melting plastic boxes

Status
Not open for further replies.

Sierrasparky

Senior Member
Location
USA
Occupation
Electrician ,contractor
I would say you have 2 problems. One the switch box is not rated for fixture support because of the material and the fact that Carlon states so. Second you installed 180 watts of heat in a confined space. Even if the listing was not violated and a proper ceiling box was installed you still have the issue of 180 watts of heat in an confined space in which combustable items are usually stored. This is not a practical installation even if it was the owners choice and not the EC. You the EC would still be responsible if the place caught on fire.

Just my opinion
 

al hildenbrand

Senior Member
Location
Minnesota
Occupation
Electrical Contractor, Electrical Consultant, Electrical Engineer
. . . 180 watts of heat in a confined space. Even if the listing was not violated and a proper ceiling box was installed you still have the issue of 180 watts of heat in an confined space in which combustable items are usually stored.
410.16 blesses such an installation if the clearances to the storage space are met.
 

Sierrasparky

Senior Member
Location
USA
Occupation
Electrician ,contractor
410.16 blesses such an installation if the clearances to the storage space are met.


So what! Remember the code book is not to be used as a design guide. Experience and practicality should also be the guide. Not every type of scenario is dictated in the code books.
 

hurk27

Senior Member
Those fixtures usually come with a nut, rubber washer, and a large flat washer to mount the globe against, if not used the globe seals against the base and provides no air flow out of the globe, I always use that hardware to leave a little space between the globe and the base to allow the heated air to flow out of the globe, other wise all the heat is funneled right up into the box as it has no where else to go.
 

PetrosA

Senior Member
Now that I see the photos, it's clear - whoever installed the boxes forgot to drill ventilation holes on top.

Seriously, I agree that the glass was probably right up against the metal of the canopy and all the heat was trapped.
 

Cavie

Senior Member
Location
SW Florida

mivey

Senior Member
I had the lead melt out of a ceiling fan light kit in my room when I was a kid. I whipped out my trusty silver solder and fixed it right up.
 

GUNNING

Senior Member
fiberglass missing and yes it makes a difference

fiberglass missing and yes it makes a difference

lead ... that explains it...

I'm not seeing a lot of yellow fiberglass and no silver shield. Go to the CFL's and did the silver lable say 60 total watts?
 

al hildenbrand

Senior Member
Location
Minnesota
Occupation
Electrical Contractor, Electrical Consultant, Electrical Engineer
. . . 180 watts of heat in a confined space. Even if the listing was not violated and a proper ceiling box was installed you still have the issue of 180 watts of heat in an confined space in which combustable items are usually stored. This is not a practical installation even if it was the owners choice and not the EC. You the EC would still be responsible if the place caught on fire.
What I was trying to do was address this assertion.

Nothing in the Code limits the wattage of the fully enclosed incandescant luminaire installed inside a closet. Period.

The only reason we're having this discussion is because the cheap PVC blue box was used in a way it wasn't designed for.
 

dexterg

Member
you must use the round box. The ones you used are no longer accepted for that application.

note: even though we have all used them in the past at one time or another.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top