Does anyone have experience installing electrical outlets inside vanity cabinets for a (semi) permanently plugged in hairdryer? The city inspectors down here in Atlanta used to allow installations such as this but we have been having difficulty lately getting this approved. Any tips or techniques you could pass along would be helpful- I have a few clients who really would like this amenity in the baths we will be remodeling.
Thanks,
Stephanie
Engineered-stone shower panels are waterproof, but proper installation relies on tight seams and silicone sealing.
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Replies
What do the inspectors object to? You say "outlet in drawer". Does that mean the outlet is actually attached to the drawer, so that the supply cable to it must be flexible? That's probably what they object to. Me, I fasten the outlet to the cabinet -- either to a side wall, or to the underside of the top. The supply cable is completely conventional. You can use surface-mount hardware like Wiremold, or if the sidewall is against a house wall you can use a standard electrical box. The cabinetmaker should know about the outlet before he builds the drawer, so that he can make the drawer box short enough to clear the outlet.
Another unusual outlet that homeowners like is one inside the medicine cabinet. It can power shavers, or charge toothbrushes, or the like -- instead of having power cords all over the counter.
If this isn't a code violation, it should be. Providing an outlet inside a small drawer for a device that produce 1500 watts of heat is scary: some kid is bound to turn on the dryer, put it in the drawer, and close it. Dryers come with overheating thermostats, but I'm not sure I'd trust them in this circumstance.
valid point. it's too bad that trade publications show installations like this that our clients see and "have to have."
think of all the staircases that are featured in print that obviously do not have compliant handrails!
There are the fold up builtin iron boards with and without an electric outlet.
At least some of them have a wind up timer and you can leave the iron pluged in.
I see that Nutone has both a timer and switch to shut off the iron when the door is closed.
http://nutonesales.com/iron.html
Here is a company that makes wired toaster that stores within the wall.
I would install a duplex GFI outlet in the cabinet below the drawer unit. Drill a hole in the back of the drawer box, and provide the HO with a 6 foot 12 ga black extension cord.
I have put duplex outlets such as these in medicine chests for electric toothbrushes.
Shouldn't be a problem here, only the fact the drawer moves, and my solution above takes care of that issue.
Regards,
Boris
"Sir, I may be drunk, but you're crazy, and I'll be sober tomorrow" -- WC Fields, "Its a Gift" 1934
It's not the general case of an outlet within a cabinet that worries me; it putting one in a small drawer for a device who's only purpose is to produce heat, where there is no safety shutoff when the door closes.
Geesh, there are code requirements for where incandescent light bulbs can be installed in closets, and how much clearance they need to flammable matierials, and we're talking about one tenth the amount of heat from a light bulb, compared to a dryer, and alot more space volume.
Devices built for in-wall installation are designed and UL-approved for that installation. Even so, we had the Cadet heater problem causing fires.
I guess hard-wiring in a 10-minute timer switch to control the outlet would be a good idea, if one goes ahead with this type of thing.
The timer is a good idea.
Also I was think of having a swtich on the drawer.
I am more concerned about the constant wearing of the cord if it pass through a hole in the back of the drawer.
How about a shelf with drop down door and a switch behind it.
Bill --
One of the good things about putting the outlet on the inside of a cabinet wall or top, near the front, is that the hair dryer's power cord doesn't wear as it would if you make the cord go out of the drawer to go someplace else. Instead, the cord just flops around in the bottom of the drawer, and there's no obvious point of wear on it.
dont know about your area, but in ontario, this would be a code violation
as would outlets in "appliance garages" etc
idea is a good one, but there should be a way of shutting the power off automatically when the door or drawer is closed
for some reason, a rangehood microwave combination plug INSIDE the cabinet above is acceptable!! even required by the manufacturer
outlets in cabinets, built in or not are a gray issue
any electricians want shed some light on this issue?
ie why are ordinary range hoods hard wired(as required) but not rangehood/microwaves?
caulking is not a piece of trim
You can't put outlets inside cabinets? Geez, how do you run those big entertainment center built-ins? Run all the power cords out the front?
I've put outlets inside: entertainment centers, appliance garages, bathroom vanities, kitchen cabinets for a microwave, and medicine cabinets. I've never heard a peep from an inspector.
Heck, I've put outlets in walk-in closets. How would you say a closet is different from a cabinet? They both have doors that can conceal the outlet and anything plugged into it.
Oh well... as usual, the local inspector is the authority.
I've done a few. Install the outlet in the wall, so when you install the cabinet, the outlet is in it's back, as close to the underside of the carcase top as possible. I've put the hair dryer in the top drawer which is about an inch below the Euro style carcase top, and about two or more inches shorter than the depth of the cabinet. Space behind the drawer box depends on how much the dryer plug needs. Plug the cord into the outlet and run it up and through a few plastic wire hangers, or a wire mold, attached to the underside of the carcase top (or web frame if you build traditional). One in the hangers, or one end of the wire mold, should be at the back of the cabinet (above the outlet), and one is close to the front of the drawer when it's closed. The dryer and the rest of the cord is laid in the drawer box. When you pull out the drawer, you can use the full length of the dryer cord while still able to almost close the drawer, and the cord, when returned to the drawer box, doesn't prevent you from closing the drawer.
If you want to install the dryer in a drawer besides the top one, you'll have to provide a surface, like a divider between drawer boxes, to attach the wire mold or hanger clips. And of course you'd install the outlet directly behind that drawer box.
Here in CA, you can put an outlet within a cabinet, so long as it's easily accessible.
Namaste,
Gary
http://gwwoodworking.com/