Many receptacles or switches have side screws that slightly protrude
outwards, especially after a wire has been screwed on. If you put two such
devices in a junction box, one device's hot could potentially touches the
adjacent one's neutral, touches a bare ground wire, or touches the metal
junction box.

What is the proper way to prevent this from happening?



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

John wrote:

Many receptacles or switches have side screws that slightly protrude
outwards, especially after a wire has been screwed on. If you put two such
devices in a junction box, one device's hot could potentially touches the
adjacent one's neutral, touches a bare ground wire, or touches the metal
junction box.

What is the proper way to prevent this from happening?



Hi,
I never saw it happen. If craftmanship is shoddy it may happen tho.
When everything is tight and properlly installed the chance of internal
short like that is very remote. Also there is plastic boxes nowadays as
well.

John wrote:
Many receptacles or switches have side screws that slightly protrude
outwards, especially after a wire has been screwed on. If you put two such
devices in a junction box, one device's hot could potentially touches the
adjacent one's neutral, touches a bare ground wire, or touches the metal
junction box.

What is the proper way to prevent this from happening?



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Don't think it is proper but I have seen fixtures with electrical tape
wrapped around them that would prevent a short. I agree with Tony the
chance of a short is remote if everything is put together correctly.

John wrote:
Many receptacles or switches have side screws that slightly protrude
outwards, especially after a wire has been screwed on. If you put two such
devices in a junction box, one device's hot could potentially touches the
adjacent one's neutral, touches a bare ground wire, or touches the metal
junction box.

What is the proper way to prevent this from happening?



Like the others have said - It shouldn't happen. We all know that S***
does happen though. I screw down the screws that are not in use. If
handy I may also give a wrap of elec tape.

RayV wrote:
John wrote:
Many receptacles or switches have side screws that slightly protrude
outwards, especially after a wire has been screwed on. If you put two such
devices in a junction box, one device's hot could potentially touches the
adjacent one's neutral, touches a bare ground wire, or touches the metal
junction box.

What is the proper way to prevent this from happening?



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Don't think it is proper but I have seen fixtures with electrical tape
wrapped around them that would prevent a short. I agree with Tony the
chance of a short is remote if everything is put together correctly.

The book I own and a few others who have done electrical work in the
past say that you should always wrap your recepticals and switches in
tape, just in case, especially in smaller boxes, because of all the
jimmying you need to do to get everything to fit.

According to nhurst :

The book I own and a few others who have done electrical work in the
past say that you should always wrap your recepticals and switches in
tape, just in case, especially in smaller boxes, because of all the
jimmying you need to do to get everything to fit.

In contrast, the one I have says that doing it is unnecessary,
and can lead to inspectors being overly suspicious of your work.

I don't like putting additional flammable materials inside the
box either.

It has some utility if you're dealing with trying to have live
outlets when drywallers are doing mudding, but, the only time
I've felt the need is with a damaged receptacle that was protruding
from a box for the short time necessary before I could replace it.
--
Chris Lewis, Una confibula non set est
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.

The book I own and a few others who have done electrical work in the
past say that you should always wrap your recepticals and switches in
tape, just in case, especially in smaller boxes, because of all the
jimmying you need to do to get everything to fit.

If you have to wrap your devices, you are doing something seriously wrong.
But if it makes you feel better...

Toller wrote:

If you have to wrap your devices, you are doing something seriously wrong.
But if it makes you feel better...
shrug It's not a necessity, but when I'm working with a bunch of 12/2
or 12/3 wire in a tiny box that's 40 years old and designed for 2 wire
electrical, I'm going to take every preventative step I can.

It seems like a solid idea to me, doesn't cost much, doesn't add much
time to the job, and helps keep things apart from each other. I've done
it both ways and neither have failed me yet.

On Wed, 5 Jul 2006 07:36:51 -0700, "John" wrote:

Many receptacles or switches have side screws that slightly protrude
outwards, especially after a wire has been screwed on. If you put two such
devices in a junction box, one device's hot could potentially touches the
adjacent one's neutral, touches a bare ground wire, or touches the metal
junction box.

What is the proper way to prevent this from happening?

If you wire it properly that wont happen.

Screw them down tight in their proper position. They won't touch.

--
Steve Barker


"John" wrote in message
...
Many receptacles or switches have side screws that slightly protrude
outwards, especially after a wire has been screwed on. If you put two such
devices in a junction box, one device's hot could potentially touches the
adjacent one's neutral, touches a bare ground wire, or touches the metal
junction box.

What is the proper way to prevent this from happening?


--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com