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need help with porch light Eigenvector 05-05-2007
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Posted by Eigenvector on May 6, 2007, 7:01 pm

>> They do make a full size 'old work' box that might work. You'd cut a
>> full
>> size 3 or 4 inch hole thru the siding and sheathing and the box has
>> 'wings'
>> that spring out inside the wall to hold it in place. I might prefer this
>> to
>> the thinner pancake box on the surface since it would let you get the
>> wires
>> back further inside the wall and help prevent water from causing more
>> corrosion.
>>
>>
>
> Yes that's what I would do; if sufficient depth to put a regular
> (circular or 'octagon') box; screwed to something solid or the siding.
> Then the new light fixtures would be attached to the box.
> Found exactly same thing in the eaves of my daughter's house while
> replacing an outside light with one that had proximity sensors etc. No
> boxes at all! Wires were wire nutted to the fixture wires; fortunately
> nice and dry and no problems, but one heck of a surprise on a house
> not that old. Was able to get a box mounted to a piece of 2x4 which
> was inserted through the aperture and secured inside with screws.
> On my considerably older house I would not ever have mounted a fixture
> with 'wood' screws onto the siding as shown by the OP.! The OPs idea
> of caulking or a gasket to slow water entry around base of fixture is
> a good one IMO.
>

Well I've got it fixed anyhow. Turns out I couldn't use a old work box,
wish I could have, there's a fricking! stud right where I don't want it to
be. So I used the 1/2" short box and caulked the light the best I could.

I figure when I get a little more time and some help I'll square away the
porch light properly and use the old-work box if I can.


Posted by Terry on May 5, 2007, 6:47 pm


On Sat, 5 May 2007 12:00:53 -0700, "Eigenvector"

>Secretly in the back of my mind I think I know what I'm gonna have to do,
>but I'm hoping for an out.
>
>The porch lights on my house are firetraps and have to go. So I get some
>new ones and begin the process of unmounting one of them - big mistake.
>
>http://photos.imageevent.com/eigenvector/houseideas/websize/P5050111.JPG
>As you can see its simply screwed onto the siding.
>http://photos.imageevent.com/eigenvector/houseideas/websize/P5050112.JPG
>And the romex is fed to it through a hole in the house.
>

It is so sad that wiring like this becoming the standard today.
Someone should loose their job for work like this. They should start
with the building inspectors.


Posted by Eigenvector on May 5, 2007, 9:27 pm



> On Sat, 5 May 2007 12:00:53 -0700, "Eigenvector"
>
>>Secretly in the back of my mind I think I know what I'm gonna have to do,
>>but I'm hoping for an out.
>>
>>The porch lights on my house are firetraps and have to go. So I get some
>>new ones and begin the process of unmounting one of them - big mistake.
>>
>>http://photos.imageevent.com/eigenvector/houseideas/websize/P5050111.JPG
>>As you can see its simply screwed onto the siding.
>>http://photos.imageevent.com/eigenvector/houseideas/websize/P5050112.JPG
>>And the romex is fed to it through a hole in the house.
>>
>
> It is so sad that wiring like this becoming the standard today.
> Someone should loose their job for work like this. They should start
> with the building inspectors.
>
Well I don't kow about today, this was presumably done when the house was
built in 1960. Also I'm not clear how inspections are done when the
property is in county land - my house was pretty far out in the boondocks in
1960.


Posted by Terry on May 6, 2007, 9:26 am
On Sat, 5 May 2007 18:27:48 -0700, "Eigenvector"

>
>> On Sat, 5 May 2007 12:00:53 -0700, "Eigenvector"
>>
>>>Secretly in the back of my mind I think I know what I'm gonna have to do,
>>>but I'm hoping for an out.
>>>
>>>The porch lights on my house are firetraps and have to go. So I get some
>>>new ones and begin the process of unmounting one of them - big mistake.
>>>
>>>http://photos.imageevent.com/eigenvector/houseideas/websize/P5050111.JPG
>>>As you can see its simply screwed onto the siding.
>>>http://photos.imageevent.com/eigenvector/houseideas/websize/P5050112.JPG
>>>And the romex is fed to it through a hole in the house.
>>>
>>
>> It is so sad that wiring like this becoming the standard today.
>> Someone should loose their job for work like this. They should start
>> with the building inspectors.
>>
>Well I don't kow about today, this was presumably done when the house was
>built in 1960. Also I'm not clear how inspections are done when the
>property is in county land - my house was pretty far out in the boondocks in
>1960.

I had a vinyl siding guy tell me that they never put an electrical
box. They have just what you have, a piece of romex hanging through a
hole in the wall.

This would never pass any inspection.


Posted by RBM on May 6, 2007, 10:41 am
It did pass an inspection. Electrical inspectors are just regular human
beings, with no psychic abilities. When they do a roughing inspection, it
can be normal to have a cable just sticking out of the sheeting or siding.
It's expected that the electrician install the boxes afterwards and not
cheat




> On Sat, 5 May 2007 18:27:48 -0700, "Eigenvector"
>
>>
>>> On Sat, 5 May 2007 12:00:53 -0700, "Eigenvector"
>>>
>>>>Secretly in the back of my mind I think I know what I'm gonna have to
>>>>do,
>>>>but I'm hoping for an out.
>>>>
>>>>The porch lights on my house are firetraps and have to go. So I get
>>>>some
>>>>new ones and begin the process of unmounting one of them - big mistake.
>>>>
>>>>http://photos.imageevent.com/eigenvector/houseideas/websize/P5050111.JPG
>>>>As you can see its simply screwed onto the siding.
>>>>http://photos.imageevent.com/eigenvector/houseideas/websize/P5050112.JPG
>>>>And the romex is fed to it through a hole in the house.
>>>>
>>>
>>> It is so sad that wiring like this becoming the standard today.
>>> Someone should loose their job for work like this. They should start
>>> with the building inspectors.
>>>
>>Well I don't kow about today, this was presumably done when the house was
>>built in 1960. Also I'm not clear how inspections are done when the
>>property is in county land - my house was pretty far out in the boondocks
>>in
>>1960.
>
> I had a vinyl siding guy tell me that they never put an electrical
> box. They have just what you have, a piece of romex hanging through a
> hole in the wall.
>
> This would never pass any inspection.
>



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