Hangars and extension cords...

[ragedracer1977]

I'd like to put a small fridge in my hangar.  The hangar rules specify that nothing can be left plugged into an extension cord.  There is one outlet, right near the door.  Basically in the most inconvenient place possible.  And, obviously, unplugging the fridge every time I left would sort of defeat the purpose.  

So, would it be acceptable to get a 20' appliance cord and permanently wire it to the fridge?  Then it's not on an extension cord, and an appliance cord is specifically rated for the purpose.  

Thoughts?  Is this safe?  Obviously I don't want to burn the hangar down.  

I could have a professional electrician come in and add outlets, but I don't know how permanent the hangar is going to be (not 100% sure I like the location) and I can't take the outlets with me.  

[RLCarter]

Having an outlet added down the wall shouldn't be that pricey, just check with the landlord , they may even kick in and help with the cost 

[N201MKTurbo]

They only inspect once a year and they usually warn you when they are inspecting. 

My experence is that if you pay your bills on time and don't cause them any trouble they will send you a letter every year saying you shouldn't have the extension cord.

The city usually has a burdensome process for making any changes to the hangars. Most people just do it without approval. The City usually ignores it until you leave and then they may ask that you remove it.

Now this is all with respect to Chandler not Phoenix. I would ask around and see what the long time tenants have to say. I have had the same hangar for 25 years.

Edited September 5, 2017 by N201MKTurbo

[Bob_Belville]

When I first rented my hangar the landlord, the airport authority/airport manager, paid for additional florescent lighting and an outlet in the back of the hangar over a workbench that I added. Later I paid $100 for their electrician to add a 230V outlet for a 5 HP air compressor. I do have a small frig and a wine cooler that stay on. The appliances run off a heavy extension cord but it might be a good idea to rearrange the hangar to get them near an outlet. But I still would have a ceramic engine heater running in the winter with an extension cord that would be difficult to eliminate.   

[larryb]

In my hanger permanent extension cords are prohibited but surge protectors are allowed. So I have a 25' surge protector for my battery minder and engine heater.

[1964-M20E]

If you are sufficiently qualified, knowledgeable and confident in your abilities add some conduit wire, box  and a receptacle 2 or 3 while you are at it.   If the circuit panel is accessible in the hangar then add a new circuit breaker as well if there is space and now you know exactly what is on that circuit.

If you are not confident t in you abilities then enlist the assistance from a friend who is.

Preferably find some older looking conduit so it appears to have been there for a while.

[ragedracer1977]

4 hours ago, 1964-M20E said:

If you are sufficiently qualified, knowledgeable and confident in your abilities add some conduit wire, box  and a receptacle 2 or 3 while you are at it.   If the circuit panel is accessible in the hangar then add a new circuit breaker as well if there is space and now you know exactly what is on that circuit.

If you are not confident t in you abilities then enlist the assistance from a friend who is.

Preferably find some older looking conduit so it appears to have been there for a while.

I'm a registered electrical sign contractor.  I absolutely know how to do it to code....  They just want permits and stuff.  There's no breaker, only a single 20amp outlet.  I have tons of conduit, a bender, wire, boxes, etc. 

[DonMuncy]

3 minutes ago, ragedracer1977 said:

I'm a registered electrical sign contractor.  I absolutely know how to do it to code....  They just want permits and stuff.  There's no breaker, only a single 20amp outlet.  I have tons of conduit, a bender, wire, boxes, etc. 

Are there electrical elves like there are hangar elves? Maybe if you leave out milk and cookies, when you come back the extra outlets will be in place.

[TonyK]

+1 vote for hanger elves.

[peevee]

33 minutes ago, ragedracer1977 said:

I'm a registered electrical sign contractor.  I absolutely know how to do it to code....  They just want permits and stuff.  There's no breaker, only a single 20amp outlet.  I have tons of conduit, a bender, wire, boxes, etc. 

you might be comfortable doing it hot, but I don't have access to a breaker so anything I want to do is out without approval and coordination from airport ops to kill the juice.

[Andy95W]

1 hour ago, TonyK said:

+1 vote for hanger elves.

And using old conduit and components so you can say a previous tenant must have done it.

[1964-M20E]

3 hours ago, ragedracer1977 said:

I'm a registered electrical sign contractor.  I absolutely know how to do it to code....  They just want permits and stuff.  There's no breaker, only a single 20amp outlet.  I have tons of conduit, a bender, wire, boxes, etc. 

Like Nike says just do it 

 

It is far easier to get forgiveness than permission.

 

 

[Raptor05121]

I bought one of these from Harbor Freight. Has a 15ft extension cords and I can plug in my 2 fridges, phone chargers, power tools, and fans, and still have outlets to spare. 

[Guest]

If you're comfortable with the electrical code, get permission from the land lord, get a permit, do the work, have it inspected and sleep easily knowing it's done right.  Lots of hangars have burned over the years.

Clarence

[EricJ]

When I first got my hangar at DVT one of the maintenance guys from the city came by and we wound up chatting for a bit.   He said the most common alterations were lighting and electrical work, so it's clearly doable and been done before.   On the north side a fair number of the hangars are man caves with fridges, etc., so that's being done, too.   Sadly, mine is just a single outlet and a single 4' fluorescent fixture, so if I want more it'll require work as well.  

[Andy95W]

8 minutes ago, EricJ said:

 Sadly, mine is just a single outlet and a single 4' fluorescent fixture, so if I want more it'll require work as well.  

This is barbaric.  How do you keep your beer cold without a fridge?

[peevee]

Just now, Andy95W said:

This is barbaric.  How do you keep your beer cold without a fridge?

I wish we had a square hangar that we could put a fridge and a couch and stuff in, it'd be neat to have a little lounge and a desktop computer to do nav data and stuff.

[Hank]

25 minutes ago, EricJ said:

When I first got my hangar at DVT one of the maintenance guys from the city came by and we wound up chatting for a bit.   He said the most common alterations were lighting and electrical work, so it's clearly doable and been done before.   On the north side a fair number of the hangars are man caves with fridges, etc., so that's being done, too.   Sadly, mine is just a single outlet and a single 4' fluorescent fixture, so if I want more it'll require work as well.  

Replace the fluorescent light with LED. Picked up a 2-bulb unit at Sams last week for ~$35, and 4-bulb fixtures were ~$50. Much, much brighter, and they work in the winter . . .

Then run conduit for a couple more, and add some outlet boxes! Quick and easy, not too spendy.

[DonMuncy]

5 minutes ago, Hank said:

Replace the fluorescent light with LED. Picked up a 2-bulb unit at Sams last week for ~$35, and 4-bulb fixtures were ~$50. Much, much brighter, and they work in the winter . . .

Then run conduit for a couple more, and add some outlet boxes! Quick and easy, not too spendy.

Tell us more about the LED lights. I'm not sure I have seen LED shop type lights.

[peevee]

36 minutes ago, DonMuncy said:

Tell us more about the LED lights. I'm not sure I have seen LED shop type lights.

I have the same. We have one 4 foot florescent fixture so I got 2 led bulbs at Costco. Much brighter and I think about 18 bucks.

[Hank]

39 minutes ago, DonMuncy said:

Tell us more about the LED lights. I'm not sure I have seen LED shop type lights.

Simple--LED lights that look like fluorescent. Here are my existing ones, putting a workshop in the basement. 

And my new one, to hang over the work bench. It's hard working in your own shadow like in the picture. 

I bought some of the LED replacement tubes, but they didn't work in my fixture--you need to match bulbs with ballasts, apparently. 

 

[peevee]

They make led bulbs for led fixtures and retrofit bulbs, the retrofits should work in any fixture I would think. I have used them in several around the house too with no issues 

 

I have these 

 

https://m.costco.com/Feit-4-FT-LED-Replacement-Tubes%2c-4-pack--.product.100235288.html

[DonMuncy]

Do they really use a ballast?

[Hank]

Just now, DonMuncy said:

Do they really use a ballast?

 

Just now, DonMuncy said:

Do they really use a ballast?

That's for you electrical types to figure out, I'm just a Mechanical Engineer. I wire by drawings, just not the cheesy ones in the package that don't show where every wire goes.

[Dream to fly]

19 minutes ago, DonMuncy said:

Do they really use a ballast?

Some do and some don't.  I have installed all new fixtures in my shop and they use an electronic ballast to energize 4 strips of LEDS in one fixture and they cost about 180.00.    I also replaced my T-8 and T-12 florescent bulbs with bulbs I bought from Green light Depot.  They sell drop in units that have you remove the ballasts and wire the power feeds to each side of the new bulb.  the cost is less than half of a new fixture. Both are bright and work with 16 and 20 foot ceilings.