Help: electrical line "inside" fireplace (behind ventless)

   / Help: electrical line "inside" fireplace (behind ventless) #1  

Richard

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I didn't know how to make the title make too much sense

I'll attach a picture.

Setup: We installed this fireplace 8/9 years ago and now, the wife wants to redo the finish of it, taking down the panels and hiring someone to put up a stone finish.

All that is fine & dandy.

She MIGHT also want to have some lights on the structure that is rebuilt and we don't have power anywhere near HOWEVER, I'm thinking I can easily cut a hole in the floor and take a line to the basement which will have some electrical work done to it later this summer and I can tie it in then (the electrician can)

I'm thinking I should bore a hole either in the bottom left corner or through the floor plate so it will be as far from the firebox as I can. I'm also thinking it's a good idea to run it through some conduit. For heat protection if nothing else, although it really doesn't get that warm over here. I was taking this apart while the fireplace was running all morning and frankly, don't think I felt ANY warmth here. Metal conduit? plastic?

Regardless of that, I'd rather be double safe than 1% sorry so I'm putting it here to see if some electrical experts might have a suggestion for me so it's ok.

Frankly, I'd rather simply drill the hole and put the conduit in myself, (and pay an electrician later to attach everything) than to hire an electrician today to simply drill a hole and maybe put a stick of conduit in, then pay them again later, to hook up the ends.

Any thoughts?

I tried to mark one of the spots where I was thinking on drilling. also, that is the gas line coming into the house on the left. It snakes behind the fireplace to the OTHER side and I actually have more congestion over there than I do here because of the shutoff valve and little drip tube (or what ever it's called for water in the line to drip into)
 

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   / Help: electrical line "inside" fireplace (behind ventless) #2  
I'm thinking I should bore a hole either in the bottom left corner or through the floor plate so it will be as far from the firebox as I can. I'm also thinking it's a good idea to run it through some conduit. For heat protection if nothing else, although it really doesn't get that warm over here. I was taking this apart while the fireplace was running all morning and frankly, don't think I felt ANY warmth here. Metal conduit? plastic?

it looks like the fireplace is well insulated, I would just run plastic, or not worry about it.

Aaron Z
 
   / Help: electrical line "inside" fireplace (behind ventless) #3  
In the sunny south, there are many gas fireplaces that have electronic ignition, or accessory fans, so installing romex near a fireplace does not concern me greatly. The wires inside the romex jacket are rated for 90 degree celsius (176 F), which is pretty warm. There should be a label on the fireplace stating how far away building materials must be kept, which would be a good distance to keep the wire at. If I was going to use anything to protect the wire, it would propably be a fire retardant insulation like mineral wool.
 
   / Help: electrical line "inside" fireplace (behind ventless) #4  
Richard,
With that fireplace I think you'd be okay running the "Romex" type wire where you marked. A lot of those have electric run to them for blowers or ignitors, so running wire for lights where you marked is no big deal.
 
   / Help: electrical line "inside" fireplace (behind ventless) #5  
I would say as long as your as far away as the manufacturer recommends for combustables, you'll be fine. On the fireplace I built in our log home, The fireplace was in a greatroom w/really tall (22') ceilings. I did all the work myself, so it's not really hard. The wife wanted a shelf over the mantle to put her lighted butterfly houses and decorative mason jars, so I ran outlets along the back wall above the shelf and ran the switch down to the stones on the side of the fireplace. If you like it, I can give you all the details on how to put it on (the veneer stone) It's really simple.
 

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   / Help: electrical line "inside" fireplace (behind ventless) #6  
Richard,

Romex is fine as long as it is kept away from the fireplace metal, usually an inch is ok. I just installed a zero clearance propane fireplace with all sorts of electrical fans and remote. It even had a plug in the bottom of the unit. I installed a plug above the fireplace for a big screen TV with wires for speakers and cable.

If the hole is from the basement or crawl space be sure to seal the hole with fire block. This is code and not to make a chimney inside the wall from below.

Cary:cool:
 
   / Help: electrical line "inside" fireplace (behind ventless) #7  
Richard,
With that fireplace I think you'd be okay running the "Romex" type wire where you marked. A lot of those have electric run to them for blowers or ignitors, so running wire for lights where you marked is no big deal.

Just what I was going to post. I second Inspector.
Terry
 
   / Help: electrical line "inside" fireplace (behind ventless) #8  
With much space around that fire box. Romex will be ok. I would be no more worried about the romex in that area of the fire box than I would all the wood around it
 
 
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