How does Bridge-Style Power Kit work?
Bridge-Style Power kit consists of two main parts: Power Inlet & Power Outlet.
Between the Power Inlet & Power Outlet, there’s an Electrical Wire (Not a Power Cord) that runs inside the wall to “Bridge” the power from Power Inlet to the Power Outlet. Therefore, it does NOT involve tapping into your internal electrical circuit.
Once the Bridge-Style Power Kit is installed, external power cord that comes with the kit plugs in into an existing electrical outlet near by and then plugs into the Power Inlet which energizes the Power Outlet of the Bridge-Style Power Kit.
There are many different kinds of Bridge-Style Power Kits available which come in various shapes, sizes & depths. Most kits come with Romex wire. But there’s also a kit with MC (Metal Clad) wire where it’s necessary to meet the code.
Bridge-Style Power Kit Examples
Why Not just Put the TV Power Cord in the Wall?
Any “Flexible Power Cords” such as TV Power cord or Sound Bar Power cord or Power Extension cords are NOT low-voltage wires. Therefore, they cannot be hidden / buried in walls or ceilings as it’s against the building code. (it’s considered as fire hazard)
Only “low-voltage” wires such as HDMI cables, Coax cables, Speaker wires or any other Audio / Video cables with FT4 or FT6 in-wall approved fire rating can be hidden inside walls or ceilings by building code.
In short, the only way to hide the TV power cord is to plug it into a power outlet behind the TV. Or use Wire Raceway to hide cables.
Why Use Bridge-Style Power Kit?
Bridge-Style Power Kit is a Great alternative to an Electrical Outlet if you don’t already have an existing electrical outlet for your TV (at a height where it would end up behind the TV).
That’s because installing a new electrical outlet requires getting a permit from your township/city and the work can only be done by a licensed electrician (in most regions) and inspection is also required after installing a new electrical outlet. So, besides paying an electrician for a new outlet, there’s still additional cost for the permit & inspection and therefore, installing a new electrical outlet can be costly.
Requirements for Installing Electrical Outlet
- Get the Permit from your municipality authority (Before doing any Electrical Work)
- Install New Electrical Outlet (by a Licensed Electrical Contractor)
- Get the New Electrical Outlet inspected by an inspector from your city
*Some regions allow home owner to install their own electrical outlet but that still requires both permit and inspection regardless. You can call your city/township to find out whether you as the home owner is allowed to install an electrical outlet in your home if you think you are handy & knowledgeable enough to get it done according to the latest building codes.
Advantages to Bridge-Style Power Kit over an Electrical Outlet
Installing a Bridge-Style Power Kit kit does not involve tapping into your existing electrical wiring/circuit. Therefore, electrician is not required. Which means less money spent out of your pocket.
Only the Bridge-Style Power Kit’s INLET & OUTLET are connected with an electrical wire (NOT a power cord) inside the wall. So this method is compliant to building code to safely hide the power cord of your TV in a cost effective way.
Bridge-Style Power Kit gives you the benefit of being able to protect your expensive TV by plugging the power inlet into a High Quality UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) or Power Conditioner or high-quality Surge Protector from sudden jolt in the electrical circuit or power outage or during lightning & thunderstorm.
Ideal Situations for Bridge-Style Power Kit
If you plan on putting some sort of furniture below the TV like a component stand / entertainment unit then it’ll be ideal to install a bridge-style power kit. That way your furniture can hide the power inlet & other cables coming out of the wall.
Situations that are NOT Ideal for Bridge Style Power Kit
If you don’t plan on putting any furniture in front of the Power Inlet portion of the Bridge Style Power Kit, then the power inlet will be exposed and it won’t look clean. In this case, you’ll want to get an Electrical Outlet Installed behind your TV by a licensed electrician.
One of the most common examples of this situation is having a Smart TV mounted on a wall and NOT having any components connected to the TV where you don’t need to run any HDMI cables.
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