drawer receptacle outlet

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I don?t think you need a listed gizmo. What you need is an approved wiring method. That stuff is outside my line of work, so I don?t know if there is a method that would answer the need.

Off the topic a bit, let me express my hopes that there is no wiring method that would be approved for such an application. I call this a ?fire waiting to happen.? No matter how sincerely the homeowner wants this convenience, all it would take is for a curling iron to be inadvertently left on (?But Mr. Fire Chief, I can swear that I turned it off?).

I do recall this subject having come up before. Feel free to look through the forum for related discussions.
 
I have installed standard surge plug strips in many high end homes. The only requirements I have had from local inspectors is that they are pluged into a GFCI in the back of the vanity and that they are mounted on the side of the drawer so the receptacles are not facing up.
 
I am confused again. Why would a receptacle mounted in the back of a cabinet have to be listed. It doesn't need to be mounted in the drawer itself. Is that what we are talking about (mounting in the drawer)?????
 
Dennis Alwon said:
I am confused again. Why would a receptacle mounted in the back of a cabinet have to be listed. It doesn't need to be mounted in the drawer itself. Is that what we are talking about (mounting in the drawer)?????
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Try looking here for more information on this type of question, I think.

Photo Post #7
 
What I infer is that the owner wants to leave a hair dryer and a curling iron in the drawer, and leave them both plugged in at all times, and still be able to open and close the drawer at will. They want to avoid having to take the stuff out of the drawer, unravel the cord, and plug it into an outlet on the wall. So, yes, they want the receptacle inside the drawer itself.

Or, perhaps, am I reading this wrong? :-?
 
Minuteman said:
Yep, that's what they want :confused:
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Can it be put in the back of the cabinet behind the drawer or on the side of the cabinet?
When I have done them I put the outlet in the cabinet itself so the receptacle is not moving. You can access the receptacle for servicing by taking the drawer out. It always worked fine.
 
How do you prevent damage to the cords, as the drawer is moved in and out? Even if you remove the back of the drawer (making the customer even happier as stuff falls out the back), the cords will rub against the wooden edges.
 
charlie b said:
How do you prevent damage to the cords, as the drawer is moved in and out? Even if you remove the back of the drawer (making the customer even happier as stuff falls out the back), the cords will rub against the wooden edges.
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They usually taper the middle part of the drawer. Thus the drawer is standard depth and the middle 6-8" is a lot lower but not out all the way.

I can't imagine this will do damage to the cord, The edge of the drawer is pretty smooth and rounded. I believe the dryer will go bad before the cord does.
Of course, I am concerned about safety but the NEC doesn't have a problem with it from what I can see. I can't stop someone from leaving a curling iron on anymore than I can stop someone from leaving a pot on the electric stove and forgetting to turn it off.
 
How about a coiled cable (like for a phone handset, except 12/3) with a cord cap, attached to an outlet in the drawer, and plugged into an accessible outlet in the vanity? Shorten the coiled cord so it retracts enough to avoid rough edges?
 
I think a coiled cable is a bad idea because it will get hunged up on everything and the tendency will be to pull hard
 
drawer outlet

drawer outlet

we do this once in a while . we use s.o. cord from a jbox in the actual wall behind the cabinet to the back of the drawer. use a raco 660 with a metal cover plate inside the drawer (surface mount) . the connection of the s.o. cord to the jbox is done with a raco 861 cover plate and a s.o. cord connector. the s.o. folds up nicely behind the drawer when closed. use only the necessary length so the cord is not exposed inside the cabinet. usually there are 2 or 3 stacked drawers and there is no way to see the s.o. unless you remove some drawers.
 
I see no problem with a receptacle installed into a drawer unit, someone actually makes a product for this situation, cant find the website at the moment... Found this picture...
2yl0207.jpg
 
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