Electrician Quick Tip #12 ⚡️
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 พ.ค. 2023
- Quick Tip 12 - Fixing Frustrating Box Issue
The combination between a loose stud mounted box and an oversized cut around a mud ring creates this issue. Unfortunately, simply using caterpillars won’t fix the issue, so this is what I came up with. I know, it’s a bit hacky…but it works! As long as you cut your bolt short enough, once you get your cover plate on, you won’t have any issues with the bolt pushing through the other side of the wall. Let me know what you think and if you know of any better solutions!
► Electrician TOOLS, GEAR, BOOKS, ETC.
-Tools I Recommend: www.amazon.com/shop/mad_elect...
-Troll Co. Clothing (10% off using code MAD10): bit.ly/madelectricianofficial
-Tutoring and Books: store.upstryve.com/?ref=STEPH...
► FOLLOW ME
-Instagram: mad_electrician...
-Link Tree: linktr.ee/MadElectrician
Thanks for watching!
Cheers!
#electrician #apprentice #madelectrician
![[FULL EP.14] เซียนหรั่ง สอน มาร์ชจุ จับปูนา ฮากระจาย | เฮ็ดอย่างเซียนหรั่ง | One Playground](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/M8mPjd_T2lo/mqdefault.jpg)
As long as you trim your bolt short enough to only push your box forward enough so that you can get your cover plate on, your cover plate should keep your box from pushing back further when things are being plugged in. The main idea for this trick is just to get your box forward enough to get your cover plate on. ⚡️
I was thinking the same thing, that the length of the bolt depends on the depth of space behind the box.
Just do it right in the first place. And yes there are more ways of doing it than have been mentioned here. The plastic face plates are not that strong they'll break before too long if you use the outlet often
The major problem with this hack is in time, you'll end up with a sunken box again and a screw sticking out the wall on the other side.
True for a good quality Lutron plate, but the 50 cent plates everyone gets from like ace hardware will crack at the screw and fail every time. This is a good trick for rental properties where you’re trying to keep the cost down and not buy a $50 box of outlet covers.
@@dennismccolley1380itd be good for going behind dummies 10 years later when the plug fails.
Good way to poke a hole through the back of the wall you're "anchoring" off of. 😂
As long as you trim your bolt short enough to only push your box forward enough so that you can get your cover plate on, your cover plate should keep your box from pushing back further when things are being plugged in. The main idea for this trick is just to get your box forward enough to get your cover plate on.
In Germany they say, this will last from 12 to noon!😂
@@MadElectrician also if you don't have enough room to safely drill a hole in the back of the box then you can bet your sweet bippy it's not pushing back. Awesome tip. I've been doing something very similar for years
Worst Hack job ever. If you trim your bolt short what’s the point. First time the receptacle is used it’s still going to push through or crack the drywall on any adjacent wall.
@@matthewmartin9215 the point is to get the cover plate on, but if the box is too far back, a screw won’t go in. And a long screw won’t work because it will stop before getting flush with the cover plate. Trim your screw enough to push the box forward so you can get your cover plate on. Once the cover plate is on, it will pull the box further forward and when something is plugged in, it will prevent it from being pushed back/ making a hole. Never once had a hole poke through (granted I’ve done this only a couple of times in rare situations). Obviously the best thing would be to have whoever installed the box install it correctly the first place, or to open the wall and support the box better.
And that screw is showing in the other room 😂😂😂
This channel: keeping electricians and handymen in business since 2005. Thanks! 👍
Neighbor on opposite side of wall wondering why he has a 1/4-20 screw poking out his wall!😂😂😂
good sheet rockah can make adjustments. 😂
The neighbor is like, "WTF?"
Then, hammers it back in.😂😂😂
@@imdeplorable2241Sounds like my neighbor who hammers in his screws. 😂
That's when you go over and charge them to fix that too
If anyone has a screw 4" long then maybe....looks like a 2.5 " so you're good
Next tip video "how to fix a hole caused by a bolt pushing through from the inside"
Only by paper Walls
Dry wallers problem
@808JuJu if you're doing this hack, it would be assumed that you are doing diy fixes. Therefore, you are probably the one doing the drywall also. Not many people are doing work on electrical terminals and then saying "nope not going to mess with that drywall"
Drywaller problem,… now move this damn broom outta my way
Maybe live in a country with proper walls
... and the protruding screw on the opposite side of the wall in the adjoining room is great for hanging a framed picture.
Hahaha! Why would I want a picture, 8 inches off the ground?
Not only that, it gives someone in the other room a place to hang their hat. Nice.
😂😂😂
Or, you could use an f clamp made for cut in boxes and avoid ruining the on the backside of that box
How do you do that? Concidering that is a 4 square/1900 box with a mud ring? Not to mention, the yokes on those devices don't look like they make contact with the rock. There is nothing on the front to hold it to the rock. How does a battle ship work in this situation? honest question
@@bushgnome yes I would like to know as well
As long as it’s a solid back wall the screw is not going to poke a hole through.
Nice. My box is now rock solid. Thanks
Never suspected a doctor's office or hospital would have loose Junction boxes like that.
I live next to a shell station and the owner knows what I do for a living. Asked me if I could fix an outlet in the store that was sunk into the wall. Turns out whoever cut in the metal old work box (the ones with the wings or clamps) for the MC cut the hole with his fist lol. Just had a couple sheet rock screws holding the bottom in. Got it all fixed up for him but I was just like, seriously? That person just walked away from it like yeah that's fine.
RACO and CADDY have box supports. Its a little clip you put on the box before the mud ring. All boxes are supposed to be supported and secured when installed. Going around to every box after the rock to fix the problem you created does seem a bit hacky, you're not wrong 😂
I love a rock solid box with no play in it.
If the outlets high enough on the wall you can use the end of the screw on the other side to hang a picture or something.
Lol great idea I think I'll do that on all my outlet boxes
Excellent! Remember to change the customer's name in your phone to sucker because he got bamboozled. 😂😂😂
Just use a stainless steel cover plate. The tenant is just gonna have to live with it
He does
The Milwaukee 4-1 is a such a bad ass little gun. Got my first one to help with installing kitchen cabs. Got a second one recently.
Also, somebody went cheap and didn’t buy the h23 bracklets
Exactly. Screwing a box straight to a light gauge metal stud will always end up like this. Judging by the drywall, this is someone adding an outlet, so why not just use a cut in box?
"A little bit hacky"? 🤣🤣🤣
You can use an F-clip to secure it too. They're designed for holding a 4" box flush to the wall. They're sold in sets of two attached to each other. You break them apart and they look somewhat like a capital F. They're usually used to hold in a metal new work box, but you can use them on any box to fix a wobble.
You can use it with a mud-ring too, just wrap it around the mud-ring and tuck it up to the side the same as if you were using them in the other type of box.
Bonus: They're UL listed items, so code inspectors cannot ding you for using something in an inappropriate or unlisted manner.
And as a footnote, when installing F-clips, use needle-nose pliers to crimp them flat, then pinch the front face with your diagonal pliers once or twice to pull the clip just a smidge more by crimping that smidge in front. It pulls the box forward just a little more for a rock solid receptacle.
The F clip won’t stop the box from being pushed in. They’re designed to be used with a box that has a flange on the top and bottom.
Good job, can also use a battle ship. But I like your idea
Like a wedge?
There's many ways to fix that. Little spray foam, a better box stand-off, pull the box out since "your apprentice" cut the hole with a blindfold on.
That’s clever. Trimming the bolt seems like a hit or miss. Would have to try it a couple times.
Baby after watching this I'm rock solid
love your drill extension bar :)
That's a pretty good idea man
This comment was funny to me idk why 😂
So what happens when it punches through the drywall behind it
I would just put the cover on and call it a day since the cover is going to keep it held in place.
Good idea 💡 I like it
Now I have a bolt sticking out of my stairway wall! I hang my coat on it.
One, you need an old workbox for this. Two, pretty sure that's a code violation.
Another option, open the wall up a bit more and put a nailer in.
agree... old workbox. I did this when I bough home with loose boxes.
As a carpenter, nailer it would be. Lol
"now when you go to plug something in" if you haven't already you're going to blow a hole through the wall behind it....LMAO!! I've watched this like six times and I can't stop laughing.....
..and you can use the bolt on the other side as a ground for appliances.. 😊
I will try this when we cross that bridge
Rock solid box, you make the rockin world go round!
I remember they made a clip that snaps on side of box when you have this issue. Various depths. It sits under raise. This is pretty good hack as well. 👍
Unless it's that outlet by your bed that you always jam your charger into when you can't see it well 😂
The screw will poke through the back wall. I think if you use a metal cover plate, you can tighten it down harder to hold the box from pushing back, and maybe the screw wont damage the other side of the wall.
Violation. You can’t use non-listed hardware of any kind to modify an electrical box. There are approved ways to correct that issue
Tip 3 - cut off the excess bolt sticking out the other side of the sheet rock, and patch the hole left from the bolt lol
There is a device for this. It requires the electrician to to think about it during rough-in. It basically does what this screw is doing except it spreads out the force so it won't poke through. It's a box bracket made by Caddy.
Sshhhhhh! just play along with this insanity. 🤣😂
From the other room, Hey where'd that screw come from? 😂
I've been a commercial electrician for about 20 years and I'm just learning this now. 😆 awesome
There's a reason none of the competent old guys taught you this. This guy will be explaining to his boss why the company had to pay for drywall repair behind the outlet.
Oh dang very nice
Spray some expansion foam behind the box. Use a long 6-32 through the face plate to pull the box flush and secure with the other face plate screw. Then remove the 'handle' screw and use a normal length faceplate screw.
Screws up to 1-1/4 (30mm) wont hurt anything. The receptacles are designed with extra room.
This is the first tip i have seen in a long time i will actually try to use, if i remeber
There are supports that you're supposed to put on that box before you put your ring on buddy.😂😅
Next, you’re going to plug and unplug a few times and see your 10-32 screw poking through on the other side of the wall. Genuine.
Screw a 4s blank on the side of the box through those two factory holes. 2x4 framing is 3.5 inches long and drywall is minimum 1/2 so it won't stick out
As someone who lives in a home built with 2x3 studs and 3/8-inch drywall, I've found there are often times when even standard "tricks" don't work very well.
The rough in electrician was bush league for not securing the box in the first place
That’s why you should use a box holder on those
Spray foam is better, it comes in fireproof versions as well.
They make a sleeve type part that the device, a receptacle or switch, fit into sleeve. Take the longer screws included with the part and the oversized ears or tabs tighten, and now device is flush with wall and the wrapping sleeve makes near impossible to have anything drop into the wall between box and drywall.
The first way how to fix this is to hire “actual” electricians that support their boxes adequately
No kidding. Gotta love service/ sustaining work. Never know what you’re going to find ⚡️
those 4sq bracket boxes almost always bend like that. A support bar that spans to the next stud can be added. A different type of box should have been used. Ether way a screw through the back is the wrong way to "fix it" an F strap should have been used instead.
Especially weak on steel studs.
Those tabs on the top and bottom of the recep are supposed to sit on the sheetrock. The guys doing sheetrock cut the hole too big. Because it's metal framed, there is a lot of slop in the bracket box. Would have been fine if the sheetrockers didn't cut a 4in by 4in hole. But the screw thing is is dumb. They make caterpillars for this exact problem.
Me a mechanic in the other room electrocuted trying to figure out why a bolt is sticking out the wall. 😅
People underestimate the strength if 5/8 drywall.
That’s not hacky that’s the stuff a building maintenance guy has to do every day
Thank goodness someone actually used the word hack in its proper sense.
Do I even check what's at the other side that I'm drilling or just go all in?
Good think but bad idea, over time that will out a hole in the wall behind it, I have seen it happen. If you use correct product, Caddy RLC, combined with stainless steel plate, the device will never move from plugging and unplugging.
Far side supports come in much better configurations.
And as a bonus you have a key holder on the opposite side of the wall... Mount your box better
Once the plate is on, it shouldn't go back in the wall at all unless the hole is bigger than the plate
Madison hanger has entered the chat 😅
Amazing trick ❤
Drywall apprentice lol
At least he told us it was hacky.
They make little things that pop into the back called box support brackets nvent caddy they work pretty well
Or....or....now hear me out. Or...u could put some screws on the left side where the 2x4 is and remount the box.
Sometimes there isn't a 2x4 next to it. This is for old work boxes
@@pg13ish93 If there is no 2x4 on the left side then what is holding the box in there at all? Asking, not telling... just confused as to how it is secured in there.
@101perspective look up "old work single gang box" for quick results. These enclosures are for finished walls and meet NEC unless your local code does not allow.
@@ihavenoidea9543 Thanks for the info.
Did we watch the same video? This is not an old work box, it's completely behind the drywall and you can see it tilt relative to the stud when he pushes on it.
Thats actually a cool trick. It probably doesnt have enough pressure to poke thru the other drywall. Dont listen to those 800+ people. They dont understand construction.
Don't do that if its a drywall on the opposite side, just add another pan head screw on the solid side and plate it, it should be solid and most electrician knows this
Mounting brackets work wonders
Maybe glue a piece of plywood where the screw hits to prevent breakthrough
Fill sides with expansion foam, will be much more solid
Dude thats a great idea
Bro you re amazing, and share life saving tricks, you re appreciated more than you know! Pls do not mind the negative comments as you know how are electricians online, some of the most critical and negative online personas EVER! their first instinct is to bring people down.
Nice tip!
Use a spark ring. The ears should be just long enough to catch the sheet rock, and prevent the box from falling back. Once you install the device and plate things get pretty solid.
Dam I've Been Doing That For Around 50yrs!!!
If they would be installed right they wouldn't even wobble 🤷♂️
Very true. That’s the unfortunate nature of being a sustaining electrician and having to fix problems that other people created.
@@MadElectrician yeah, I think the biggest problems for the most people that install such things is that these dry walls are not real walls. If you install one in a thick wall (im from Germany and our walls are 20-45cm thick and full stone with sometimes dry wall over it for easier design stuff) it doesnt wobble bc its fixed to the stone and we use this kind of inserts , so you drill a round hole and then you have a plastic piece to isolate it sich fits exactly into the hole and is secured with 4screws, and in that you screw your (in/outlet) here the outlet and inlet are most times connected together.
But it's always so hard to find a stud in the wall to drill into. 🤣🤣🤣
You earned my sub just by seeing the 7-in-1 lol
and you drill though they drywall on the back real nice
Good video man, I see a lot of people hating on this But first you qualified it by saying it's a little bit hack-ish, and second, there are tons of products that rely on the opposite side drywall as a means of box support
That’s where telescoping screw gun brackets come in handy
Do that on the next job because you're fired from this one...😭😂🤣
Good tip 👍
Om thinking maybe put some tape over the screw now that it protrudes toward the contacts.
Also can put a couple of silver Sheetrock screws into the side of the mud ring in front of the 1900 box. Near the corner away from the wires
I can already hear...."Honey, why is there a screw pushing out of the wall?"
Until it pushes easily through the drywall on the other side. Hacky is an understatement electrical box support brackets cost around a buck or two at Lowe's or Home Depot. Or better yet maybe rummage around in the back of your truck until you find a drywall screw or a deck screw and drive a couple of them through the box into the stud. Genius.
Good hack for me because I have wood on the other side. So everyone’s worries are not mine. This will work great for a double switch outlet I have. Or I could pay the $6 and get the right box that clamps on the back of the drywall.
Nice fix
If your puncturing the drywall with this you’re either not paying attention, using the wrong screw or you didn’t thread it like how he said
you could cut the drywall a little closer to the box so the outlets actually sit against it instead of falling behind it, but that's just me.
Love this trick bro
Came up with it with the best foreman I ever had 🥺
Perfect my friend 👍
Gets fired for taking too long to make up a box!!😂😂
Better off taking the box out and replacing with an old work box. It will still fail in a few years, but you won’t have to patch the wall behind when the bolt punches through.
What are you pushing against, if you dont whats behind it?