(Censored) blue plastic electrical boxes!!!!

murphy1244 · Feb 26, 2014

JDgreen227 said:
Attachment shows a picture of one of the original aluminum (YES, ALUMINUM) outlet boxes from the room I helped my friend rewire. With a little care they could be broken apart, HOWEVER...the mounting brackets offset them from the studs by about 2 1/2" so we could not attach new boxes to the studs without cutting out and patching drywall. The blue box shown in a standard duty Carlon "new work" box, and you can see the round knockout in the back. It is labeled "metal fitting require bonding bushing" HOWEVER...my friend wanted to add a LOT more outlets and switches for studio gear, and he had purchased the premium Carlon "new work" boxes that are much thicker and deeper, meaning we couldn't install a metal fitting in the back as they were too deep, and the clamps and ridges in the back made drilling out and using metal fittings impractical. Live and learn....

Where is it?

JDgreen227 · Feb 26, 2014

murphy1244 said:
Where is it?

Sorry, here it is....changed over my primary computer to Windows 8.1 and still getting used to that.

grsthegreat · Feb 26, 2014

JDgreen227 said:
Sorry, here it is....changed over my primary computer to Windows 8.1 and still getting used to that.

in all my years ive never seen an aluminum interior single gang box like this. ive seen steel ones, but not aluminum.

JDgreen227 · Feb 27, 2014

grsthegreat said:
in all my years ive never seen an aluminum interior single gang box like this. ive seen steel ones, but not aluminum.

That house of the guy I helped, as well as the one I own is a kit house built about 1951 and his place as well as mine used identical aluminum electrical boxes, his house is a Sears and we think the boxes are a Sears product but will never know for sure.

KENSFM · Feb 27, 2014

Just curious, is the house wired with aluminum wire?
Ken

murphy1244 · Feb 27, 2014

KENSFM said:
Just curious, is the house wired with aluminum wire?
Ken

I was thinking the same thing.

JDgreen227 · Feb 27, 2014

murphy1244 said:
I was thinking the same thing.

Nope...both his and mine were originally wired with #14 copper, and no ground. I think aluminum wiring didn't come into use until the early to mid 1960's.