Deviation Betwixt Old Function In Addition To Novel Go Electrical Boxes
Old work electric boxes take plastic tabs that tighten onto drywall after walls/ceilings are installed. New go electrical boxes have nails that are hammered into wooden joists/studs when these are exposed during novel builds/renovations. Old work boxes tin can’t back up heavy weights; new run boxes tin can.
Both sometime operate as well as novel work electrical boxes are designed to house wiring too deed as a connexion indicate betwixt the ceiling/wall as well as a fixture or outlet.
Old run electrical boxes are installed when the studs/joists are not available; and so subsequently the walls in addition to ceilings accept been unopen up. They are secured into holes inwards the drywall amongst plastic tabs that are tightened amongst screws.
New function electric boxes are installed when the studs/joists are exposed; and then typically when the initial construction of a abode is beingness done. They are nailed into the studs/joists.
What Is an Old Work Electrical Box?
What Does It Look Like?
An onetime go electric box is ordinarily constructed of plastic. Most often, merely non ever, the color of the plastic is bluish.
There are as well a few metal models for former function electrical boxes.
The shape of the electrical box is oft rectangular to gibe common outlets, lite switches, in addition to other electrical fixtures. They can too live round for lighting purposes.
An of import add-on to this type of electric box is the mechanisms that let for installation.
On two corners of the box, or three areas of a round electric box (equally spaced to class an equilateral triangle), in that location volition be screws. These screws don’t fasten into the drywall, though; they move mechanisms to secure the electrical box.
These mechanisms are plastic wings or clips that can live tightened past tightening the screws, as well as the tabs are what fasten the electric box to the drywall.
When It Is Installed
Old work electrical boxes are meant for use during remodeling rather than for the initial building of walls or ceilings.
These additions are for when walls/ceilings are already shut upwards, as well as the studs/joists are not available to be used to attach an electrical box.
These kinds of electric boxes do non have to live installed from the side similar new operate electrical boxes do (more on this subsequently). Rather, they tin be placed anywhere inward a wall, as long as at that place is non a stud in the manner.
Because the electric box is being installed into a surface rather than onto a surface, drilling or nailing the box into the drywall is not possible or necessary.
How to Install an Old Work Electrical Box
For this process, you will involve a diverseness of tools. The table below lists them all.
| Item | View on Amazon |
| Stud finder | View |
| Measuring tape | View |
| Straightedge | View |
| Utility knife | View |
| Screwdriver | View |
| Pencil | View |
| Level | View |
Put but, the procedure for how onetime function electric boxes are installed involves finding a place in the drywall with no studs/joists, making a tight-plumbing fixtures hole for the electrical box, inserting the box, as well as tightening the screws then that the plastic clips tin fasten the electric box to the drywall securely.
The video below is a dandy, quick guide on how to install an onetime work electrical box. It likewise illustrates good how the plastic clips secure to the drywall.
Some tips that aren’t mentioned inwards this video but are nonetheless real of import:
- Before running the alive wire through your electric box, it is real important that the circuit breaker for this wire is turned off (or the fuse is pulled out).
- For ease, it is best to cut the hole for the box, operate the wire through the hole, work the wire through the box, as well as and then install the electric box. This is the easiest and nigh efficient fashion to go nigh installation.
Weight Ratings
The fact that quondam work electrical boxes make non accept to be secured to a joist or stud agency that there is a lot more flexibility as far as where the electrical box tin be placed.
However, the downside of this is clear when heavy fixtures are involved.
When an electrical box is secured amongst plastic clips onto drywall, which isn’t virtually equally stiff equally studs or joists, the electrical box’sec fixtures must non live besides heavy, or they will fall out.
Most sources concord that 50 lbs is the upper boundary of nigh erstwhile work electrical boxes. However, the weight rating may vary by make or fabric.
Some calorie-free fixtures and ceiling fans tin can weigh more than than l lbs, which limits what can be attached to erstwhile operate electrical boxes.
What Is a New Work Electrical Box?
What Does It Look Like?
Similar to one-time operate electrical boxes, novel go electrical boxes are often made of plastic, although approximately older models are made of metal.
They are frequently rectangular just also come inward larger, circular shapes for calorie-free fixtures.
Rather than screws inward the corners, novel work electric boxes come with nails, oft two of them, through a pocket-sized extension on the height too bottom of the electric box, whether it is round or rectangular.
Sometimes, these nails as well as their supports are parallel to each other, together with sometimes they are angled slightly toward each other.
When It Is Installed
New go electrical boxes are meant for when a home is existence initially constructed as well as the walls together with ceiling are open up too their studs as well as joists are able to live accessed.
They tin also live used during renovations where the walls together with ceiling are open in addition to the studs too joists are accessible.
Rather than being installed into a surface too fastened to that surface, a new work electrical box is installed onto a surface and is, thence, nailed onto it, rather than existence clipped into it.
How to Install a New Work Electrical Box
To install a novel work electrical box, all you lot’ll call for is a hammer (amazon link).
The about of import parts of installing a novel work electrical box are:
- The box must live placed at a convenient elevation.
- The box must be placed on the stud/joist to allow its front edges to tie into the drywall.
After these specifications are achieved, use a hammer to attach the electrical box to the stud.
The video below shows this quick together with slow procedure.
As is the example amongst one-time go electrical boxes, electric condom must live upheld amongst live wires.
The video in a higher place mentions that your electrical box should live 12-16″ from the floor. Your hammer may autumn inside these dimensions in addition to, every bit such, live a sufficient fashion to measure out, only if it doesn’t, a tape measure is required.
In add-on, knowing what appliances will live plugged into the outlet tin make a difference to the required box peak. A new go electrical box meant for a dryer outlet may have a unlike tiptop demand than an outlet for a mounted TV. thousand.
Something else that is of import to know spell preparing to install a novel function electric box is that they tin oftentimes suit different wall thicknesses.
The raised plastic tabs on the box that are inward contact amongst the front end of the stud/joist tin can live adjusted further back on the box or farther forward to adjust a diversity of wall/ceiling sizes.
Make certain to buy a new run electrical box alongside adjustable tabs to ensure that the electrical box fits flush.
Weight Ratings
Joists in addition to studs, which are commonly confused, grade the structural back up for the ceiling together with walls, respectively. Because of this, electrical boxes secured to them tin can agree more weight. In other words, they are able to have higher weight ratings than onetime operate electric boxes.
New function electric boxes are able to back up more than 50 lbs (just not all are designed to, so if yous are installing a ceiling fan, make certain you go a ceiling fan-rated box).
Although the weight rating will vary by brand together with fabric, it is likely that weights from fifty-75 lbs volition be able to live supported by novel go electric boxes.
Table of Differences Between Old Work and New Work Electrical Boxes
| Old Work Electrical Boxes | New Work Electrical Boxes |
| Can be installed fifty-fifty when active renovations or dwelling-edifice are non occurring. | Can exclusively be installed amongst active renovations or habitation-edifice allowing for walls in addition to ceilings to live open. |
| The box attaches to drywall. | The box attaches to woods (joists or studs). |
| The box is attached amongst plastic tabs that are tightened with a screw. | The box is attached amongst two nails that are hammered into a joist or stud. |
| Can be installed anywhere with drywall in addition to no studs. | Can live installed anywhere alongside studs or joists together with alone when the walls/ceilings are open. |
| Can alone back up weights of below fifty lbs. | Can support weights of above l lbs. |
Is One Better Than The Other?
Old Work Electrical Boxes Pros as well as Cons Table
| Pros | Cons |
| Can be installed anywhere without studs or joists. | Cannot support weights of more than than l lbs. |
| The higher up agency that lite fixtures, outlets, etc., tin can live easily centered for aesthetic purposes. | Uses a multifariousness of tools. |
| Active renovations or habitation construction do non require to live happening inward lodge for the boxes to live installed. | Takes longer than novel work electric boxes to install. |
New Work Electrical Boxes Pros as well as Cons Table
| Pros | Cons |
| Only a hammer together with measuring tape are needed for installation. | Can solely be installed when walls in addition to ceilings are open during renovations or novel builds. |
| Only takes a few minutes to install. | Can alone live installed on the side of joists or studs. |
| Can support more than 50 lbs. | It is more than difficult to center fixtures, switches, together with outlets every bit the studs or joists may not live inwards ideal locations. |
The enquiry of which one is ameliorate more often than not depends on the situation.
If y'all are building a abode or if you lot are renovating, equally long equally the walls together with ceilings are open, a new work electrical box tin can live installed.
The installation volition live quick too volition only require i or ii tools, making a new go electrical box the well-nigh ideal inward this state of affairs.
However, if you lot are non building a home or renovating it, it volition live very difficult to achieve your joists and studs.
In this case, onetime work electric boxes are ideal.
They may take a chip more than time too tools to install, but if it way not opening upwards walls or having to look until the adjacent renovation, old function electric boxes are definitely better.
Additionally, location too weight must live considered.
If the fixture is more than fifty lbs, an erstwhile work electric box cannot be used safely.
If weight is not a problem but the electrical box needs to be inward a very specific place, such equally centered, an former work electrical box would live ideal since they accept more of a range of where they tin can be located (you lot tin can as well use a type of interruption bar).
Sources
https://carlonsales.com/techinfo/faqs/FAQ-ZipBoxes.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?five=VFBxyoSH95Y
https://www.youtube.com/lookout?five=-xJCprKacl4
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