block heater hookup on garage.

[JasonCzerak]

hmm, this could be part of "The Shop" forum I suppose.



I have the Geno's bumper mount plug. I love it. use it at work and home when it's cold.



At home tho, I'm looking for a little more easy on the eye hookup. I plan on building something into the front of the garage that holds the cord in the wall, out of sight and out from under foot.



I was planning on starting with one of those retractable reels that you can buy for $30 or $40 that normally you put in the ceiling of the garage and will retract the cord when your done with a little tug.



Install an end that will fit nicely in the geno's plug (the ones I seen so far have a 3 socket plug on the end). Mount it between the studs in the wall. Use a pully to allow the cords to turn 90 degrees (so the box is flush mounted in the wall)



On the out side, use a standard electrical box with some sort of small door that allows the entire plug to go "into the wall and in the box". I do no want a hole there, I want something that flips (opens) up, but doesn't allow the cord to go though the inside. So when the trucks not plugged in, the weather can be kept out. and things looks blended into the siding



So, I have a garage that has siding on it that I need to match and work with.



Any suggestions as to the box part? How does my retractable wheel + pully idea sound?



What's nice about this is that now you have a code in the front of the garage that can be used for a vacuum and stuff for the vehicles. And it automatically stores it self when not needed!

 

[Nate]

Seems like alot of work for an extension cord!

 

[JasonCzerak]

Seems like alot of work for an extension cord!

yeah, but I hate a cord laying on the ground (trip hazard). This one will hover just above the knee and be bright orange when in use on the truck. I dislike opening the garage door and push it under and pull it out every time. . I mean it's a few seconds here and there but it's just annoying to me.



Plus the added use for more then just the block heater year round. I think it will add more then just the cold time benefit to plug in the truck quickly and safely.

 

[Nate]

Why don't you just put a hook or post outside of the garage and keep the cord wrapped on it when not in use??



You could wire an outlet on the outside of the garage, or just leave the cord under the door.

 

[JasonCzerak]

Why don't you just put a hook or post outside of the garage and keep the cord wrapped on it when not in use??



You could wire an outlet on the outside of the garage, or just leave the cord under the door.

yeah, I could go the simple route. Not going to do a post, no room. If anything a flush mount plug on the wall, but my point of the cord all laying around in sight comes up.



My goal here is to have something neat, not necessary simple. The only thing I haven't come across yet is a way to have a little box + door on the out side to hold the end of the cord whlie it's retracted.

 

[smartineau]

Looks are up to the beholder.



But I think it is way too much work and hassle with what you are doing. In Minnesota, I would think darn near everybody has a block heater. so you would look just like the rest of the neighbors.



I do not have a clue as to how to download pictures let alone post pictures. But on our new house, we moved in in Feb. the outdoor outlets, are in a plastic flip open box, that has a cut out for the cord in the bottom so the cover can be closed tightly once a cord is plugged in. I have seen these at Home Depot and Lowes both in grey and a dark smoke color.



Could you just run a regular weather proof outlet and make a short 6' or what ever you need extension cord?



steve

 

[seemore]

How about this:http://www.jcwhitney.com/webapp/wcs..._ID:2007596&productId=2007596&catalogId=10101 It is called an Arctic Leash

Then just plug it into an outside outlet.

 

[JasonCzerak]

How about this:http://www.jcwhitney.com/webapp/wcs..._ID:2007596&productId=2007596&catalogId=10101 It is called an Arctic Leash

Then just plug it into an outside outlet.

yeah, but I was planning on mounting the reel indoors. There is an area on the side of hte garage that something like that can be tucked in nicly year round. But for $90 ouch.



Thanks for the link!

 

[bmoeller]

How 'bout a retractable extention cord, but install it so it is on the inside of the garage, and still have room to swing around to be used inside. Use a receptacle box with a flip cover on it, and have the end of the cord in the box. Put a hole in the back of the box for the cord end to fit thru, but a small groove on the bottom so the cord won't drop out of it.

 

[Cummins Pilot]

Trip hazzard! I'm glad you don't work in the hangar I do. You'd freak.



Anyways I wish I had as much free time as you do. It does sound like a workable idea that would look very nice when finished.

 

[JasonCzerak]

Trip hazzard! I'm glad you don't work in the hangar I do. You'd freak.



...

at work, sure. you are much more aware of your surroundings.



At home, on your property in a suburb, people are stupid.

 

[Cummins Pilot]

At home, on your property in a suburb, people are stupid.

And those people come to work where I work.

 

[Grunt]

bmoeller said basically what I was thinking... you can find these flip up recepticle covers at most industrial supply houses.

 

[JOdell]

I know this isn't what you want but this is what I did. I have neighbors that have said things to me about my cord being left on MY driveway. So I installed a outlet on the outside and I use one of those coiled up extension cords then I just put it in the truck so I can use at work as well. -Jason

 

[JasonCzerak]

I know this isn't what you want but this is what I did. I have neighbors that have said things to me about my cord being left on MY driveway. So I installed a outlet on the outside and I use one of those coiled up extension cords then I just put it in the truck so I can use at work as well. -Jason

heheheheh, go tell your neighbors to go play in traffic. Yeah, I want my cord all neat and stowed away, but right now it's laying on the driveway. (mid 20's lastnight). Until I get around to making my little setup that is.



As far as at work, I have one I leave on just inside the garage (shipping/receiving) door here, it's plugged in now (and possibly this way until feb-march...

 

[RobertP]

i thinks its a great idea. its kept out of the snow and rain year round. dont have to worry about it taking up space in tne garage and or outside. i might just do the same thing

 

[Nate]

Wow... your neighbors would mention to you about an extension cord being on the ground? That's nuts!



Only bad thing about leaving the cord on the ground, at least back in Northern Maine, were I grew up, is that the ice melts enough to form water, then the cord gets stuck in the ground. Lots of fun chopping ice with an ax to pull out the cord!

 

[JasonCzerak]

i thinks its a great idea. its kept out of the snow and rain year round. dont have to worry about it taking up space in tne garage and or outside. i might just do the same thing

and keep in mind, the ideas is just not for the block heater, it's for any tool that would be used in the driveway, mainly for me the shop vac to vacuum the cars out.



I'll prolly get to it in 2 weeks. if I do at all it's snowing already here.

 

[CumminsAholic]

Jason,

They make a cover for outdoor outlets that has a plastic flopper door that sticks out a couple inches, It'd be deep enough for a cord end. I think that they're code here now. You can't have the individual flaps on the outlet anymore... anyways... . You could use a pulley (with a retainer so the cord does't fall off) like you said and then use a normal outlet box and modify it so it doesn't cut the cord (put the pulley so the cord makes a straight run out of the box when you pull on it), run the cord thru it, put the end on the cord so it can't pull back thru and wallah your retractable cord looks like a normal outdoor outlet until you open up the cover. Might take a little bit of tinkering, but that'd be pretty sweet when it's done. I wonder how many cords have been hit by snowblowers too that were buried and thought to be somewhere else?

Corey

 

[CumminsAholic]

It's be easier yet if you could put it on the corner of the outside walls or where an interior wall meets the outside wall so you didn't have to use the pulley.

Corey