Hardwired Towel Heater With Cord - Violation?

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derekk

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I have been provided with a spec for a towel warmer manufacturer by a company called Waterworks. This particular model is hardwired and provided with an 8' cord "whip." The instructions say, "Wire set should be pulled through a conduit to a single-pole junction box equipped with either a dimmer switch (which controls heat level) or a standard single-pole illuminated toggle switch."

The cord existing the unit is type STOW, which is covered under section 400. I'm having difficulty finding any section of the code that would allow this cord to be pulled through conduit and then terminated in a junction box. Section 400.8(6) prohibits cord from being installed in a raceway except as otherwise permitted. Frankly, even supplying this cord without a plug would seem to violate 400.7(B).

There is no section of the code specifically that covers towel warmers, but I think they fall under 422 (appliances). After reading through this section and again through 400, I still can't find anything to allow this. I think the towel warmer should be provided with article 300 complaint wiring, such as a flex & THHN whip, MC cable, etc.

Does anyone else have enough experience with this type of device to let me know if I am missing anything? Most of the other wardwired towel warmers I could find information on are meant to be mounted directly to a junction box (unlike this product).

Thank you.
 
Dennis Alwon

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
Are you sure this is UL or third party listed product. I have seen towel warmers with cord and plug and I have also seen direct wired units. On the direct wired unit all I did was provide a jb for the unit to attach to and some blocking in the wall at other places.

Also a dimmer switch to regulate the heat?????? Something is amiss. Can the cord be removed and then direct wired-- also I would call the manufacturer.
 
Dennis Alwon

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
It looks like the only way to install this is to have a conduit that attaches to the rack and enters a jb for the splicing.

asset
 
D

derekk

Member
This is supposedly UL listed although I haven't been provided with enough information from the factory to verify that. I think installing this over a junction box might be the only way to make it code compliant but I will need to see the item physically to confirm this.
 
kwired

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
They relieve themselves of any code issues with this statement:

The towel bar and switch should be installed in place to comply with local​

building and electrical codes.
Click to expand...

Leaving it up to the installer to figure out how the ^&*% he is going to hook it up.
 
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renosteinke

renosteinke

Senior Member
Location
NE Arkansas
Why is this even a matter of discussion?

I refer to the way 'instructions' are notorious for their poor translations, poor grammar, etc. I think we often put WAY too much effort into parsing the exact phrasing of things. This was probably best illustrated when Tom Peters ("In Search of Excellence") devoted an entire chapter detailing his attempts to find out exactly WHO wrote and published the dang things for a number of major firms. (He never did solve that mystery).

The wire colors alone suggest that this is something intended for multiple countries. (BTW- Are we SURE it's 120v?)

As I see it, there are two mutually exclusive methods of installing this thing.

First is to just plug it in. I shudder to think of the expense .... so the application screams for controls. We are not allowed to use a dimmer to control a receptacle- not even a 'dedicated' one. Timer? Sure - but good luck finding one that can handle the load and that's not the size of Machinery's Handbook. Those little 'light switch' replacement timers don't work well when they control a few lights, let alone a serious load.

("Turn the knob" type timers will work just fine - it's the programmable o

Then there's the 'hard-wire' option. How would you attach MC to the unit? I don't see a way.

Perhaps they meant to have the cable enter a box and terminate there. I can see this being done using a cover plate and a cord grip. I would not accept a simple hole with a bushing.

If you do hard-wire it, you need to be able to turn it off. Please note that darn few light switches are rated for 15 amps - let alone 20. The ratings are stamped on the strap.

The same applies to any dimmer you might use. You would use a 'lighting' dimmer (as contrasted with a 'motor speed control.'). For the load rating needed, expect the dimmer to have an external heat sink approxamately the size and thickness of the saucer under your coffee cup. Don't expect there to be room for any other devices in the box.
 
kwired

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
renosteinke said:
...Timer? Sure - but good luck finding one that can handle the load and that's not the size of Machinery's Handbook. Those little 'light switch' replacement timers don't work well when they control a few lights, let alone a serious load.
...
Please note that darn few light switches are rated for 15 amps - let alone 20. The ratings are stamped on the strap.

The same applies to any dimmer you might use. You would use a 'lighting' dimmer (as contrasted with a 'motor speed control.'). For the load rating needed, expect the dimmer to have an external heat sink approxamately the size and thickness of the saucer under your coffee cup. Don't expect there to be room for any other devices in the box.
Click to expand...

Did you happen to read the product information in the link in post #4.


115 volts 76 watts.


I don't think you will have much trouble finding a switch or dimmer that can handle the load. In fact you should be able to put about 18 of them on a 15 amp branch circuit if you are considering them a continuous load.

They are just for warming towels not incinerating them.

They make 15, 20, 30 and I have even seen 40 amp toggle switches all in single and double pole units intended to mount in regular device boxes.
 
renosteinke

renosteinke

Senior Member
Location
NE Arkansas
Point taken ... the problem with product links, and the nature of this forum, is that an answer tends to have a broader application then the question that started it.

We're seeing all manner of things go into bathrooms these days. We also still have the code allowing the bath circuit to serve multiple bathrooms. I think the last house I wired had four baths. Had those folks had a mind to install towel heaters, there would likely have used ten of the things. Even at 76 watts, that load starts adding up - and the switch is the weak spot.

Programmable timers? This forum does not allow -nor does the English language povide- adjectives adequate to describe my experiences with them. They don't even fare well with 16 watt porch lights! (Regardless of their nameplate ratings).
 
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