TV power cord thru inside wall

[jrc0109]

Can the TV power cord on a wall mounted TV be run through an interior wall to pull into an outlet on the other side of the wall?

 

[Fred B]

No! Review 400.12

400.12 Uses Not Permitted.
Unless specifically permitted in 400.10, flexible cables, flexible cord sets, and power supply cords shall not be used for the following:
(1) As a substitute for the fixed wiring of a structure
(2) Where run through holes in walls, structural ceilings, suspended ceilings, dropped ceilings, or floors
(3) Where run through doorways, windows, or similar openings
(4) Where attached to building surfaces Exception to (4): Flexible cord and f lexible cable shall be permitted to be attached to building surfaces in accordance with 368.56(B) .
(5) Where concealed by walls, floors, or ceilings or located above suspended or dropped ceilings Exception to (5): Flexible cord and flexible cable shall be permitted if contained within an enclosure for use in Other Spaces Used for Environmental Air as permitted by 300.22(C)(3).
(6) Where installed in raceways, except as otherwise permitted in this Code
(7) Where subject to physical damage

 

[petersonra]

Can the TV power cord on a wall mounted TV be run through an interior wall to pull into an outlet on the other side of the wall?

Of course it can.

I suspect the real question that you want answered is whether the national electrical code prohibits such an installation. I think the answer to that question is probably it is not permitted.

There is nothing to prohibit you from installing a receptacle on the same side of the wall as the TV that is fed from the receptacle on the other side of the wall though.

I don't know why this kind of prohibition exists. There is nothing really inherently unsafe about the type of installation you are talking about. It seems to me that if you had a half wall between say a kitchen and a dining room with a counter on top of it, the code effectively prohibits you from putting a coffee pot on top of the countertop on the dining room side and plugging it into the kitchen side. This is one of those horribly written pieces of code that was not ever really thought through.

 

[jrc0109]

Thank you for the quick replies.

 

[LarryFine]

I don't know why this kind of prohibition exists. There is nothing really inherently unsafe about the type of installation you are talking about. It seems to me that if you had a half wall between say a kitchen and a dining room with a counter on top of it, the code effectively prohibits you from putting a coffee pot on top of the countertop on the dining room side and plugging it into the kitchen side. This is one of those horribly written pieces of code that was not ever really thought through.

I believe the door and window prohibition does not include running a power cord exposed in a pass-through, which is very different from running one through a doorway with a door, a window, or a hole through a wall.

There is nothing to prohibit you from installing a receptacle on the same side of the wall as the TV that is fed from the receptacle on the other side of the wall though.

That's what should be done, using a standard wiring method such as NM and an old-work box

 

[petersonra]

I believe the door and window prohibition does not include running a power cord exposed in a pass-through, which is very different from running one through a doorway with a door, a window, or a hole through a wall.

How is that not a hole in the wall? Especially if it has an accordion type door.

How about this? I plug my vacuum cleaner into a receptacle in the hallway. How would this probation not make it a code violation to then vacuum in my den while plugged into the hallway receptacle. That is certainly a power cord going thru a doorway.

 

[letgomywago]

Although wrong I have been asked to put an ent conduit in for hdmi and have seen the power cord ran down with the hdmi later on.

 

[Fred B]

Although wrong I have been asked to put an ent conduit in for hdmi and have seen the power cord ran down with the hdmi later on.

You can't stop noncompliant use after the installation.
Seen multiple incidents of removal of the AFCI by the GC post inspection.

 

[petersonra]

Although wrong I have been asked to put an ent conduit in for hdmi and have seen the power cord ran down with the hdmi later on.

The problem is is that a lot of rules in the electrical code are extremely arbitrary and have almost nothing to do with safety. There's nothing inherently unsafe about running the power cord inside a piece of ENT in the wall with the HDMI cord. Arguably it's considerably safer than running it on along the outside of the wall which is okay.