Baseboard Outlets

[Unregistered]

I have seen a home many years ago whereby the electrical outlets were located in the baseboard. Personally, I have never liked the appearance of outlets in a wall. The particular home I seen had outlet covers the same color as the baseboard and it was very non-intrustive. Does anyone know if this meets code and where I could find such products. Thanks.

[Speedy Petey]

Unreg,
Hello. It is fine to install receptacles in the baseboard. In fact you can install them in the floor (within 18" of the wall) anywhere up to 5½' up the wall to serve as a required receptacle. If it is just a new additional receptacle you can put it anywhere you want.
The products for baseboard installation are the same as anwhere else. For new construction typically they are cut into the baseboard later, as opposed to nailing the box on during the rough in.


For future refrence. Put a question like this in one of the electrical forums. Most things electrical are not governed by building codes. We follow our own special set of codes. Although we do dip into building codes for certain things, such as smoke detectors.

[mdshunk]

AND...

If you're contracting this out, it's expensive as heck to have the receptacles installed in the baseboard for new construction. You're absolutely right, though. It does look really nice. I've only done 2 new work jobs in about 15 years in this manner. Both times I left the wires tailed out of the wall, and left a couple of boxes as a "sample" for the trim carpenter. They are much better equipped to do a nice job cutting the rectangles out than the typical electrician might be. In this manner, the boxes are installed at the time of finish wiring. I generally use a metal box with ears for baseboard receptacles, and attach them with four #4 x 3/4" wood screws in the holes on the ears of the box. This is a real old-fashioned method, but sturdy as heck.

[Wgoodrich]

Be careful adding receptacles to a baseboard heater. There is no insulated neutral wire to a 220 volt baseboard heater. These have to be wired with a heater circuit and a general lighting circuit or a three wire with grounding being black red white and bare.

Most heaters have junction box covers on the end of a heater allowing for the junction of power to the heater. These ends have a junction box cover supplied with the heater. The manufacturer often supplies a cover that has a built in receptacle in the cover and often can be bought as an add on for existing heating system.

I wonder if you are not violating the UL listing if you cut through the end of a heater not designed for a receptacle. May be worth considering.

HOpe this helps

Wg

[mdshunk]

HUH? Wg, I think you read the post and had something else on your mind. Baseboard heaters are not involved with this post. Only wooden baseboard moulding.

[Wgoodrich]

Sorry, saw baseboard and auto filled in the heater missing. Guess I need to pay more attention or I am loosing my mind. Could be either.

Sorry

WG