What are the best floor tanks?
The best floor tanks are those that are manufactured to meet your requirements in terms of equipment, dimensions, type of cover, cover thickness, cover tightness, cover load, type and positions of cable entries, design for concrete casting or hollow floor installation, adaptation of the cable outlet to the environment and more. For example, the StarConnex brand meets these criteria. If the technical requirements are low, for example for a few sockets under a desk, many makes are available and then often the cheapest are the best choice.

What is the difference between floor sockets and floor tanks?
The terms are not standardized and are used differently by different manufacturers. For example, StarConnex floor sockets are designated as such up to 4 inches² cover size, and floor tanks above that.

Are there floor tanks with water connection and sockets combined?
Yes, StarConnex floor tanks, for example, are available as combination tanks. However, a splash guard is required between the water connection and the sockets, as well as a non-closable wastewater connection in the floor of the floor tank, which must be connected to a sewer. If a lockable wastewater connection is required, such a connection can additional be provided.

Is "waterproof IP65, IP66, IP67" enough for Floor Tank Lid?
No. Because floor tank lids are horizontal, water does not run off them but remains standing, which corresponds to permanent immersion in water. But the IEC specifies in DIN EN 60529 that, in the case of IP67, so much water may penetrate within the first 30 minutes that it does not cause any harmful effects. In outdoor areas, however, it rains longer, and in indoor areas, the individually small amounts of water that have penetrated add up with each new wet cleaning, then evaporate and settle in the floor tank as condensate on electrical devices such as RCD switches, where they can lead to harmful effects. Floor tank lids with IP68 protection, on the other hand, must be permanently watertight when submerged, thus preventing the harmful effects mentioned.

An exception is made for floor tanks without water-sensitive internals and those in floors with dry or almost dry cleaning indoors, for example with carpeted floors or only damp wipe cleaning. Here, protection classes from IP00 to IP67 may be sufficient. In the USA, however, it has been pointed out that a floor socket that is not IP68-proof can become a danger to the lives of cleaning personnel if the mop is too wet or if a bucket of water is tipped over. StarConnex floor tanks already offer IP68 waterproof covers as standard and are accordingly suitable for outdoor areas and for cleaning with wet cleaning machines.

How to align floor tanks to the tile grid?
If screed is to remain as a design element without any covering, the floor tanks are to be aligned accordingly before placing the screed on the raw concrete and fixed with a trowel of cement at each corner. For subsequent filling of off positions would be visually impossible to conceal.
 
If screed is to be covered with plastic, terrazzo, parquet or carpet, formwork can be used for floor tanks. StarConnex floor tanks have concrete anchors screwed on four sides about 20/mm below the top of the lid 20 to 80 mm long, depending on the load. Accordingly, the recess for this must be 50 - 100 mm larger all around than the floor tank. Furthermore, a cable routing space corresponding to the cable diameters must be left on each floor tank side on which cables are inserted, 200 mm is usually sufficient. In addition, a pipe routing space corresponding to the pipe diameters must be left on each side of the floor tank where pipes, for example for water or compressed air, are inserted; 400 mm is generally sufficient. Cable and pipe entries on the underside do not require lateral maneuvering spaces.
 
If screed is to be covered with tiles and floor tanks are to be positioned according to the tile grid, a 3 x 3 floor tank recess must be created for each floor tank, e.g. for a floor tank of 500 x 500 mm a recess of 1,500 x 1,500 mm minimum size. This is the only way to ensure that a floor tank can later be positioned to fit into the tile grid in any case.
 
If a floor tank is to be positioned exactly on a tile joint, a tile joint on the floor tank cover in the same alignment is recommended for optical reasons.
 
If a floor tank is to be positioned exactly on a tile joint which runs exactly on a screed separation joint, you need a special accessory so that the floor tank does not rigidly connect two screed elements. This special accessory is available for StarConnex floor tanks.
 
If a floor tank is to be installed in a cavity floor, all connections should be provided on the underside and lateral composite anchors should be dispensed with. Then the installed floor tank can be removed again at any time for upward access to the cable routing level.