What are the considerations here, in doing this?
Softclose drawer, full extension, GCFI receptacle mounted to the back, your charger stuff, your hair dryer, etc., all go in drawers with this electrical feature inside.
Minimalist bath, nice clean look.
What kind of flex wiring is done to achieve this?
In certain scenarios, flat roofs make more sense than pitched roofs (and vice versa).
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Replies
Seen this done a couple of times. What I recall from last time, the top drawer in the vanity was a little bit shallower than normal (i.e. maybe a 16" deep drawer in a 20" cabinet) with a full dust panel below. There was a GFCI receptacle installed in the back of the cabinet behind the drawer. The electrician installed a nifty, expensive, small power strip inside the drawer and ran the cord out thru a hole in the back of the drawer. The excess cord lay on top of the dust panel and would move then the drawer was opened or closed, but did not hang down into the space below.
No idea if this is legal or not. Seems like if the drawer is exercised enough the cord will fray. I believe I've seen this done at least once with metal flex also.
I'd be tempted to use one of the formed, retracting spiral heavy-duty extension cords with the appropriate end connectors and strain reliefs
See the application when you watch Kohler's video here
Gotta be a coiled line in some sort of housing.
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"A stripe is just as real as a dadgummed flower."
Gene Davis 1920-1985
We do it a lot. set the GFI in the back of the cab and run a small molded coiled extension cord to a strain restraint in the back of the middle drawer. If the cord were to fray the GFI would trip. don't run it to the top drawer because the lower one has more room for the bulk of the blow dryer and it's cord. No big deal actually.
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"You cannot work hard enough to make up for a sloppy estimate."
"We do it a lot. set the GFI in the back of the cab and run a small molded coiled extension cord to a strain restraint in the back of the middle drawer."
What's a strain restraint?
I have my own ideas, but they are usually wrong.
sort of a small plastic strap that holds the plug to the side of the drawer in the back corner.------------------
"You cannot work hard enough to make up for a sloppy estimate."
when i did our bathroom ,i put a plug inside,but have never plugged anything into it,how i handled it was i cut the side of the drawer down to 2.5 inches and the plug is then mounted to the side of the vanity. the strain on the cord is with the appliance.
.i'm scared my wife or daughter will leave the curling iron on and shut the drawer. just doesn't seem good.
any idea how to deal with that problem? larry
if a man speaks in the forest,and there's not a woman to hear him,is he still wrong?
wire a switch inline with that outlet, that has a 15 minute timer (like the bath fan ones) and put it hidden on the side of the cabinet.. worst case, curler will be on for 15 mins in the drawer minus the time they used it.. can it start a fire in 15 mins?
Hi Gene,
Check out the Igus link below for some creative ideas on this sort of application. We use these products in automation equipment design, not really residential applications, but a look at their energy chain product may give you some ideas. They can also be purchased from Mcmastercarr.com.
http://www.igus.com/
From my old inspector:
He's seen people mount duplex outlets to the drawer box itself and then have the romex come out of the wall, then a couple of romex idiot loops hanging in the back of the cabinet, and as the drawer is opened and closed the romex does the flexing. Bad bad bad.
He's seen duplex outlets mounted on the back of the drawer and flex extension cord type of wire wired to the terminals on the side of that outlet. The other end of the extension cord is hardwired with wire nuts to romex in a junction box in the back of the cabinet. No good.
He nixed but was then overridden on an installation where there was a duplex outlet in the back of the cabinet. There was also a duplex outlet mounted on the back of the drawer. A length of extension cord was then wired to the terminals of the duplex on the drawer, the other end was plugged in to the duplex in the back of the cabinet carcass. He felt the cabinet duplex, not being visible when the drawer was opened, came under the "inaccessible" clause.
His guidance is to approve with no reservations a duplex outlet in the back of the cabinet and a drawer with a cut down side or back, with things stored in the drawer plugging directly into the outlet. His only concern there is that there be proper clearance in the back so the cords don't get pinched between the drawer and the cabinet, or pinched in the slides.
I did the latter in my own master bath. The back of the drawer is cut down.
So you have to stick your hand waaayyy back there to plug anything in?
Not really, access is quite easy. My wife is 5'1" and has no problems.
You could think about AFI protection on this circuit too seeing as appliance cords could easily get slammed in closing drawers.
Scott.
Always remember those first immortal words that Adam said to Eve, “You’d better stand back, I don’t know how big this thing’s going to get.”