Receptacle box installation

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sharan

Senior Member
Is 2 1/2 " metal stud construction sufficient for standard duplex receptacle recessed application?
 

celtic

Senior Member
Location
NJ
How deep is a 1900 box?

Deep enough for the outlet?
Deep enough for the wall?

There's your answer :)
 

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
sharan said:
Is 2 1/2 " metal stud construction sufficient for standard duplex receptacle recessed application?

You can always use a 4"sq box with an adapter ring however they make boxes that are 3 " deep. 2.5 + .5 (sheetrock)= 3 inches.
 

ultramegabob

Senior Member
Location
Indiana
I use a bracket to span steel studs and mount my 4" boxes with mudrings on, I think they are made by caddy or b-line, it makes the box really firm for when a cord is pushed into the device.
 

Flex

Senior Member
Location
poestenkill ny
ultramegabob said:
I use a bracket to span steel studs and mount my 4" boxes with mudrings on, I think they are made by caddy or b-line, it makes the box really firm for when a cord is pushed into the device.
"spreader bars"

caddy tsgb16 or tsgb24
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
One quick side note: I've always found that a mudring 1/8" deeper than the nominal wall thickness fits perfectly. In other words, a 5/8" ring for 1/2" drywall. That allows for the box's 8-32 screw heads and such.
 

Cow

Senior Member
Location
Eastern Oregon
Occupation
Electrician
LarryFine said:
One quick side note: I've always found that a mudring 1/8" deeper than the nominal wall thickness fits perfectly. In other words, a 5/8" ring for 1/2" drywall. That allows for the box's 8-32 screw heads and such.

I wish our guys would do that too. So many times I've had to shim the receps out when the sheetrockers get a little wild and oversize the hole.
 

peter

Senior Member
Location
San Diego
I basically agree with Mr. Fine's idea of using 5/8" "mudrings" for 1/2" drywall. But the problem there is that the sheetrockers could easily take the time to create a little divot on the back of the gypsum board where the 8-32 screws go. Why doesn't someone get smart an use flat head screws on the boxes?
Also use 3/4" rings for 5/8" drywall. There is always a gap otherwise.
And why use "mudrings"? These are designed for plaster applications. Masonary rings have straight edges or sharp 90? angles so there is no unnecessary gap between the metal and the gypsum.
~Peter
 

mdshunk

Senior Member
Location
Right here.
peter said:
I basically agree with Mr. Fine's idea of using 5/8" "mudrings" for 1/2" drywall. But the problem there is that the sheetrockers could easily take the time to create a little divot on the back of the gypsum board where the 8-32 screws go.
What!! They can't even cut out around the boxes right. What makes you think they'll be able to make two divots? Seriously, that's a pipe dream?

peter said:
And why use "mudrings"? These are designed for plaster applications. Masonary rings have straight edges or sharp 90? angles so there is no unnecessary gap between the metal and the gypsum.
Uh... cost. The one's you propose are about triple the cost. Millions and millions of boxes have been installed with ordinary stamped mud rings with success, so there's no reason to use a more expensive part to save another trade effort or labor.
 

SEO

Senior Member
Location
Michigan
Has anybody ever seen a drywaller take their time? One advantage to using the deeper plaster ring is that it makes it easier to find your covered up box that the careful drywaller buried. The wallboard protrudes a little.
 

Cow

Senior Member
Location
Eastern Oregon
Occupation
Electrician
peter said:
But the problem there is that the sheetrockers could easily take the time to create a little divot on the back of the gypsum board where the 8-32 screws go.

Easily? No. Why make sheetrockers cut divots when we can just as easily buy 1/8" deeper mudrings for almost the same price with no extra effort to install them?

Secondly, why should a sheetrocker care if our mudrings stick out far enough or not? That's up to the electrician to take care of that.
 
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