Adding outlets behind bathroom vanity?

Carwen · 08-09-2005, 12:04 PM

Hi all, this is my first post. My husband and I are renovating (in every way) our bathroom. (We've been renovating for four years, now, and are finally tackling the bathrooms. We are replacing a 48" vanity with a 60" double-bowl vanity on the adjacent wall. ("Duh" number 2,463 - a 60" vanity will not fit in the space that holds a 60" tub but we found a way around that.) The new vanity is taller than the old one and will hide the existing gfci outlet, so the outlet has to move. Since the new vanity has an open back and comprises two 24" sink bases with a 12" drawer stack in the middle, we would like to have an outlet on each side, somewhere in the under-sink area. This will hide rechargeables and keep the hair dryer cord from sweeping things off the vanity top. I could spend a day in line at the building department and then learn nothing, but thought I might ask here. Does standard code permit this? I know sinkerators and water filters use under-sink outlets, so this is not much different. Any advice would be welcome. Thanks!

Mike Swearingen · 08-10-2005, 01:38 AM

I'm a long-time DIYer, not an electrician, but yes, you can install receptacles inside a sink cabinet base if you wish. If the first outlet in the circuit is GFCI, then all regular outlets beyond it in that same circuit wil be GFCI-protected. Good Luck!
Mike

Speedy Petey · 08-11-2005, 09:45 PM

Just remember, receptacles downstream of a GFI are only protected if the GFI is wired that way.

Neil_K · 08-14-2005, 10:10 PM

I would never hear the end of it if my wife had to bend down to the back of the cabinet to plug in her hair dryer, not to mention the fact that she may need a longer cord.