Can anyone here tell me why the common blue plastic electrical boxes used in new construction for switches and receptacles are slightly beveled ‘in’ from front to back? It means that nailing them flush to the stud ends up rendering them slightly ‘slanted’ in front .. NOT straight across. To nail them tightly AND straight across you would have to employ a shim at the back. Seems completely nutty to me!
Also, why on these same boxes is the gauge for where to set them against the front of the stud always 3/8″ ??? Who drywalls with 3/8″ sheets? All of the drywall that I’m familiar with is 1/2 or 5/8″. Why aren’t these placement guides set at one of these depths instead of a useless 3/8!!!?
What am I failing to understand here?
Thanks –
A~
Replies
3/8 is used in the other 2 languages printed on the box. I don't know what they are as I do not speak them. I only speak Okie.
The plastic box is tapered so it will come out of the mold.
With the 3/8" setback, you find some still use 3/8" drywall....... and yes its too thin!
With 3/8" setback you get 1/8" "grace" in setting the box, so there's less risk of it being "proud" of 1/2" drywall. 1/8" is close enough for code.
>>To nail them tightly AND straight across you would have to employ a shim at the back. <<
True enough, if your studs are all straight. I shim frequently. Or, sometimes just move to the other side of the less-than-straight stud - then the taper works for me.
As for the "3/8" guides" - the radius on the stud edges does not help - I usually set depth by eyeing across the stud face to the guide rather than letting the guide actually contact the stud.
And, I cut every one of those guide nubs off before drywalling - the guides will make the RotoZip kick out from the box - no guide - no kick.
Jim
Edited 6/30/2009 8:45 pm ET by JTC1
I am completely convinced that the people who design a lot of these products we work with..... are close to brain dead!
Buy your boxes from a different supplier
The boxes retail for 39 cents. You expect great engineering for 39 cents?
As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz
I find that the electrical approach we take today, is not far from the direction set back in Edison's day. Also, some requirements required to meet code, don't make sense. But that's just me talkin'.
Agreed. Eg, in Europe they use (with apparent safety) techniques (such as exposed non-armored wiring) that would cause conniptions for inspectors here (and, no doubt, vice-versa). A lot just depends on tradition.
As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz
Well thanks everybody ... sounds like I aint so crazy (about THIS at least!) after all. I could, of course, switch to metal boxes and they are 'square' ... no taper. But I just couldn't figure why they'd do that.
As far as our system being crazy here ... even my inspectors give me examples of this. For instance, as of June here all breakers need to be arc-fault breakers (prior to this only bedroom breakers needed arc-fault). Even the inspectors say this is WAAAAYYYY overkill and should not be a requirement.
Go figure ..