Power points for a home office

The common setup

A lot of home offices start life as a spare bedroom. That usually means one double power point on one wall and a desk on another. Before long there's a powerboard feeding the computer, two monitors, a printer, a lamp, a phone charger, a heater and a router. Sometimes a second powerboard is plugged into the first.

It works until it doesn't. Overloaded powerboards can overheat, and cables under the desk become a trip and wear hazard.

Count what you'll plug in

List every device in the office:

• Computer or laptop dock
• One or two monitors
• Printer or scanner
• Desk lamp
• Phone and tablet chargers
• Router, modem or mesh wifi unit
• Speakers or headset charger
• Heater or fan
• Shredder, label printer or anything else your work needs

Most people end up with eight to twelve things. Two well-placed double points at the desk, plus one elsewhere in the room, usually covers it with room to spare. If two people share the office, or you think you might move the desk to the other wall one day, add a double point on that wall now while the electrician is already there.

Put the power where the desk is

The single most useful thing is power points at desk height, just above the desktop or in a spot easy to reach. Points at skirting level behind a desk mean crawling underneath every time you plug something in. If you have a sit-stand desk, make sure leads have enough slack and aren't stretched when the desk rises.

USB charging

A USB power point beside the desk handles phones, headphones and other small devices without extra chargers. Choose one with USB-C to suit current devices.

Network and internet

A reliable internet connection matters for video calls. If your router sits in another room, a data point wired back to it can be far more stable than wifi. Running a network cable at the same time as new power points makes sense. A strong wifi signal can also be improved with mesh units, which each need a power point.

Heaters and big loads

Portable heaters draw a lot of power. Running one on the same powerboard as a computer and printer is asking for trouble. Plug heaters directly into a wall outlet, and if the office circuit trips when the heater runs, that's a sign the circuit is overloaded.

In older homes, one circuit may supply several bedrooms. Adding a new circuit for the office, or rebalancing loads, may be the right fix. That sometimes requires space in the switchboard, so our switchboard services may come into it.

Lighting

Good lighting matters for long days at a desk. A single batten in the middle of the room tends to cast shadows. Downlights placed to light the desk, or a quality desk lamp, make a big difference. Our indoor lighting page explains the options.

Protecting equipment

A surge protected powerboard is a sensible extra for computers and network gear. It doesn't replace good wiring, but it helps protect sensitive electronics during storms, which the Illawarra gets its share of in summer.

Working from a granny flat or studio

Some people in Albion Park, Horsley and Figtree work from a backyard studio. Running power to an outbuilding needs proper cabling and protection, and often its own sub-circuit. That's a job to plan carefully with an electrician.

Let's set up your office

Our power point installs page explains our work.

Call or text Kalani on 0424 400 346. Send a photo of your desk area and a rough sketch of the room, and we'll suggest the simplest setup.