roughing in electrical behind cabinetry

Status
Not open for further replies.
J

JoeNorm

Senior Member
Location
WA
What is the most efficient way to rough in wiring and later install receptacles in the back of cabinetry for built-in appliances?

In the past I have just left whips and then come back and cut in the receptacle. But it's a pain because you're hunched into the cabinet opening doing the work. This gets tiring if there are a lot of them. Is surface mounting them acceptable? if so, this would be way less of a headache.

What's the best method here?
 
If it's inside of the cabinet surface mounting is fine. If you want a more finished look use a Wiremold box.
 
Are you typically installing into adjacent cabinet or in the same opening as appliance and locating in the recommended area?
 
Imo, anything other than flush mount is unacceptable. Are these outlets for specific appliance or equipment? If you can get the exact layout of the cabinet then install the adjustable boxes. Or use the box extenders if the box is too far back. I like the adjustable boxes better. This way the cabinet guys need to cut out the boxes.

1675608412735.png
 
JoeNorm said:
Are you typically installing into adjacent cabinet or in the same opening as appliance and locating in the recommended area?
Click to expand...
Depends partly on the appliance, and partly on the cabinetry. I do a lot of custom kitchens, and I won't rough in without cabinet and appliance details.

I've recently installed several microwave drawers, and the appliance depth won't allow the receptacle inside a 24" deep cabinet. Receptacle has to go in the adjacent cabinet for those.

However, I just roughed one in that does not have an adjacent cabinet. For that 1, I used a 1900 bracket box w/mud ring and put as far back on the stud as I could, and told the builder they need to block in a cavity for the cord. Basically put the receptacle in a niche

I had a 9" wide wine chiller. No way do I even want to try to reach into that tiny space to install a receptacle. It went in the adjacent cabinet.

I've started leaving a wire stubbed out for garbage disoosals so I can surface mount a receptacle on a side wall under the sink, instead of the back wall. Just so much easier.

There just isn't one answer that fits every scenario
 
James L said:
Depends partly on the appliance, and partly on the cabinetry. I do a lot of custom kitchens, and I won't rough in without cabinet and appliance details.

I've recently installed several microwave drawers, and the appliance depth won't allow the receptacle inside a 24" deep cabinet. Receptacle has to go in the adjacent cabinet for those.

However, I just roughed one in that does not have an adjacent cabinet. For that 1, I used a 1900 bracket box w/mud ring and put as far back on the stud as I could, and told the builder they need to block in a cavity for the cord. Basically put the receptacle in a niche

I had a 9" wide wine chiller. No way do I even want to try to reach into that tiny space to install a receptacle. It went in the adjacent cabinet.

I've started leaving a wire stubbed out for garbage disoosals so I can surface mount a receptacle on a side wall under the sink, instead of the back wall. Just so much easier.

There just isn't one answer that fits every scenario
Click to expand...
Yes, custom is just that.......custom

I have a kitchen remodel with undercab ice make, warm drawer, beverage station, micro-drawer, trash compactor........the list goes on

A lot of them have a "flush mount" spec that requires adjacent cabinet. I just hate being hunched in the cabinet cutting in the receptacle after the fact, so wondering if there is a better/easier approach.
 
JoeNorm said:
Yes, custom is just that.......custom

I have a kitchen remodel with undercab ice make, warm drawer, beverage station, micro-drawer, trash compactor........the list goes on

A lot of them have a "flush mount" spec that requires adjacent cabinet. I just hate being hunched in the cabinet cutting in the receptacle after the fact, so wondering if there is a better/easier approach.
Click to expand...
If you can get away with recessing your receptacles in the stud bay, then framing it to create a niche, you could install the receptacles on the rough-in. That's what I did for the microwave drawer on the kitchen I just wired.
 
James L said:
However, I just roughed one in that does not have an adjacent cabinet. For that 1, I used a 1900 bracket box w/mud ring and put as far back on the stud as I could, and told the builder they need to block in a cavity for the cord. Basically put the receptacle in a niche
Click to expand...
Why not install a deep box and a recessed receptacle or even a TV receptacle?

1675615371923.png 1675615391775.png
 
LarryFine said:
Why not install a deep box and a recessed receptacle or even a TV receptacle?

View attachment 2563898 View attachment 2563899
Click to expand...
Because even though the plug recesses, there's sometimes not enough room there for the cord to fold behind the appliance. Some of the microwave drawers are 23¼ inches deep, and that only leaves ½ inch behind it (or less)

I've seen it with wine fridges, too
 
James L said:
Because even though the plug recesses, there's sometimes not enough room there for the cord to fold behind the appliance. Some of the microwave drawers are 23¼ inches deep, and that only leaves ½ inch behind it (or less)

I've seen it with wine fridges, too
Click to expand...
They need to stop making cabinets that barely fit the appliance or stop making appliances that entirely fill up a commonly used dedicated dimensions.

Ranges, they are pretty good about leaving room for receptacle and cord at the rear base area but don't get too close to either side. Not many other appliances have such a common location across nearly all the models like ranges typically have had for years.
 
kwired said:
Ranges, they are pretty good about leaving room for receptacle and cord at the rear base area but don't get too close to either side
Click to expand...
That works on a standard range.
But many kitchen I wire have a dual fuel range, which is electric convection oven with gas cooktop. Those usually have an area only 14-16" wide for gas an electrical connections - and that's for 36-48" appliance. But the one I just wired specs the connections in an adjacent cabinet
 
JoeNorm said:
What is the most efficient way to rough in wiring and later install receptacles in the back of cabinetry for built-in appliances?

In the past I have just left whips and then come back and cut in the receptacle. But it's a pain because you're hunched into the cabinet opening doing the work. This gets tiring if there are a lot of them. Is surface mounting them acceptable? if so, this would be way less of a headache.

What's the best method here?
Click to expand...
like others have said.
It really all depends on the application and what you and the GC/ homeowner will tolerate.
I would prefer to mount the boxes in on the rough but even a slight change can mess up the alignment and cabinet guys typically make a mess out of the the cabinet or my box when trying to line up the hole they cut out.
So I typically leave a whip and cut out a flush box. I try to do this before the counter tops are installed.
 
I have only done garbage disposals microwaves exhaust fans and dishwashers. and stubbed out 1/2 " flex and came back latter to install the necessary outlets.
 
James L said:
That works on a standard range.
But many kitchen I wire have a dual fuel range, which is electric convection oven with gas cooktop. Those usually have an area only 14-16" wide for gas an electrical connections - and that's for 36-48" appliance. But the one I just wired specs the connections in an adjacent cabinet
Click to expand...
I haven't ever encountered those. If people want to go beyond standard range here they usually going with cooktops and wall ovens.
 
Knuckle Dragger said:
like others have said.
It really all depends on the application and what you and the GC/ homeowner will tolerate.
I would prefer to mount the boxes in on the rough but even a slight change can mess up the alignment and cabinet guys typically make a mess out of the the cabinet or my box when trying to line up the hole they cut out.
So I typically leave a whip and cut out a flush box. I try to do this before the counter tops are installed.
Click to expand...
I have one cabinet guy I trust pretty well, but he is a custom cabinet builder that gives a hoot about his installs and not someone that just slaps up "boxed cabinets" from a store. Others I just tell them to cut maybe about an inch diameter hole approximate center of the box, that lets me know where it is at and let me cut the rest out. Rotary cutting tool is great for this. Can usually follow inside of box to help guide the cut, where if they try to mark it and cut it ahead of placing cabinet they often will be off enough that they end up with too much cut out in one direction or another, then of course not enough on opposite side. Cutting a 1 inch hole at the center gives them a fair amount of error that can still be worked with without having any overcut in any direction.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top