Mounting a Plastic Single Gang With Screws INSIDE of box

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DarkD

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coquitlam, BC, Canada
Basically, I had to work in a condo and one of the boxes was mounted backwards in a tight section and already had wires spliced in it. This is a Loomex woodframe project with plastic boxes. To get the box properly oriented, I had to clip some of the plastic on the box. When I finally reoriented the box, I noticed that the side mount no longer had a place to screw it into a stud and since the wires were spliced I couldn't flip the box. So I put a screw inside of the box into the stud. I put some electrical tape over the screw, but I don't feel right about leaving it like this. The only thing I can think to do more is either

A)pigtail the bond and bond the screw
B)unsplice everything, throw the box away and replace it with a new box, possibly damaging the wire insulation in the process.
 
It's good that you feel bad about this. It shows you have character. That said, I think everybody has put a screw through a plastic box at least once in their career. For some people it's once a week. I wouldn't sweat it. (Now if it was a metal framed wall, that would be another story.)
 
Coppersmith said:
It's good that you feel bad about this. It shows you have character. That said, I think everybody has put a screw through a plastic box at least once in their career. For some people it's once a week. I wouldn't sweat it. (Now if it was a metal framed wall, that would be another story.)
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Well said
 
They have gone a little too far with rules here IMO. If that screw into wood framing should become energized - so what?

Time to start installing bonding jumpers to wood framing I guess:cool:

Maybe should bond the non metallic boxes as well.
 
I have done work in old houses with crappy plaster or nasty drywall. I would always cut in my plastic old-work boxes near a stud, if at all possible, so that if the sheetrock or plaster started cratering I could screw the box to the stud for support.
 
Sierrasparky said:
There is boxes made for this now.
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probably because so many of us did put a screw thru them....:(
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~RJ~
 
By golly, there's actually a code for this! '17 changes inbold

314.23 (B)(1) Nails and Screws. Nails and screws, where used as a fasten‐
ing means, shall secure boxes by using brackets on the outside
of the enclosure, or by using mounting holes in the back or in
a single side of the enclosure, or they shall pass through the
interior within 6 mm (1∕4 in.) of the back or ends of the enclo‐
sure. Screws shall not be permitted to pass through the box
unless exposed threads in the box are protected using
approved means to avoid abrasion of conductor insulation.
Mounting holes made in the field shall be approved.
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~RJ~
 
Adamjamma said:
What company makes that box please. Hard to find plastic boxes that take conduit instead of romex.
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Carlon has many non metallic boxes intended to be used with ENT, and have standard KO sizes instead of cable entries, and of course there are many boxes that you cement PVC into or have smooth wall and you drill your own entries - those usually the pull box type and not device/fixture boxes.
 
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jumper said:
I missed the threaded entry part of Adam’s post. The box shown was Carlton.
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I don't know that he was asking about threaded entry, though there are some of those out there also. Seem to find them at big box store more so than at electrical supply house.
 
Adamjamma said:
I am working mostly in concrete or block walls so am tired of replacing rusted boxes..lol... for my own home am looking for better.
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Sounds to me like moisture barrier and/or drainage on the outside of the wall is a bigger issue for you and can cause more serious problems than rusting device boxes.
 
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