Power in a mobile kitchen island?

[Matt Meiser]

Designing the mobile island for my parent's kitchen I realized that in our old house, having an outlet in the island was quite handy. I'm thinking this could be duplicated on their mobile island if the electrician put a plug in the floor and we made the island plug in. I can forsee some problems with this though, like what happens if the island is moved without disconnecting the power? Plus bending over and reaching underneath. Anyone done it?

[Peter Stahl]

Never done it Matt but I guess you could add a safety cable just a little shorter that the cord.

[Bill Leonard]

I recently did our kitchen during the new construction and planned on a mobile island with power from a floor receptacle. The county code nazis put a stop to the plan. No floor receptacles allowed in the kitchen, baths, or laundry rooms. Makes sense I guess due to the possibility of water intrusion. Check with your local electrical code gurus.

[Darrell Bade]

Have not done it yet, but am going to in the future. When I built our cabinets for the new house last summer I ran out of time and did not get the mobile island done.

The builder told me he could not put a floor outlet in the kitchen because it was a code violation. He did run a wire into the crawl below the island that has wire nuts on it right now which is probably also a code violation except I live in one of three counties in this state that does not require a building permit or any inspections (makes you have to pick a reputable builder that you trust). I need to put the floor outlet in when I build the island.

I never thought about the problem of moving the island with it plugged in. I was planning on just plugging whatever you wanted to use on the island into a floor outlet, but then if you moved it you would pull something onto the floor. Need to give this some more thought myself.

I need to try to talk my wife into a permanent island again!

[Peter Stahl]

If you do it Matt, definitely have it on a GFCI. Check your local electrical supply and see what they have for floor outlets. You can wire it after GFCI outlet and even put in a timer switch in a cabinet so it's not hot all the time. Just a thought?

[Jim Becker]

I thought about it when I did our mobile island back in about 2002, but the combination of a full-thickness brick floor and the need to actually move the island from time to time (The kitchen door at that point was our primary home entrance) precluded it.

Now, one interesting idea might be a twist lock on the ceiling with strain relief that could provide power when needed, but be "put away" when not in use.

[Jamie Buxton]

.. one interesting idea might be a twist lock on the ceiling with strain relief that could provide power when needed, but be "put away" when not in use...

One trouble with a twist lock at the ceiling is that you'd have to climb on top of the island to plug in. Instead, how 'bout a pull-down cable? It'd be spring loaded, perhaps on a reel, so you could reach up and pull it down. To make it a little less obtrusive, you could arrange it so that the business end reels up to the ceiling level, with just a slender pull-cord draping down to be within reach.

[Jamie Buxton]

Like this...

The reel itself would be inside the ceiling or attic. When the cord is retracted, it would be entirely out of sight. The only visible thing would be a light pull-cord, like for drapes. It would come down from the ceiling only far enough that adults could grab it to pull the electricity down for use.

[Rollie Meyers]

Like this...

The reel itself would be inside the ceiling or attic. When the cord is retracted, it would be entirely out of sight. The only visible thing would be a light pull-cord, like for drapes. It would come down from the ceiling only far enough that adults could grab it to pull the electricity down for use.

The only problem is..... You cannot pass a cord through the ceiling.


Article 400 covers flexable cords, here is a copy & paste from the 2008 NEC which this section is unchanged from the 2005.

400.8 Uses Not Permitted. Unless specifically permitted
in 400.7, flexible cords and cables shall not be used for the
following:
(1) As a substitute for the fixed wiring of a structure
(2) Where run through holes in walls, structural ceilings,
suspended ceilings, dropped ceilings, or floors
(3) Where run through doorways, windows, or similar
openings
(4) Where attached to building surfaces
Exception to (4): Flexible cord and cable shall be permitted
to be attached to building surfaces in accordance with the
provisions of 368.56(B)
(5) Where concealed by walls, floors, or ceilings or located
above suspended or dropped ceilings
(6) Where installed in raceways, except as otherwise permitted
in this Code
(7) Where subject to physical damage

Bold type by me.

[sean m. titmas]

im not certain if a floor outlet is allowed by code in a kitchen but thats only an issue if your pulling a permit for the work. if there is no permit for the work than go ahead and install whatever you want. i would put the GFCI outlet in a code approved box and put it on a switch so that it can be made live only when you are using it. also install a heavy duty coil cord and make it long enough for the island to reach the wall. also use heavy duty locking polyurethane casters.

[Jamie Buxton]

...You cannot pass a cord through the ceiling....


Okay. Then the reel could be concealed in some other way. For instance, it could be fastened to the underside of the ceiling with some sort of boxing to conceal it. Or the ceiling could have a box in it, going up between the rafters, so the concealing sheet below the reel could be flush with the ceiling. Or maybe, in a kitchen with a high-tech/industrial look, the reel could be left visible. The point is that the pull-down cable does what Matt needs -- power to a mobile island.

[Rollie Meyers]

Okay. Then the reel could be concealed in some other way. For instance, it could be fastened to the underside of the ceiling with some sort of boxing to conceal it. Or the ceiling could have a box in it, going up between the rafters, so the concealing sheet below the reel could be flush with the ceiling. Or maybe, in a kitchen with a high-tech/industrial look, the reel could be left visible. The point is that the pull-down cable does what Matt needs -- power to a mobile island.


This may apply...

(5) Where concealed by walls, floors, or ceilings or located
above suspended or dropped ceilings

[Matt Meiser]

So we didn't do this and the electrician basically threw a fit about it. He told my mom that they might not pass inspection because islands are required to have power. I can't see how they can demand this since the island is a piece of furniture if its on wheels. Anyone have any insight? The "solution" is going to be to leave the island in the garage until after the final inspection. I think that's just dumb.

[Rollie Meyers]

IMO, you need power to the island but since it is not a fixed cabinet, I do not see how a inspector could require it since it's mobile.......

If a inspector did require one it would be time to insist on a code section supposedly being violated.

[Roger Frazee]

The NEC does not address the requirements for portable kitchen countertops like portable islands. This is one of those proverbial gray areas...:)

The only place you could cite code would be the exceptions for receptacle location for pennisular and island receptacles that are fixed. And that receptacle(s) cannot be face up on the countertop. It can be not more than 12'' below the top of the island on the side as long as the countertop overhang is not greater than 6". But again this is for fixed islands.

As for a portable island there is no reason it cannot have a receptacle IMO as long as it isn't face up on the countertop.. But I also hate receptacles on the side of a cabinet. To easy for a kid to jerk off a electric skillet full of hot grease. For some reason kids love to use cords to pull themselves up.

As Rollie said there is no easy nice looking solution and be able to tip toe around code requirements. However there is one that I like and I have seen pass inspection to a picky code official who wants to apply fixed island requirements to portable ones. So I'll just post a picture of it. It is vertically installed through the countertop and has an access door . You reach in and pull the tower up. I like it because even if you forget to unplug or a kid grabs the cord he is not pulling against the applaince but the fixed receptacle.

[Kent A Bathurst]

The "solution" is going to be to leave the island in the garage until after the final inspection. I think that's just dumb.

Matt - play the cards you're dealt. You aren't trying to make a point about the local code to the inspector, you're making a mobile island. "You cannot beat city hall". THe inspector always wins these - that's their feifdom/rice bowl - and you don't want them aggravated so they start looking for other stuff.

Like a stare-down with SWMBO - your only rational response is "Yes Dear. You're right, Dear." Then next week buy the doggone LN LA jack anyway.

It's often easier to apologize than ask permission, but with the inspector you have no choice.

[John Pratt]

We put in a mobile bar with power in the family game room. Wired everything up to a power inverter, built a small cubby for a 12V battery and presto, power in a mobile bar. When the bar is not in use it goes to a "stationary" position where it plugs in to recharge the battery. Not sure this would work for a kitchen island, but if one end of the island is near a wall (making it like a peninsula) it could plug in.

[Jim Becker]

I thought about it when I build my mobile island, but never did anything about it. Most of the time, I haven't missed having a power outlet there. And even having one under it would be a pain since the floor is full-thickness brick over a mud bed. :eek: