I'm having this done and I'm curious if anyone else had this done. A new hole has been cut and wiring has been installed on the wall the backs up to the bottom vanity drawer. The idea is to tuck our blow dryer away in this drawer and keep it plugged into an outlet box that mounts onto the back of the drawer. When the drawer extends I guess the electrical wiring is long enough to reach the full extension of the drawer. I'm worried that as we try to close the drawer that the same wiring going into the outlet box on the back of the drawer will actually impede the full closing of the drawer (either right off the bat or over time). I've seen episodes of BathCrashers where they install outlets in vanity drawers but usually you don't see the behind the cabinet workings of this. We haven't started yet, but this may happen later today so I am curious if anyone has any feedback/suggestions. Thanks so much.

Lauren

My thinking is that the constant flexing of the wirecould result in a breakdown of the insulation and be a possible cause of a fire.. BUT-another thought is to have the outlet mounted on the wall and use a coil-cord of the proper gauge to connect it to the outlet in the drawer. Coil-cords are made to withstand constant flexing
I'm not a lic,ed electrician so maybe someone with more expertise will answer your question. If no one does, contact your local building dept. electrical section

I agree I see no way it would even be legal to do something like that.
Keep in mind alot of what they show on those shows make's us pro's cringe.
I'm sure your inspector would be very interested in see want having done.
The way it should have been done is a simple GFI outlet mounted to the wall.
How hard can it be to plug in the hair dryer. Even a wall mounted hair dryer like in any hotel would have been far safer thin an outlet in a drawer.

Why would it not be legal? Can you site a NEC ruling to disallow it ?
Nothing disallowing a GFCI [not an outlet unless downstream of a GFCI] that I comes to mind in that situation. Have I ever done such a setup in a bath? No. Have I ever done that setup in a kitchen appliance garage counter top? Many, but not all that much lately as those cabinet garages stups have become rare. Not to metion a pain to install.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: CommonwealthSparky,

I would think that as long as you used a coiled, braided wire for any part that slides in and out that it would work OK.

I've never put an outlet in a sliding drawer but have made many 'hairdryer cabinets" that fit inside a wall cavity and contain an outlet. But in my style the outlet does not move.

quote:

Originally posted by Jaybee:
I would think that as long as you used a coiled, braided wire for any part that slides in and out that it would work OK.

I've never put an outlet in a sliding drawer but have made many 'hairdryer cabinets" that fit inside a wall cavity and contain an outlet. But in my style the outlet does not move.

Now that I think more clearly about it I also have installed outlets for in_wall ironing boards cabinets as well.

the only thing I can think of that would make such an installation unsafe would be the possibility of putting a running dryer away and closing the drawer

quote:

Originally posted by nona:
the only thing I can think of that would make such an installation unsafe would be the possibility of putting a running dryer away and closing the drawer

I too wondered about that as well.

Good idea to check code for your area/state.

Friend has an outlet mounted in behind a slightly shortened kitchen drawer. And the drawer has a power strip mounted in it, plug goes through a hole in the back of the drawer and loops down. They can plug in their cell phones and pagers to charge in this drawer.

I have major big-time worries about heat buildup in this drawer of flammable material. big time. major.

as in I wouldn't do this.

I grew up as a broadcast brat, in the 50s and 60s, when everything was 7-foot tall steel racks of tubes, tubes, tubes. freakin' tubload of pure undiluted heat. heat kills things. the stuff at the top of the racks had to be very lightly loaded to handle it. telco specifications limit the amount of stuff you can rack up to limit heat.

see, every component that makes up electronics has a "derating curve." the curve for everything from complex chips to simple resistors and capacitors basically says for every 10 degrees more, cut the life in half.

and switches or the ice cube supplies used in most new hair blowers can fail.

I may be getting to be too old a pharte for company, but the only fires I have ever had to deal with are from soldering plumbing (yes, I wet joists and put board in front of them, and I keep a 5-gallon bucket of water and a squirt bottle at my elbow... saved a house once) and loss of one phase of 3-phase on a college campus once.

I want no part of the one you are planning to have.

I wouldn't do this ever.
But you should probably look into buying a hairdryer drawer kit which is basically a surge bar on flexible hinged track that aligns with movement of drawer and keeps the cord out of way.
This device plugs into a fixed wall outlet.
Bathroom must be 20 amp and GFI protected.
Fixed 20 amp gfi protected outlet should be installed on wall or inside wall either underneath or above vanity.
Every blow dryer comes with a warning label which states you are to UNPLUG when not in use.
This is so it doesn't become on for some reason either bump engaged or left partially on.
Imagine someone opens the drawer and shuts the drawer and just from the vibration the hair dryer is engaged. How about if someone tosses a bottle of product into the drawer or hairbrush or something and it wedges as the drawer shuts.

This is a big violation in my eyes.
I would recommend the hair dryer drawer kit and fixed outlet however.
Or some sort of sensor slap switch when drawer is shut, outlet will disengage.

First, thank you everyone that has responded thus far. If we are able to get something done to code, I'll make sure we unplug the hair dryer after use.

I am interested in where I would find a hair dryer drawer kit. Did a quick google search and didn't find anything. Anyone have a specific link to share? Thank you again.

Well, i guess there is this information i can give.
http://www.robern.com/onlineca.../pdfs/VDELECTRIC.pdf
It says in top left beginning section that a GFCI outlet should be installed onto the wall in backside of vanity.
I have no idea the cost of this but it looks really cool how it has wire guide slide thing.
Goodluck