LED mirror dilemma

[Basil]

We bought a couple of arched LED mirrors to mount above the sinks in our newly remodeled bathroom. I had 1" recessed outlets installed where both mirrors will sit that will be about 10" below where the cord comes out of the mirror in the back. The problem is, the mirrors have a plug that will stick up above the recessed outlet such that the mirror will not lay flat. I can't find a three-pronged plug that I can replace the existing plug with that won't also be too tall (I can find lots of two-pronged plugs that would work, but no three-pronged plugs). Otherwise, I could have just cut the original plug off and installed a new, flatter plug.

However, I did find an appliance plug that would work perfectly, but I can't get the backs off the mirrors to get inside the mirror to replace the cord. So...here's what I "think" I want to do. Does this seem like it would work, or can anyone suggest a better way that won't result in ugly connections between the old cord and the new cord to be visible?

My plan: Here are some pictures: One of the back of one of the mirror, with the large plug shown in the foreground. Also, a picture of the wall where one of the mirrors will hang. Here you can see the screws where the mirror will hang and 10" below that, the recessed outlet. Third, a Picture of an appliance cord, which was the only "three pronged" plug I could find that would not stick up above the level of the recessed plug.

Another consideration is that the hole where the current cord comes out is too small to allow for the larger appliance cord and soldered / heat shrink connections to be pushed through into the mirror cavity and out of sight. I'll need to enlarge the hole.

Since I can't really remove the back of the mirror, what I am thinking is to cut the original mirror cord so that about 4 inches is sticking out. Then use electrical tape to securely wrap a paper clip to the end of the wire (for reasons that will become clear in a moment), then carefully push the wire with paper clip into the mirror. This should allow me to use a step drill to enlarge the hole large enough to allow for the appliance cord and soldered connections to be pushed through, even with a larger grommet installed.

Once the hole has been enlarged, I'm hoping I can reach in with some sort of hook tool and catch the end of the paper clip that is secured to the wire, thus allowing me to more easily fish the wire back out. At this point, I'd install a larger grommet that will still allow the larger wire to be pushed through, then complete the soldering of the end of the original cord to the new appliance cord (cut to appropriate length for this application). With the soldering and heat shrinking completed, I would push the connections into the mirror cavern through the now larger hole, thus hiding the connections from view and allowing only the new appliance cord to be seen.

This is the only way I can think of to allow for a three pronged plug to be installed that will not sit proud of the recessed receptacle, thus allowing the mirrors to sit flush on the wall. I know I could probably replace the receptacles with a junction box and just hard-wire them, but I'd really rather have the ability to easily unplug the mirrors and move them if needed (for painting for example, or just cleaning). If anyone has any other ideas on how to do this, I'd love to hear them. I'm not sure why the mirror manufacturer didn't use a flat plug to begin with.

The current plug that sits too tall. Also can see where the cord comes out of the mirror through a hole that needs to be enlarged for the larger flay appliance cord.

The mirror had two built-in brackets that will mount on these two anchored screws. The recessed outlet is seen about 10" below this point.

The appliance cord with a flatter plug that won't stick out above the recessed outlet.

 

[equiprx]

Basil,
I never throw out anything, sooo I have many plug cords in my shop.
Right angle 3 prong cords are particularly valuable, so I have more than .....
Those appliance cords are too fat and stiff.
I have much more appropriate ones you can have.
Just email me a shipping label.
Steve

 

[Basil]

Basil,
I never throw out anything, sooo I have many plug cords in my shop.
Right angle 3 prong cords are particularly valuable, so I have more than .....
Those appliance cords are too fat and stiff.
I have much more appropriate ones you can have.
Just email me a shipping label.
Steve

Well, I appreciate the offer Steve, but actually these cords, while a little wider, are actually pretty flexible and I like that they are flat so they will (or should) lay pretty flay behind the mirror compared to round cords. However, if for some reason these don't work out, I'd be thrilled to see what other options you have.

 

[equiprx]

Well, I appreciate the offer Steve, but actually these cords, while a little wider, are actually pretty flexible and I like that they are flat so they will (or should) lay pretty flay behind the mirror compared to round cords. However, if for some reason these don't work out, I'd be thrilled to see what other options you have.

Ok, I'm here for you.

 

[Basil]

Ok, I'm here for you.

Thanks, I do appreciate it.

 

[70herald]

Since you are already cutting off the cord... why not remove the outlet - there should be an electrical box behind it and hard with the mirror directly to the electrical supply? that way you avoid damaging the mirror. Or a bit more work but probably more in line with code a socket like this

 

[BobHaskell]

I would try to figure out how to get the back off the mirror. You've probably already exhausted that approach.

 

[JPSmit]

One other thought might be to slightly lengthen the mounting screws and have the mirrors sit slightly proud of the wall (you might need a bit of a spacer to hold it in place)

 

[Basil]

I would try to figure out how to get the back off the mirror. You've probably already exhausted that approach.

Yeah, I probably could if I really worked at it, but not without damaging it. It's really glued on good.

 

[Basil]

One other thought might be to slightly lengthen the mounting screws and have the mirrors sit slightly proud of the wall (you might need a bit of a spacer to hold it in place)

That's actually not a bad idea if I can't get the cord replaced. I had thought about having the mounting screws stick out more then using some sort of hard foam or rubber bumpers along the edges of the mirror so that it sits about 1/2" proud of the wall.

 

[mikephillips]

And then, unless the mirror already has one, you could use some L shaped wood trim to build a frame round it to touch the wall and not look like it's sitting proud of the wall. Did that with my mirror with the bathroom was redone both to have a frame round it and to cover the fact it was 1/4 inch or so off the wall due to the size of the clips holding it.

 

[bobhustead]

Perhaps a rectangular frame at or slightly less than mirror dimensions built of 1x2 oak ( or other decent wood) painted to match walls. fasten the frame to the wall and the mirrors to a crossbar on the frame and confine the electrical hookup in the void created by the frame behind the mirrors..
Bob

 

[Basil]

Perhaps a rectangular frame at or slightly less than mirror dimensions built of 1x2 oak ( or other decent wood) painted to match walls. fasten the frame to the wall and the mirrors to a crossbar on the frame and confine the electrical hookup in the void created by the frame behind the mirrors..
Bob

That's also a possibility. Thanks.

 

[JPSmit]

you may have said this in your long (slightly confusing) description but, it seems easy peasy to cut the cord and connect the flat plug - a bit of shrink tubing and you can also have a custom length

 

[Basil]

Ye

you may have said this in your long (slightly confusing) description but, it seems easy peasy to cut the cord and connect the flat plug - a bit of shrink tubing and you can also have a custom length

If you mean just leave the original cord, cut to the right length and splice on the flat plug, yes that would be easy but would not be code.

 

[Scargo]

I guess it’s safe to assume that these mirrors are the only source of wall light adjacent to the sinks?

If not, either delete the ability to have them light up by cutting the cord flush with the back of the mirror or exchange them for the unlighted variety. The design of this mirror was not very well thought out.

 

[GregW]

What a stupid fixture. Even if it came with a flat plug, you still have all that cord to deal with once it it mounted. The step bit approach might damage a circuit board before you get to the hole size needed. My suggestion, cut off the lower half of the back plate entirely (never to go back on). A couple inches below the hanger brackets so they have enough strength to hold the mirror. Then you have access to the wiring, make the cord as short as you want and have a cavity to tuck excess wire. Either that or return the mirror for a different model.

 

[JPSmit]

Ye

If you mean just leave the original cord, cut to the right length and splice on the flat plug, yes that would be easy but would not be code.

Why wouldn't it be up to code? If it cracked or got squashed it would be appropriate to replace it. I did a quick AI search:

Yes, it is permissible to replace a plug in New Mexico, but it's crucial to follow the National Electrical Code (NEC) and ensure the work is done safely. Homeowners can often do this type of minor repair themselves, but the replacement must use the correct wiring gauge and materials, follow any required GFCI or AFCI protection, and comply with any local amendments to the NEC. If you are unsure, it is always best to consult a qualified electrician.

 

[Basil]

Why wouldn't it be up to code? If it cracked or got squashed it would be appropriate to replace it. I did a quick AI search:

Yes, it is permissible to replace a plug in New Mexico, but it's crucial to follow the National Electrical Code (NEC) and ensure the work is done safely. Homeowners can often do this type of minor repair themselves, but the replacement must use the correct wiring gauge and materials, follow any required GFCI or AFCI protection, and comply with any local amendments to the NEC. If you are unsure, it is always best to consult a qualified electrician.

Hmm, ok. I may have gotten bad info from the electrician who installed the outlets.
EDIT: I did an AI search myself and may have asked the question differently, but here's what I got:

No – you still cannot legally do that on a factory-listed LED mirror, even if you only cut off the wall plug (“pouch end”) and solder or crimp on a different molded plug that came from a flat extension cord.

Here’s why the “just replace the plug” exception does NOT apply to most modern LED mirrors:

1. The great majority of LED bathroom mirrors sold in the U.S. today come from the factory with a molded-on plug(the plug and cord are one single, non-replaceable piece made at the factory).
2. UL 962 and UL 1598 specifically state that when the manufacturer installs a molded-on attachment plug, that plug is part of the listed assembly and is not field-replaceable.
3. The NEC exception that allows you to replace a damaged plug (NEC 406.7(B)) only applies when the original plug was a separable, replaceable type (i.e., the cord has bare wires or a removable strain-relief cap that lets you install a new plug). → If the original plug is molded-on, there is no listed or code-approved way for an end-user to replace just the plug.
   

In fact, I learned that technically I can't really (legally) do what I had first proposed by cutting off the original cord where it comes out of the mirror, splicing on the new cord and pushing it into the cavity (though that repair would be less obvious). What is permitted, however, would be if I could access the points where the three wires of the original cord is attached to the inside of the mirror (probably attached with wire nuts to wires coming off the circuit board) and replace it entirely with the new cord.
This would require either removing the entire back of the mirror (difficult but maybe not impossible) or possibly doing what @GregW suggested and cutting off enough of the back to gain access to the wiring inside. I might experiment with one of th mirrors and see if I can pry off the back without damaging it, then glue it back in place after the new cord is installed.

 

[Basil]

What a stupid fixture. Even if it came with a flat plug, you still have all that cord to deal with once it it mounted. The step bit approach might damage a circuit board before you get to the hole size needed.

That would certainly need to be considered (I'd need to look inside to see what, if anything, is in the way if I used a step drill). Yes, it is a stupid design. We only bought them because they were on a clearance sell for 1/2 price.