Anything unsafe about this proposed wiring?

[Toller]

My wife wants to rearrange our furniture (ie. buy a new, much larger, couch) and I would like to put in a reading lamp where she proposes to put my chair. There is no outlet, no possibility of running an extension cord, and no possibility of installing a new outlet.

If we had thought of it last year when new carpet was installed perhaps one could have gone in the floor, but I am not messing with the carpet.

The fireplace has fans that pass room air over the fire box and back into the room. We don't use it because the heat doesn't justify the noise. But, it has 120v going to it.

Can replace the fan with an electrical box/outlet and plug the reading light into that?

I am sure it violates some code or other, but it seems about as safe as anything; it is pretty darn fireproof in there.

[Tom Horne, Electrician]

Much depends on how the present wiring is arranged. Does the power go to the fans and just the ungrounded conductor go to the switch, or does the power go to the switch first and then continue on to the fans?

On the wooden column box to the right of the fire place you can mount a wiremold box for your new receptacle. You can then bring power to it by whichever path suits you. You can drill into the Heatilator airway to tap the fan power, through the floor to accommodate a feed from below, or run wiremold up to the ceiling to except a feed run from above.

[Nick Hull]

Sometimes when I need to run a wire quick & dirty I bore a .38 calibre hole and run a wire thru it. Larger wire needs a .45 cal hole. Make sure you have something that will stop the bullet and no plumbing or wiring is in the path, although I have run wires thru heating ducts when no better path could be found. It's safe if properly fused and codes don't count if it's a plug-in.

[gfretwell]

Can you get to the fan box from the wall around the corner from the brick? I don't see a problem with tapping that fan box for a receptacle but I wouldn't think you want to damage your brick fireplace facade. I assume the fan is on a general lighting circuit since it is probably not big enough to justify a dedicated circuit.

[Toller]

I want to actually put the outlet IN the heatilator, and run the lamp cord through the vent. The power goes to the switch, the fan I want to use, and then to the other fan; hot, neutral and ground. So it would be a simple matter to just put an outlet in place of the fan.

Putting a box on the doorway would be hideous.

[Tom Horne, Electrician]

Toller Running a flexible cord through the vent is illegal and dangerous. Lamp cord must be visible along it's entire length so as to be available for inspection to spot decay as soon as it happens. The trade off for flexibility in lamp cords is a much more limited service life. All flexible cords will harden over time. If that cord faults to the Heatilator grill the entire grill could become live without tripping the circuits Over Current Protective Device. If you have no pets or tiny people on your floors then you and your spouse are the only ones at risk.

By taking a masonry drill bit you can drill out enough mortar and part of one brick to install a masonry box in the brick work around the corner. You would drill through the back of the space into the Heatilator airway to obtain power using metal clad cable. You then have a flush mounted receptacle in the brick work around the corner from the fireplace.

[Toller]

Wouldn't a GFCI outlet address that problem? And just to be redundant, if I used a metal electrical box, the grill would be grounded through the box.

I appreciate your pointing out these problems.

[Mark]

You seem set on doing what you propose despite the risks pointed out. Go for it, it's your house and your family. You might check the batteries in your smoke detectors while you are at it - unless you already cannibalized them for something else as well.

[maradcliff]

Personally I think it's time for a wife upgrade. Simply trade in the old model and some cash for a newer version. Be sure to get one that dont require moving your chair or wasting money on new furniture when the old stuff works just fine. I understand that WIFE2007.ZIP is now available as a "try before you buy" download on many of the larger downloading websites. You may still be using WIFE95, or even an older version, and its time to upgrade.

Mark

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[Toller]

i'm using wife86! i think it would take too much money to update that much.

[hallerb]

not only is the wife upgrade costly but once entrentched she wouldnt be satisfied with rearranging furniture.......... she will demand a brand new home..........:(

I am using wife 97 but some days:(:(:(:(