Hidden electrical

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Bronco9588

New Member
Jan 17, 2023
9
Annapolis MR
I have a wood stove with a blower fan. The blower fan is powered with a plug in extension cord. Is there a good solution that I could hide the cord and plug this into a hidden electrical outlet inside the depth of a 2x4 wall?
 
I'm pretty sure that is not permitted by the electrical code.
 
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Don't get the idea of a "hidden outlet". What's wrong with a plainly visible outlet you plug the blower into? Do you not want to see the cord?
 
Can you hardwire it from below? Somehow wire has to go to the blower which I assume is part of the stove. It's going to take a cord or wire of some kind.
 
Adding an outlet in the hearth behind the stove may be the best solution.
 
I was thinking of something like this with an outlet in the space between the exterior wall and the interior that is routed through conduit to the stove:

That could work if the cord is then routed in a conduit. I'm not sure that would look much better, but as long as the access cover allows full access to the receptacle for service, then it could be ok. It would need to be set up so that one is able to pull the receptacle out, and service all the wiring in the future.
 
Would't that door have to be open to expose the receptacle? And during the entire time the blower is in use? That would be ugly.

Just wire in a receptacle near the stove in a somewhat concealed location. That would probably be easier.

Or buy a less ugly extension cord.

Or don't use the blower. The noise is bothersome, isn't it?

An ecofan moves nearly as much air as a blower. Silent but deadly.

Or not.
 
Would't that door have to be open to expose the receptacle? And during the entire time the blower is in use? That would be ugly.

Just wire in a receptacle near the stove in a somewhat concealed location. That would probably be easier.

Or buy a less ugly extension cord.

Or don't use the blower. The noise is bothersome, isn't it?

An ecofan moves nearly as much air as a blower. Silent but deadly.

Or not.
No, it would be the same as a receptacle in the back of a cabinet. There has to be full access for serviceability, but it does not have to be always visible.
 
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Yes, the OP wants to route the cord in a conduit. I am not seeing how that will look better, but that is what has been proposed. Seeing that a new outlet has to be added anyway, I would look into placing one behind the stove to eliminate the extension cord. Or put it in the back of the stove, with a receptacle in the hearth pad. Then the blower cord could be shortened to minimize the appearance.
 
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Or do away with the noisy blower altogether.

everybody has their "things". Since the kids have moved out, we like quiet. We used to love the noise. But that's a different noise.
 
We have a blower on our stove. It doesn't get used all the time but it's nice to have when I want to move more heat quickly. Fortunately, it's pretty quiet.
 
Quiet is in the ear of the beholder. We live in a quiet place. Even the fridge is loud. And it's not.

we have come to only use the blower to keep flue temps in check on hot restarts. Which is about 15-20 minutes every time we load wood. It annoys me. It's on now. Annoying me. And it's pretty quiet. I can hear the fridge as much as the blower and it's not a loud fridge at all.

anyway, some folks hate the dastardly ugly extension cord..
 
Quiet is in the ear of the beholder. We live in a quiet place. Even the fridge is loud. And it's not.

we have come to only use the blower to keep flue temps in check on hot restarts. Which is about 15-20 minutes every time we load wood. It annoys me. It's on now. Annoying me. And it's pretty quiet. I can hear the fridge as much as the blower and it's not a loud fridge at all.

anyway, some folks hate the dastardly ugly extension cord..
You should start a new thread about noise. And fridges.
 
Yes, the OP wants to route the cord in a conduit. I am not seeing how that will look better, but that is what has been proposed. Seeing that a new outlet has to be added anyway, I would look into placing one behind the stove to eliminate the extension cord. Or put it in the back of the stove, with a receptacle in the hearth pad. Then the blower cord could be shortened to minimize the appearance.
So the insert is flush with the wall and raised about 6 inches above the hearth flush with the floor. My concern with the appearance is that the chord will cross have to dangle and cross over the stone veneer.

Or... I get a little creative and hide it behind an access panel.
 
You should start a new thread about noise. And fridges.
Maybe I should. Meanwhile you should start one about the bees in your bonnet.




I had no idea this was an insert until op's last post. I guess eliminating the blower is not an option.
 
Time out, things have changed, back in the day everything "hidden" was hardwired, now today things are plug and play, just helped with a new kitchen, had to cut the cabinet backside out and install an outlet for the dishwasher... per code no less, no more hard wiring those... if hindsight is 20/20 then a blower can have a recessed outlet, I'd check with a certified electrician or local code official. Remember this has nothing to do with practable knowledge, you want everything by the book incase of an emergency and subsequent insurance payment, you dont want the insurance to decline a claim due to something dumb.
 
Time out, things have changed, back in the day everything "hidden" was hardwired, now today things are plug and play, just helped with a new kitchen, had to cut the cabinet backside out and install an outlet for the dishwasher... per code no less, no more hard wiring those... if hindsight is 20/20 then a blower can have a recessed outlet, I'd check with a certified electrician or local code official. Remember this has nothing to do with practable knowledge, you want everything by the book incase of an emergency and subsequent insurance payment, you dont want the insurance to decline a claim due to something dumb.
The only requirements here that I am aware of is that the outlet must be accessible and maintainable without having to cut the drywall. It will still have a plug...in the wall.

Heaven help the insurance company that tries to deny a claim for a non code violation... I do insurance investigations all day long.

Thanks for everyone's help.
 
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So the insert is flush with the wall and raised about 6 inches above the hearth flush with the floor. My concern with the appearance is that the chord will cross have to dangle and cross over the stone veneer.

Or... I get a little creative and hide it behind an access panel.
This is the first mention that this is for an insert. That is a different case. It might be possible to hardwire and put in a service switch instead.

Can you post a picture of the setup showing the proposed location for the hidden outlet?
 
If this is for an Insert, My dealer suggested running a line up through the old cleanout and a box put into the back of the masonry fireplace. I didn't want to pay for an electrician and was worried the heat might melt the insulation in the wires. I just have the blower plugged into a power strip