Electric cord showing in wood burning fireplace insert

[Jaugust124]

I have been researching inserts (online only at this point and for many, many hours) and have come across something that has perplexed me. This may sound silly, but I have noticed in some dealers' photos of installed wood burning inserts an electric cord going from the insert to an outlet. I know this is for the blower, but I really don't want an electric cord showing all the time. Is there some way the units can be direct wired or a hole drilled through the masonry floor of the fireplace and have the wire run to the basement and plugged in down there?
I know this is only an aesthetic issue, but is of concern nonetheless.
The inserts I am interest in are the Jotul Rockland 550, Pacific Energy (not sure which unit yet), and a HearthStone Clydesdale.
I would like one that will heat my 2,300 sq. ft. 2 - story house built in 1971 that does not have an open floor plan.
I plan to purchase sometime this summer.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

 

[kylecarmen]

Yes. You can do a number of things to conceal the cord. It is often snaked down to an outlet in the basement or crawlspace.

I drilled horizontally through my bricks to the left of my firebox (and mantel surround) and plugged it into a wall outlet that is concealed behind an end table. It seemed silly to me to invest in an beautiful looking insert and then drape a cord across the hearth.
-Kyle

 

[Country Lady]

I have been researching inserts (online only at this point and for many, many hours) and have come across something that has perplexed me. This may sound silly, but I have noticed in some dealers' photos of installed wood burning inserts an electric cord going from the insert to an outlet. I know this is for the blower, but I really don't want an electric cord showing all the time. Is there some way the units can be direct wired or a hole drilled through the masonry floor of the fireplace and have the wire run to the basement and plugged in down there?
I know this is only an aesthetic issue, but is of concern nonetheless.
The inserts I am interest in are the Jotul Rockland 550, Pacific Energy (not sure which unit yet), and a HearthStone Clydesdale.
I would like one that will heat my 2,300 sq. ft. 2 - story house built in 1971 that does not have an open floor plan.
I plan to purchase sometime this summer.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

I don't sweat the cord. I hide it best I can and don't worry about it. The cord in view is a very small price to pay for the benefits of an insert.

 

[BrotherBart]

Pretty much every building code in the country requires the plug for a plug in appliance to be accessible from the room it is installed in.

 

[Jaugust124]

Hey Everyone,
Thanks for the timely replies. I think the best thing for me to do is to discuss it with whoever I choose to go with for the insert and install. They should be able to give me the local building codes. We have 3-4 reputable dealers within a 10-15 mile radius, so I have some good choices as to who to purchase from. I think much of it will come down to aesthetics of the unit and price. The units that I am interested in and have researched here and on the rest of the Internet seem to be high quality, so I don't think I can go wrong. Thanks again and I look forward to more discussions.

 

[begreen]

One solution is a discrete molding that covers the cord until it is past the hearth.

 

[BrotherBart]

From what I have seen here the last four years everybody worries about it until the insert is installed and then they forget about it.

 

[Dix]

The small part of my cord that runs across the hearth area is behind my tool rack.

Out of sight, out of mind.

 

[drewsome]

It's generally in violation of code to have an appliance with a power source on a different level of the home. Why, you ask?

Consider what might happen if said appliance was unplugged by hubby because he is repairing it on the first floor. Then, the wife doing laundry in the basement notices the innocently looking detached plug, and sticks it back in the outlet.

That could ruin your day.

 

[drdoct]

If it bothers you then whatever you do, don't buy a Lopi. They stick their control box 1' down from the fan on the cord. I quit even trying to conceal it and just ignore it. It's not a bad trade off for the heat it puts out.

 

[Jaugust124]

Yeah, the general consensus seems to be that it is really no big deal. I guess in everything there are trade-offs. I just have to choose which ones I am willing to live with. As another post stated, the positives far outweigh the negatives.
I did read on some other thread that a person had an outlet installed behind the unit in the fireplace. This may be another option.
My goal is to head out tomorrow and start talking to a few dealers to get a better sense of what I like.
Thanks all.

 

[shredd_guy]

yea i had the same issue. i was going to run it thru a hole thru the bricks to a room brhind the fireplace but opted out. i run the cord across th hearth in between the bricks then down to the floor wher it is actually running under the tile infront of the hearth then under the carpet to the wall where it pos out again to plug into the wall. sofar the kids havnt taken too much interest in it and i dont think too much about it any more. it is nice being able to check it when doing a start up.

 

[tiber]

Pretty much every building code in the country requires the plug for a plug in appliance to be accessible from the room it is installed in.

+1

You're allowed to direct wire it only if it has a junction box and a switch.

 

[rover47]

What I did was create a switched outlet in the cellar below the fire place. I then ran a lead down the clean out that was in the fire place and plugged it in. When they came to install the insert they had no problem with the cord. I actually asked them when they came out to check the fireplace for the installation. Was told it was ok.