Photos of my bar are coming soon, I know I’ve been threatening them for a while.
Anyway, I’m still thinking about how to fix my lighting problem.
The situation:
Significant other says she wants one can light controlled by a more accesible switch. Normally, I would have argued, but she caught me at a weak moment (she got a new cordless drill and a bottle of Jameson’s for me, to be used individually of course) and I relented.
Anyway, the can light in question has a j-box that’s full. To connect it to the other bank of lights, I need space in the box for the new wire and I need to keep the splices that are currently in the box for the rest of the circuit.
Options I’ve thought of:
1. A little sawzall remodeling by removing the new work can light and customizing an old work can with a larger j-box for all the wires. (This is all on the same circuit, just different switches.)
2. The existing wires in the j-box are short, but I “might” be able to get them into a smaller, seperate box. The issue of j-box accesibility from my last post exists here, but from what everybody said it should be okay.
If anybody has other thoughts, I would certainly be interested. I’d probably even share a little Jameson…
Thanks for helping me win a few “points”.
Patrick
Edited 4/5/2007 9:41 am ET by Corrib
Replies
How full is full? How many wires going into the box.
The 6" fixtures have pretty good size boxes on them.
JT
2 14/3's right now and I will need to add one 14/2. I'm not exactly of actual cubic inches of the box. On these can lights, it's not huge, maybe 6" wide by 2 1/2 deep.
I think adding the 14/2 might be a fill violation.
I've got the space for box extenders, but I've never seen any would attach to these boxes, rectangle shaped.
Thanks for the responses so far.
Seems to me, unless you have a whole lot of extra wire length from the (2) 14-3's, there should be no problem with one more 14-2 added to the mix.I'm no electrician, but have wired a ton of can lights, and there's more room in that junction box than most wall extended boxes, and I don't think your anywhere close to having it filled to code capacity.Jeez - those boxes have 3-4 spots for cable clamps at least...Just added: my catalog for a 6" can fixture shows specs that rate the junction box as capable of having eight (4in - 4out) 12AWG wiring. You're using 14AWG and only have 6 as of now.JT
Edited 4/5/2007 1:08 pm ET by JulianTracy
I just passed an electrical rough-in with (3) 12/2s in several can j-boxes. Don't see why it would be a problem for you. It's a bit tight, but do-able.
Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA
Would a box extender fit on one of these?
George Patterson, Patterson Handyman Service