Adding receptical in fireplace.

Clutchcargo

I'm installing a gas fireplace insert that needs electricity for the circulation fan. My plan is to drill a 1/2" hole through the brick in the basement to gain access to the clean out door (which will be removed). I'm going to use BX or some kind of armored cable. I have just enough clearance on the back of the fireplace to attach a box to the brick.
Does this sound like a correct way to do this?
TIA

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Clutchcargo

Anybody,
How close to the j-box does BX need to be secured?

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slakker

I had the same challenge, but I drilled a hole through the back of the firebox as the back goes to the furnace room. I put a new outlet there to plug in the insert... I chose to put the outlet outside of the firebox for maintenance and access... but this meant I had to cut the plug on the cord and put a new plug on... either that or drill a 1 1/2" hole which I wasn't gonna do. I may have voided the warranty by cutting it though...

The original installer just had the blower extension come out the front which was silly...

dmaceld

Are you saying you ran the power cord through a hole in the firebox and the wall into the furnace room? If so, and just so you know, that is an absolute no-no according to the electrical code.

dmaceld

It sounds like you are going to be breaching the integrity of the original fireplace insert, right? If so, I would suggest you find some way to severely destroy the integrity of the original fireplace so there is no way in h*** it could ever be put back in service without a proper repair or rebuild. Otherwise, if there is any chance you, or a subsequent owner, may want to use it as a real fireplace some day, you might try to find a different route for the wire and preserve the integrity of the original fireplace.

slakker

The insert installer had already destroyed the integrity of the original firebox as that's how he ran the gas to the insert by drilling through the firebox to run the gas. This was done with permits, etc.. But do get the point that the firebox can't be used for a wood burning fireplace again. But that may be a moot point as there's local by laws being talked of to ban all wood burning fireplaces.

I couldn't find anything in the canadian code that this would breach when I did this, but I'll check again.

Thanks for the pointers.

Clutchcargo

The only way to not poke holes in the brick is to run the services on the outside of the fireplace and enter though the front. That's not visually appealing and my probably not code.
Running the wire up though the clean out door is the only way to not destroy the integrety of the firebox. The fireplace was never really functional for wood burning. We were wondering why the chimney looked so clean when we first moved in. Whoever designed it, designed it with a flue that was too small, so it fills the house with smoke before the draft gets going.
I imagine the pipefitter will follow the same route to bring gas into the firebox.
I'm pretty sure I can get an electrical box in the back of the fireplace, but it's going to be tight. Is there a shallow box that I could use. Does the wire need to be secured? How do I secure it to brick?

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HiFi

I dont see the problem in making those holes.IF thtas what is convenient go forward with it