i've been asked to install plug outlets in vanity draws so for example, a hair dryer or shavers can be left plugged in and keeped in the vanity draw.
i would like anyone that has seen or heared of such a thing to please give me some insight.
does the plug in the draw slide on energized tracts or what?

Shadow-tx:
Welcome to the forum!

AS to your question.....energized tracks in the drawer?? I don't think so.

Thoughts on the matter are telling me whatever you may devise may not be NEC compliant.

If you have a hinged "door" (the front of the drawer), and the "drawer" is non-movable, you could mount a recept in there, and the dryer, shaver cords may be long enough to be useful.

Good luck, perhaps someone else has some opinions????

John

I would assume they are referring to a receptacle in the vanity, not in the actual drawer.
I can't think of anything against this.

A number of years ago, I worked on a new house-wiring project where the owner made the same request. I believe what my colleague did was to place a receptacle inside the vanity and behind the drawer. This receptacle was cut into the back of the vanity and fed from the load side of a GFI above the counter top. The back of the drawer was either cut down or notched in some way so as to easily allow cords to pass over or through. Thus curling irons, electric razors, hair dryers, and similar items could be left plugged in at all times whether in the drawer or out. As an added safety precaution a DPST switch was used to switch both the vanity lights and the drawer receptacle on and off at the same time. In doing so, it would be much less likely that say a curling iron would be left on once put away (the vanity light would still be left on as well). If you use the DPST switch, and the GFI and lights are not on the same circuit, make sure these two breakers have a common handle tie (two circuits on same yoke).

Instead of running a number of cords over the back of the drawer and into the receptacle, you may instead want to consider mounting a cord powered recepacle strip inside the drawer itself (to avoid any possible problems with 406.4(E), mount the strip on the side of the drawer instead of the bottom). Then you would have just one cord running to the receptacle in the back of the vanity. This would also provide the user with more available tool cord length to work with.

[This message has been edited by triple (edited 10-08-2003).]

[This message has been edited by triple (edited 10-08-2003).]

Don’t give up on your paying customer yet! Did they tell you what their budget was?
;-) ;-) ;-)






[This message has been edited by Bjarney (edited 10-08-2003).]

Shadow-tx,

What you are most likely wanting to acheive is best known here as a utility garage.

They are most common in kitchens of custom homes. You can hide your toaster and can openers in there.

They mount on top of the counter top and have a front door whereby you can conceal these devices.

They are made of wood and look like part of the cabinets.

We usually like to put a double duplex receptacle on the wall directly behind were the garage is going to be installed.

This is the most common sense way to keep ugly devices hidden without trying to invent sliding contacts inside of a drawer.

My opinion only,

Tev

If you were to randomly look at 10 residential vanities, how many do you think would have enough counter space to install an appliance garage large enough to hold a razor, dryer, curler, and possibly one or two other items. Usually when you come across a large vanity it has two sinks, which negates any possibility of big open areas. Also, many mirrors would tend to interfere with an appliance garage that sat up higher that the back splash. Large mirrors above the vanity are the reason that most electricians avoid even installing a receptacle directly above the back of the vanity.

Don't get me wrong; an appliance garage would definately "work" in some cases. It just won't be as universally acceptable (visually and practically) as it seems to be in kitches.

Personally, I don't see what's wrong with having a normal receptacle on the outside and just plugging in the hair-dryer or whatever when needed.

If it has to be, however, I like the isolation switch idea which will insure that any appliances go off with the lights.

What about mounting a "door switch" in behind the back of the drawer which energizes a plug in the back of the drawer wired with a piece of flex. Then the plug will deenergize when its closed.

Just a guess here, the customer might want the outlet to stay on 24/7 to power rechargeable shavers.

Triple:
I like your idea....
THe only concern I would have is to assure the cord be protected from physical damage. (Chafing, pinching)

BTW, I know Joe Tedesco would not be happy with the "power strip".

Hey Bjarney:
Now he didn't say is was a heavy duty industrial vanity, did he???

John

[This message has been edited by HotLine1 (edited 10-08-2003).]

The impression I got was that he is working on a beauty shop or barber shop. Now the next time I go to Supercuts guess what I'll be looking at?
Brian

HotLine1, on the “heavy-duty industrial vanity” you just can’t be sure what it will used for be a month from now, right? Just imagine, with the Insul-8 crane-power busbars, you could have both a hot and a switched leg in the drawer… {And deluxe 480V 60-amp spare capacity for the 1600#-capacity dough mixer, or Elizabeth Taylor's custom Ultra-Poof hair dryer… ;-) }




[This message has been edited by Bjarney (edited 10-08-2003).]

This might be a little outside the usual lines that are customary but you never know what your customers might have seen recently (at home shows, on their social rounds, on tv, in their visits with the realtor, etc.) that compels them to ask for a new-fangled accommodation. Perhaps ask your customer where or when they saw the set-up they're asking for. If they have the money and want some special accommodation, you ought to at least be willing to investigate it and find out what's involved. Perhaps place a call to a realtor that serves an upscale area and ask to see some of the newer bathroom, vanity, dressing room or walk-in closet amenities.
From personal experience, having a vanity such as one you describe with the blow dryer and curling iron hidden but readily accessible and already plugged in would be an improvement over my recent arrangements - beauty tools & their cords all over the place or all of them wound up and hidden away in the cupboard beneath the sink and hence, less likely to be used in making me presentable.

Thought I would come back in to add that this has intrigued me and I've spent some time thinking about and researching it. I found a discussion regarding optimally locating bathroom outlets and one was in the vanity drawer though it doesn't sound like a 100% certifiable solution:

"A designer told me the latest trend is to install a plug in the back of the drawer wires would lead to another box in the wall under the counter). The original box in the wall falls within code. At final installation, the box and faceplate are installed in the back of the drawer. You plug in your hairdryer and when needed, just pull it out - no need to ever plug/unplug."

And another though it doesn't describe the technical end of their solution:
When we remodeled our master bath several years ago, I had a deep drawer installed with a strip plug inside the drawer. This is where all those bulky things like my hair dryer & curling iron go. Out of sight but can be pulled out & turned on to use. Also, I wish I had had a second drawer installed for my husband & his electric razor & hair clippers. He is always putting them in MY drawer & getting the cords all tangled. We are now in the process of building another home & you can be sure there will be HIS & HER drawers."

Maybe it's just because I know how my wife is, but the thought of having a receptacle in the drawer that she could leave her curling iron plugged into scares me to death!

I really can't help wondering how long it takes to plug in the device when needed. Two seconds maybe?

What next? Remote controls to pre-heat the dryer or curling iron from the bedroom?

Paul yes exactly!

Do you get to see "This Old (real expensive) House" over there.

They installed a Jacuzzi style tub that you could call from your cell phone to fill up to whatever temp you wanted. (Yes, really)

Once in your tub you could see who is at your front door on a video screen and hit a button to let them in.

And to think I actually turn the knobs on my shower.

I have one of those recent (ca. 1999) curling irons with the auto shut-off after some elapsed period of time so even if it is plugged in and turned on, it's not going to stay on all day or night. If you use one of the heat-deferring/absorbing protective barrels in the drawer, you wouldn't have the hot curling iron barrel touching anything which could burn.

When I have done this -in a rolling toolbox/ work center- I used SO cord that hung in the space behind the drawers. Great attention was given to preventing abrasion, pinch points. FWIW, wire made for this sort of thing is called "festoon" cable.
I have also seen hair-dryer appliances that incorporated the receptacle in the "basket" that held the dryer.

My girlfriend is a hairdresser and her station has one of these setups. The curling iron, blow dryer, and two clippers are neatly holstered in there and always plugged in and ready to go. The advantage is that the cords are not hanging around and that the top of the station is not cluttered with appliances and cords to gather hair clippings. She can close it during a cut and open it when she needs something. Makes it a whole heck of a lot easier to keep clean for regulatory compliance, and saves significant time over the course of the year, as well as helping the aesthetics of the salon. I think the units were bought prewired, much as a display case might be.