ELECTRICAL--IN A KITCHEN, can you have an elect. outlet inside a cabinet?

Don’t know about your local codes, but they (recepts) are ok here. How else would ya plug in a microwave?
Bill

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I have a receptacle in the back of the cabinet over the microwave/range vent and it was done when the house was built. This to me is far preferable than having something hardwired with just a wire poking through the wall, much cleaner.

-- "Lack of effort will result in failure with amazing predictability" - Me

Do it!

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Built in dishwashers are usually plugged in under the sink cabinet. And I have also seen garbage disposals so the outlet and switch are in the cabinet also

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Always check with your local codes because they are the devil (mostly). It’s probably okay but they may have rules regarding exactly how it’s placed, whether the cabinet is open or has a door, the voltage, etc., etc.

-- . . . it's cheaper than therapy.

I think because it’s an over the range microwave surrounded by cabinets on 3 sides (top, left, right) it can be hard wired.

-- So economically handicapped I'm strictly on a strict budget...

If it’s mounted flush to the wall your fine, if you want the outlet and cover to sit flush with the back of the cabinet you’d have to use a gang box extender.

-- measure twice, cut once, swear and start over.

Thanks everybody! Then I will mount the box flush to the wall and make the back of the cabinet open in that area and make a door for the front or a tambour.

Anybody know any code about minimum distance the surrounding wall cabs must be from the stove? I know most wall cabs go 18” above countertop but I do some canning (google Annie’s Salsa) and the pressure canner is pretty tall so was thinking 24” from stove to bottom of OTR microwave, but can the wall cabs surrounding the microwave hang lower?

-- So economically handicapped I'm strictly on a strict budget...

I have outlets in cabinets for microwave, range hood, cook top, dishwasher, disposal and wall oven here. I’d go for it.

-- "Now I'm just another old guy wearing funny clothes"

Any outlet that serves counter top space in a kitchen needs to be GFCI protected per the 2011 NEC. Since you plan to leave this outlet accessible to plug in other counter top appliances if needed may make that outlet subject to the GFCI requirement.

Any outlet that serves counter top space in a kitchen needs to be GFCI protected per the 2011 NEC. Since you plan to leave this outlet accessible to plug in other counter top appliances if needed may make that outlet subject to the GFCI requirement.

- WhyMe

Would this be considered as such? It will be ~33” above the countertop… I’m all for safety but do they have a 4-outlet GFCI receptacle? Or can I stack 1 above another on the wall? And is the code for countertop area or entire kitchen? I would probably need one behind the stove instead of where it is now. Would a breaker be cheaper or would I do one GFCI and connect the restof the recptacles downline?

-- So economically handicapped I'm strictly on a strict budget...

They are OK here. Our dishwasher and garbage disposal both are plugged into a GFI outlet inside the undersink cabinet in the kitchen.

Also seen outlets away from water in a cabinet to handle some of the messes of all the charging stations for cordless mixers, and cellphones, and undercabinet TV’s

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Call your local inspector or permit place.

Here and in Indiana, circa 1998, a receptacle in the kitchen had to be GFCI and had to be 18” away from any water source, (even lines in the wall including waste pipes or stacks).

I forgot to mention, you are allowed to use a GFCI breaker to service your receptacles up to a certain number.

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Any outlet that serves counter top space in a kitchen needs to be GFCI protected per the 2011 NEC. Since you plan to leave this outlet accessible to plug in other counter top appliances if needed may make that outlet subject to the GFCI requirement.

- WhyMe

Would this be considered as such? It will be ~33” above the countertop… I m all for safety but do they have a 4-outlet GFCI receptacle? Or can I stack 1 above another on the wall? And is the code for countertop area or entire kitchen? I would probably need one behind the stove instead of where it is now. Would a breaker be cheaper or would I do one GFCI and connect the restof the recptacles downline?

- matermark

All I can say is what NEC states. It says outlets installed to serve counter top surfaces in kitchens shall be GFCI protected, there is no distance set in the code. The cheapest way is to have the outlets protected by an upstream GFCI outlet. You can also use a double gang box with 1 GFCI outlet protecting the second outlet.

A typical 2000w microwave just about taps out a 20A ckt. FYI.

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