why use plastic electrical boxes Plastic boxes are the most common choice for residential wiring projects. They are lightweight, easy to install, and less expensive than metal .
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0 · surface mount plastic electrical boxes
1 · small plastic electrical enclosure boxes
2 · plastic electrical outlet boxes
3 · plastic electrical boxes types
4 · plastic electrical boxes home depot
5 · plastic electrical boxes for conduit
6 · plastic device boxes for receptacles
7 · metal versus plastic electrical box
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surface mount plastic electrical boxes
Strong, fireproof, and incapable of melting, metal boxes offer the greatest level of security for all electrical wiring applications. Compared to plastic boxes, metal electrical boxes are very strong: It is virtually impossible to bend, warp, twist, or crush metal electrical or junction .NM wire: NM (non-metallic) wire is electrical wire with an outermost sheathing made .BX is a name for metal-armored electrical cable for indoor or outdoor use. What .
It also prevents the cable from rubbing against the edge of the box and .
Plastic Electrical Boxes . Plastic electrical boxes are best for Romex or non .
Plastic boxes are the most common choice for residential wiring projects. They are lightweight, easy to install, and less expensive than metal . The purpose of electrical boxes. Wiring connections—where wires join an outlet, switch or other wires—must be inside an electrical box. Here’s why: Connections are the weak . There are a lot of advantages to metal boxes but you do need to have some knowledge to ensure you aren't making common DIY mistakes. Free Home Maintenance .
Electrical boxes not only house various electrical components but also protect the wires and cables from damage. In this article, we will explore .
Plastic Electrical Boxes . Plastic electrical boxes are best for Romex or non-metallic cables. Not capable of being grounded; Cheaper than metal boxes; No sharp edges; Include built-in clamps; Lightweight; Choosing . Unlike metal boxes, a plastic electrical box does not conduct electricity when touched by a live wire, and these non-conductive boxes need not be grounded. The plastic .
Use plastic boxes when: There are non-metallic (NM) cables leading in or out of the box. Metal-sheathed wiring relies on bonding with the metal electric box for grounding and should not be used in plastic boxes. Many do-it-yourself electricians gravitate toward plastic electrical boxes when using Romex or NM wiring. For one, home improvement centers tend to favor plastic boxes. For another, plastic boxes are lighter, their edges are . Plastic Blue Boxes: Ideal for indoor use, plastic blue electrical boxes are popular among consumers for their cost-effectiveness and versatility. They offer a lightweight and durable option for electrical installations in residential and commercial settings, typically priced .That's not entirely true though, while normal plastics might melt at low temperatures the plastic in use has to withstand something around 650-850 degrees celsius and special boxes used for function preservation (E30-90) are also often made from a special plastic.
Plastic may be allowed by code but that does not apply in this situation. If the engineer specified metal boxes there is a reason for it. Most likely metal boxes are more durable and the screw holes for mounting the device will stand up better overtime.Unless you're using armored (BX, or metal-sheathed) wire, you can use either type box, your preference really. If you use BX, you need to use a metal junction box. There's a couple different types of boxes. The plastic ones with nails on them, and the metal ones with clips are designed to mount with their face 1/2" farther out than the front .
small plastic electrical enclosure boxes
Electrical - AC & DC - metal electrical box sizes - 4 inch vs 4 11/16 inch - I usually use plastic electrical boxes but I was looking at square metal boxes today and was wondering why they come in two sizes, 4 inch and 4 11/16 in. Why are there two sizes and when would you want to use one over the other?I'm assuming you mean the blue plastic in - wall junction boxes (carlon brand). We use plastic in - wall junction boxes extensively in residential. Take the plate off your light switch, I'll bet you anything that it's plastic. The difference is our plastic boxes are typically yellow (hubbel brand) or grey (iberville brand).the second major differentiator between plastic and metal boxes as far as switches and Outlets are concerned is that plastic boxes have a 2 inch by 4 in footprint, which quite frankly is a little bit easier to work with for tucking the wires in whereas gangable metal wall case boxes are 2x3 footprint and you have to compensate with more depth .If you have a plastic back box for light switches and sockets, it's on the off-chance that the end user wants to swap in a metal clad/plated one for aesthetic reasons. It means then you have a continuous earth to the metal that comes in contact with someone flicking switches.
Not all plastic boxes are old work, old work boxes have a different attachment mechanism so that you can simply cut a hole in drywall and secure the box, whereas new work boxes are nailed directly to the stud, which you can't do when the drywall is in place.
Source: Jatumeth Susukh/ Shutterstock.com Metal vs. Plastic Junction Boxes There are two types of junction boxes in common use today: metal junction boxes and plastic junction boxes.Both have their own advantages, and both are useful for certain applications. For many applications, the biggest advantage of a metal junction box is its durability. Metal junction . By proud of the surface, Ecnerwal means proud as in not flush or recessed; like a nail that didn't go all the way in. Regarding finding the plastic boxes after drywall is hung, I bought a tool called Blind Mark which can be a time-saver. It comes with magnetic pieces you temporarily snap into the box right before hanging the drywall. After hanging, you use the other part, also . Why would I choose a large 4x4x2.5 metal box (this is what my brain tells me to use) vs plastic box. The plastic looks like they are all designed for installing switches or outlets and not covers but they are larger and cheaper. Is there a reason why one would not just use the plastic box and cover for a junction box either in an attic or basement. If the box is a round type, as commonly used for ceiling lights, then an 8-32 screw would be appropriate. If the box is rectangular, as used for wiring devices (switch, outlet, etc) then a 6-32 screw is what you will need. I have successfully used coarse thread #6 drywall type screws in both type of boxes . :whistling2:
I'm looking to upgrade some old recessed one gang boxes to fit in some USB charging sockets and /Smart switches, but I can't find the plastic rework boxes in any store, and on Amazon they are too expensive. The metal boxes are a very tight fit for the intended upgrade. Any suggestions on alternate options are welcome. I am having a house built and have had an electrician install all the ceiling fans, blank off plates, keyless lighting (temp), and outside lighting fixtures. This electrician used drywall screws to mount everything to the plastic electrical boxes. When I questioned their use, and mentioned that.
The bare ground wire in the electrical box is supposed to connect to the green screw on that short metal bar. The body of the light fixture is meant to be grounded through the mounting screw that goes into that metal bar. Do be .When old work boxes are young, they are blue. As the boxes age, they turn gray. What you are looking at is a young box (young old work box) and old box (old old work box) together. They might even be father and son. Why are wires clamped as they enter some types of electrical boxes and not clamped when they enter other types? Boxes for electrical outlets and switches usually have some way to clamp the Romex wires as they enter the box. However, breaker boxes and service disconnect boxes don't have built-in clamps. I don't recall seeing a panel box where any kind .
Plastic Electrical Boxes . Plastic electrical boxes are best for Romex or non-metallic cables. Not capable of being grounded; Cheaper than metal boxes; No sharp edges; Include built-in clamps; Lightweight; Choosing an Electrical Box . Choose an electrical box based on its intended purpose. For example, ceiling fans or heavy light fixtures .
The Carlon new work single gang blue plastic box I have in front of me (possibly 20 years old but don't actually know) has the flaps symmetrically and flimsily attached. I thought one side would be strongly attached and the other weakly. . Plastic electrical box tabs - ok if broken? 1. Does electrical box have to be nailed into side of stud. 2.
Can you use a metallic cover on a plastic box? The scenario I'm thinking of would be a weatherproof plastic box with GFI's and a metallic in use cover. My thinking is that there would be a bonding issue with the cover. I don't have a cover in front of me. I suppose if the GFI mounts to the cover it would be bonded. But to code? You cannot use metal covers on plastic boxes unless the cover is bonded in some fashion. Some of the round plastic boxes will have a ground screw connected to a metal sleeve for one of the screw mounting holes for this reason. They do make round plastic covers. _____ General Electrical Forum . Plastic boxes breaking. Thread starter Cjhaddenjr; Start date Jun 10, 2015; Status Not open for further replies. . As a personal preference I choose not to use 4" round plastic boxes in cases like yours for just the reason you described. If you're in a small hallway with 8' ceilings that's a different story, plastic .Plastic is cheaper and probably more easier to work with (don’t need to ground the box), but it flexes more - if it’s for myself I’d probably use the metal and make sure it gets solidly mounted so that it doesn’t flex when you insert/unplug cables - but also like others have said, use single or double gang boxes, not these octagon boxes
To an extent, yes. But you still have to use a listed, pressure-type connector, such as a wire-nut, or crimp sleeve to be Code compliant. And be sure to use a pigtail from those grounding crimps or wire-nuts to any green terminal on your switches or receptacles. :yes: I just used 100 of them that I got by accident (I usually use the plastic) so I decided to give them a try. I found that they break very easy. They do hold their shape better, but never found a real problem with the plastic boxes. In closing I wouldn't use them again unless I needed the reduced separation in a firewall that the fiberglass boxes . Man, you guys just looooove your plastic boxes. You'll do anything to keep em. I'm a metal conduit guy and it would never occur to me to use a plastic box. Using a screw to attach a box to a joist isn't even a problem in my world. No inspector would flag a metal box for that.
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why use plastic electrical boxes|plastic device boxes for receptacles