How to Install an Electrical Receptacle in a Prefabricated Fireplace. A prefabricated fireplace with a blower is no longer just a pretty focal point in a room -- it can be used as a secondary heat source on chilly nights. When an electrical receptacle does not come pre-installed, a homeowner with basic electrical experience can complete the task with standard tools.
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Prefabricated fireplaces offer a variety of options for the homeowner who wants all the charm with few of the hazards involved in a masonry fireplace. Many come equipped with a junction box and electrical wire already in place so that a blower can be added to the system. A prefabricated fireplace with a blower is no longer just a pretty focal point in a room -- it can be used as a secondary heat source on chilly nights. When an electrical receptacle does not come pre-installed, a homeowner with basic electrical experience can complete the task with standard tools.
1
Locate the breaker or fuse for the fireplace unit where you wish to install a receptacle. Switch the breaker to 'off' or unscrew the fuse. Double check that no electricity is flowing through the wires with a non-contact circuit tester.
2
Refer to your fireplace manual for the location of the junction box designed for use with the fireplace's optional blower kit. Check behind one of the louvered covers for a small metal box with a cover if the manual in unavailable.
3
Remove the cover from the junction box. Grasp the three-stranded wire and pull about 6 inches from the junction box. Cut a slit in the wire's insulation with a utility knife to expose the strands. Strip about 1/2 inch of coating from each strand of wire. Back the screws on the receptacle out slightly, until the wires will just wrap around them. When using a push-in receptacle, back the screws out until there is just enough space to work the wires through the holes in the back of the outlet until they won't go any deeper.
4
Bend hooks into the end of each wire strand with needle-nose pliers to wrap the wires around the poles on the receptacle -- do not bend the ends on wires destined for push-in receptacles. Hook the white wire to the upper pole on the left of the receptacle, or push in through the corresponding hole in the back of a push-in receptacle, with the hook facing down. Crimp the wire closed if necessary before screwing the pole in snugly. Connect the black wire on the bottom pole of the opposite side with the hook facing up. Connect the green or bare wire to the green screw at the bottom of the receptacle in the same way as the others.
5
Fold the wires behind the receptacle as you push it into the junction box, making sure that no connections work loose. Screw the upper screw of the receptacle through the junction box about half way, then do the bottom. Apply even pressure to the receptacle while tightening both screws until they cannot go any further. Place the outlet cover over the receptacle and screw it to the receptacle through the center of the cover.
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Kristi Waterworth started her writing career in 1995 as a journalist for a local newspaper. From there, her meandering career path led to a 9 1/2 year stint in the real estate industry. Since 2010, she's written on a wide range of personal finance topics. Waterworth received a Bachelor of Arts in American history from Columbia College.
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Waterworth, Kristi. 'How to Install an Electrical Receptacle in a Prefabricated Fireplace.' Home Guides | SF Gate, http://homeguides.sfgate.com/install-electrical-receptacle-prefabricated-fireplace-20156.html. Accessed 27 August 2019.
Waterworth, Kristi. (n.d.). How to Install an Electrical Receptacle in a Prefabricated Fireplace. Home Guides | SF Gate. Retrieved from http://homeguides.sfgate.com/install-electrical-receptacle-prefabricated-fireplace-20156.html
Waterworth, Kristi. 'How to Install an Electrical Receptacle in a Prefabricated Fireplace' accessed August 27, 2019. http://homeguides.sfgate.com/install-electrical-receptacle-prefabricated-fireplace-20156.html
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Installing Gas Logs In A Prefab Fireplace Box Plans
A prefab fireplace is a one that has been manufactured and assembled in a factory before being transported and installed at a job site. Many of these are ventless. This allows the user to burn a gas fire without the need to vent any fumes to the outside of the home. These fireplaces are typically installed inside of an existing fireplace, while the majority of units are built for new construction or remodeled rooms.
Most prefab fireplaces work with manufactured gas burning logs. These logs resemble a natural log, but they are ceramic and equipped with gas lines running through them. These logs also feature tiny gas holes that simulate flames running along the length of the log. Vented fireplaces uses different logs than ventless versions.
Installing Gas Logs In A Prefab Fireplace Boxes
Installing a prefab fireplace requires the construction of a surround. The opening of a surround is designed to allow the metal fireplace to slide into place and attach through the flange on the fireplace. Screws that are run through the metal flange of the fireplace and into the wood of the surround efficiently mount the unit in place. Gas and electric lines run to the fireplace inside of the surround.
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