Can I do this? Outlet with cable and 120v in it?

[Steve]

I just mounted my bedroom TV on the wall with a tv bracket. Looks great! Last night I snaked a line from the basement, through the wall and out right behind the TV.

2 questions:

1 - can I run a cable tv line and power to a 1 plug outlet and put both in the same box. I would have a faceplate with 1 power plug and 1 cable connection.

2 - Another problem I've had in that bedroom is the AC keeps tripping the 15 amp breaker. What I'd like to do is put in a 20 amp breaker and run this new curciut. It goes right next to the window with the AC in it so at the bottom of the wall I would put in an outlet for the AC then continue the curcuit up the wall to the outlet for the TV (any problem with the tv being on 20 amp breaker?) again, in the box for the tv I would have 1 outlet and a cable hookup.

Seems simple enough? This way I would kill three problems. cable and power for the wall mounted tv and a new 20 amp outlet for the AC.

Thanks For any info.

Steve

[Greg]

Somebody may make a box with a barrier that allows low voltage and the power to end up on one yoke but I haven't seen one. It is better to put in a regular duplex and put in a low voltage plate next to it for the TV coax. Expect the TV to dip a bit when the A/C comes on.

[maradcliff]

I would not put the coax and 120V in the same box. Lightning strikes can jump conductors.

Just use a #12 wire for a 20A circuit.

The tv draws little power, the AC should have it's own breaker. Yes, the tv will most likely not overload, but the surges from the AC could cause your tv to fail prematurely. Romex is cheap, just run 2 lines and be done with it.

Mark

[Dan]

Unless you can find a UL listed box for this purpose, I don't think so.

Dan

[I-zheet M'drurz]

I don't believe there is a receptacle and cover plate made for that combination. You could do it in a double box, with a standard duplex receptacle in one side and the other side would be empty, as long as you can find a faceplate with a duplex on one side and a round hole for a female mount F-connector in the other. Faiing that, you could buy one with the cable half blank and drill your own hole.

Oh yeah, almost forgot: Pay no attention to the nattering naybobs wo say "don't do it, don't mix xtuff!, no good!, dangerous!, blah, blah, blah." Total BS. Cable and 60 Hz consumer level AC exist side by side *EVERYwhere*, there is no need to keep them apart.

Confusing what you want to do here? Install a new circuit or extend the old one?

If you want to extend the old one and IF, ONLY IF the wiring to it is 20A capacity (12 guage) then yes, you could up the breaker to a 20A. If not (14 guage wire, which is likely) then you are violating code and creating a fire hazerd by using too big of a breaker for the wiring.

If you're running a new circuit, you should consider running 12-3 to the lower outlet, power that receptacle with one side of the 3-wire circuit and continue the other half up the wall to your TV plug. The TV on it's own circuit is overkill, but having it on the same circuit as the AC will get annoying after seeing your picture burp every time the compressor kicks on.

Option 3, I think: If you have a circuit there already, just extend that up the wall for your TV outlet and get the AC off of that circuit, run the new 20A for exclusive use by the AC.

Bit by no means should you up the existing circuit to a 20A breaker before verifying that all wiring in that circuit is 12 guage or heavier.

[Dan]

By the NEC low voltage and line voltage can only be in the same enclosure if it's a listed appliance, what is being discussed is not.

Dan

[Jeff Cochran]

Well, no need other than code requirements and life safety issues...

Jeff

[Jeff Cochran]

Not locally. Code here requires separate boxes. I haven't seen a box that's segmented to separate them, but one may exist (I've never had reason to look).

TV's don't do well on circuits with large surges, those with motors. You can isolate the TV with a line conditioner, but it's easier to just run your separate circuit for the air conditioner.

As always, check with the local authorities for reqirements and permits.

Jeff

[Steve]

So, I add a 20 amp breaker to my panel and run 12 guage line for the AC.

I also run a seperate line for the tv. what do I tie this into? I dont want to add another breaker just for this one curcuit with the tv on it???? Should I find the nearest junction box and tie into that? There are enough on the basement ceiling nearby. That would put the tv on an existing curciut/breaker

[HaHaHa]

Use a single gang box with a "decora" type receptacle.

Install receptacle with a 2-gang decora coverplate overhanging the wall to one side. Trace the unused decora opening with pencil on the sheetrock.

Remove coverplate and cut out the sheetrock where you traced. Snake coax to that point. Mount a decora coaxial cable connecter plate to the coverplate, screw coax cable into the back, and then screw that coverplate onto the receptacle.

There is no need for a backbox for coaxial cable. It will look like a 2-gang box but it isn't. [e-mail]

[I-zheet M'drurz]

There's no "low voltage" there, there's an extremely low RF signal.

[I-zheet M'drurz]

I knew you folks would be here!

Bo such problems. This is not "low voltage wiring" by any stretch of the imagination, it is an insulated piece of wire with the only exposed conducting surface at ground potential. IOW: It is at the same potential as the metalic box and the ground wire for the 120 VAC.

Why don't you run off and try to scare somebody who doesn't know any better?

[I-zheet M'drurz]

That'll work too! I don't really see the need for it to be "Decora", I think a combination cover with duplex on one side and a switch opening on the other side would work just as good, if you need to start attaching other things to it. In any case, you're still right, a typical cable wall plate is just installed over a "plaster ring" which is a flush mount metal plate, not a whole box.

I could swear I've seen double cover plates with one side blank (you could just drill your own 3/8" hole for the f-connector) but I could be wrong.

[Dan]

Still low voltage or signalling by the NEC, hey I don't care if you don't! Ask your insurance company after an injury or a fire.

Dan

[Chet Hayes]

Yes and you propose putting the exposed conducting surface in the same box with live AC wiring. Now what happens if a hot AC wire shorts against the metalic outer shield of the TV cable? Even in a properly grounded cable installation, it's not unusual for homeowners to disconnect portions of the cable system, like at the splitter in the basement. That would leave the entire cable segment with the AC short live. That's why it's not safe and will not pass inspection. And exactly what is the point to all this? To save installing a seperate box in the wall for the cable?

Plus, when one goes to sell the house, things like this are going to be flagged by during a home inspection by the buyer and will have to be fixed.

[I-zheet M'drurz]

THE SAME THING that happens when the hot AC wire shorts against the metalic box! It trips the breaker, you nattering naybob!

[Chet Hayes]

I see you conveniently ignored the example I gave, where a future homeowner may have disconnected the cable segment feeding the dual box outlet from the rest of the cable system. This is very common. For example, that cable outlet may not be needed at the moment and while tring to improve signal quality at other outlets, a homeowner may unhook the other end of the cable from a splitter in the basement. In your recommended scenario, a short now leaves the entire cable segment hot, which could kill someone. It's also possible that the cable system is not properly grounded to begin with. That's why, even ignoring code violations, only an idiot would mix cable system and AC connections in the same box.

[Chet Hayes]

Yes, you can tie the TV outlet into another circuit, after figuring out the best choice based on loading and ease of connecting, etc

[I-zheet M'drurz]

Nice fantasy, are you on drugs???

Yeahhhh, I see...this magical "short" that you dream up, which doesn't happen in the real world. Tell me, in your fantasy, does the hot AC wire just swell up to 1000 times its normal size and finally get big enough to reach the coax? Or does it jump loose from the wire nut and magically dance around in the box until it "finds" the coax and magically latches on to it?

Yeah it could, if it could actually happen. It doesn't.

Well yeah, anything's possible, I guess it's possible that the entire grounding circuit of your TVs and possibly cable converter boxes are all loose, open, or maybe in your drug- induced fantasies they just vanish from the face of the earth?

[steve]

I am still looking for this magic metallic insulated cable coax.....