I have a hot water recirculation pump installed near the water heater that is located in the garage which provides instant hot water via dedicated 1/2" copper pipes. Although I have a timer that turns the pump on at different times of the day, the pump is not always running when we want hot water. This is most needed at the kitchen sink as it is the furthest tap from the water heater and without the pump running, we are wasting water for over a minute before hot water is available! Since the bathrooms are located in close proximity to the water heater, instant hot water via the recirculation pump is not really that beneficial.
I'm considering running an extension cord from the location of the water recirculation pump in the garage, down under the house and up into the
kitchen sink cabinet and plugging into a plug strip that is powered by the 15A outlet under the sink. Whenever there is a need for hot water, we can simply flip on the power to the plug strip to activate the recirculation pump.
Are there any electrical codes that I might be violating in doing this?
Best Answer
Hi grant welcome to stackexchange. I don't what part of the world you are in but if you are in the US. No you can't do what you are suggesting. I haven't had time to figure out how many code violations are involved, but I will start with the fact that you cannot pass an extension cord through a wall or partition. So let's just say NEC Article 400 in particular 400.12 Uses not permitted pretty much covers why you can't or shouldn't do it.
You might want to bone up on this article before attempting any extension cord additions to your dwelling.
Good luck.