The ability to entertain family and friends outdoors can be easily achieved with an outdoor kitchen installation, provided that you have the property and space to do so. An outdoor kitchen can be more than just a gas grill. You can have your outdoor kitchen customized to meet your electrical needs as long as you remain within any building code regulations and requirements.
Wiring the outdoor kitchen for electricity will allow you to plug in various appliances and have lighting. Here's what you need to know about installing electricity for an outdoor kitchen.
Obtain Permits
Before any work can be done you'll need to obtain the required permits from your building code enforcement agency. First, however, it's important to know what you can and cannot do based on the regulations in your locality. Meet with the building code enforcement agency for more information. Alternatively, an electrician who is familiar with the regulations in your municipality, county, and state can help you obtain the information and permits you need.
Hire Professionals
Due to the nature of fire hazards that improperly-done outdoor electrical work can pose, it's important to hire professionals. Hire a hardscape designer or an architect for the design of your outdoor kitchen. Hire a residential electrical business to install the electrical wiring, conduits, outlets, lighting, and circuit breaker.
Install the Electrical Components
The electrician will dig a trench in order to install a conduit for the electrical wiring. The wiring will run from your home to the outdoor kitchen for things like outdoor lighting and outlets to plug your appliances into, such as a refrigerator, an ice maker, and even a dishwasher.
Due to being outdoors, the outlets should be tamper-resistant and on a GFCI circuit. A GFCI circuit is one that will trip if the electrical wiring senses a fault, such as dampness or wetness in the outlet from moisture due to humidity or rain. Therefore, your electrician will need to install a GFCI circuit.
Test & Inspect Electrical System
The electrical system for your outdoor kitchen will need to be tested by the electrician and inspected by the building code enforcement officer. This should be done before the trench is filled in as the interior of the conduit needs to be inspected as well. After the code enforcement officer has given their approval and the electrician has completed filling in the trench you'll be able to start using your outdoor kitchen immediately.
Reach out to a company like Zapp Electric Inc. to learn more.
One of the great things about electrical setups is that almost anyone can engage in simple electrical repairs if you spend your time learning about it. With the proper knowledge and training, you can switch out your face plates, install a new outlet, or change out your light fixtures.
At Buy Electrical Supplies, we aim to give you how to make electrical repairs and upgrades to your space and help you learn what tools you need to make those repairs and upgrades. We also aim to help you determine when you can take on any electrical job on your own and when you should bring in someone else to assist.