 6, not in these clauses. Check them with the wet area zones tool, which also gives the IP rating and the RCD.
Check a position with the accessory location checker. A worked kitchen and barbecue area is in Kitchen power points and the cooktop zone.