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#1
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need help with porch light
Secretly in the back of my mind I think I know what I'm gonna have to do,
but I'm hoping for an out. The porch lights on my house are firetraps and have to go. So I get some new ones and begin the process of unmounting one of them - big mistake. http://photos.imageevent.com/eigenve...e/P5050111.JPG As you can see its simply screwed onto the siding. http://photos.imageevent.com/eigenve...e/P5050112.JPG And the romex is fed to it through a hole in the house. Dare I cut the siding and hope that there's an electical box behind it? I really really hope there is, otherwise I have quite a task ahead of me - ripping out the drywall and installing an box to mount the new fixture. So staring at that mess I look at the old fixture - bigger mistake http://photos.imageevent.com/eigenve...e/P5050113.JPG No that isn't green insulation - that's exposed hot and neutral wires that are almost corroded through. In fact the Romex wires that it was connected to were corroded as well - not terribly but there was a definite green film on the wires. So what am I looking at here - completely removing the old Romex, installing an exterior box, then cutting my siding to install the new fixture? For now I've clipped the connection, wirenutted both the hot and neutral wires and wrapped them with electricians tape and put the old fixture back on the siding to keep it moderately covered from the elements. Should I be safe until I can do a permanent install or would it be a good idea to unhook the wires from the actual switch inside the house too? |
#2
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need help with porch light
Three options: You can use a siding box, which would probably look silly on
the wood, You can cut in a gem box, right around the existing cable, which would work fine, or you can mound a pancake box right on the surface and get new fixtures with deep canopies to accommodate the pancake box. You need new fixtures anyway "Eigenvector" wrote in message . .. Secretly in the back of my mind I think I know what I'm gonna have to do, but I'm hoping for an out. The porch lights on my house are firetraps and have to go. So I get some new ones and begin the process of unmounting one of them - big mistake. http://photos.imageevent.com/eigenve...e/P5050111.JPG As you can see its simply screwed onto the siding. http://photos.imageevent.com/eigenve...e/P5050112.JPG And the romex is fed to it through a hole in the house. Dare I cut the siding and hope that there's an electical box behind it? I really really hope there is, otherwise I have quite a task ahead of me - ripping out the drywall and installing an box to mount the new fixture. So staring at that mess I look at the old fixture - bigger mistake http://photos.imageevent.com/eigenve...e/P5050113.JPG No that isn't green insulation - that's exposed hot and neutral wires that are almost corroded through. In fact the Romex wires that it was connected to were corroded as well - not terribly but there was a definite green film on the wires. So what am I looking at here - completely removing the old Romex, installing an exterior box, then cutting my siding to install the new fixture? For now I've clipped the connection, wirenutted both the hot and neutral wires and wrapped them with electricians tape and put the old fixture back on the siding to keep it moderately covered from the elements. Should I be safe until I can do a permanent install or would it be a good idea to unhook the wires from the actual switch inside the house too? |
#3
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need help with porch light
PS, there is no box behind the siding
"RBM" rbm2(remove wrote in message ... Three options: You can use a siding box, which would probably look silly on the wood, You can cut in a gem box, right around the existing cable, which would work fine, or you can mound a pancake box right on the surface and get new fixtures with deep canopies to accommodate the pancake box. You need new fixtures anyway "Eigenvector" wrote in message . .. Secretly in the back of my mind I think I know what I'm gonna have to do, but I'm hoping for an out. The porch lights on my house are firetraps and have to go. So I get some new ones and begin the process of unmounting one of them - big mistake. http://photos.imageevent.com/eigenve...e/P5050111.JPG As you can see its simply screwed onto the siding. http://photos.imageevent.com/eigenve...e/P5050112.JPG And the romex is fed to it through a hole in the house. Dare I cut the siding and hope that there's an electical box behind it? I really really hope there is, otherwise I have quite a task ahead of me - ripping out the drywall and installing an box to mount the new fixture. So staring at that mess I look at the old fixture - bigger mistake http://photos.imageevent.com/eigenve...e/P5050113.JPG No that isn't green insulation - that's exposed hot and neutral wires that are almost corroded through. In fact the Romex wires that it was connected to were corroded as well - not terribly but there was a definite green film on the wires. So what am I looking at here - completely removing the old Romex, installing an exterior box, then cutting my siding to install the new fixture? For now I've clipped the connection, wirenutted both the hot and neutral wires and wrapped them with electricians tape and put the old fixture back on the siding to keep it moderately covered from the elements. Should I be safe until I can do a permanent install or would it be a good idea to unhook the wires from the actual switch inside the house too? |
#4
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need help with porch light
"RBM" rbm2(remove wrote in message ... PS, there is no box behind the siding Damn. Well I can try using one of those 1/2" high boxes and see if I can inset it into the sheathing beneath it. In some ways I wish I hadn't uncovered that little mess - but on the other hand it was an absolute fire waiting to happen. "RBM" rbm2(remove wrote in message ... Three options: You can use a siding box, which would probably look silly on the wood, You can cut in a gem box, right around the existing cable, which would work fine, or you can mound a pancake box right on the surface and get new fixtures with deep canopies to accommodate the pancake box. You need new fixtures anyway "Eigenvector" wrote in message . .. Secretly in the back of my mind I think I know what I'm gonna have to do, but I'm hoping for an out. The porch lights on my house are firetraps and have to go. So I get some new ones and begin the process of unmounting one of them - big mistake. http://photos.imageevent.com/eigenve...e/P5050111.JPG As you can see its simply screwed onto the siding. http://photos.imageevent.com/eigenve...e/P5050112.JPG And the romex is fed to it through a hole in the house. Dare I cut the siding and hope that there's an electical box behind it? I really really hope there is, otherwise I have quite a task ahead of me - ripping out the drywall and installing an box to mount the new fixture. So staring at that mess I look at the old fixture - bigger mistake http://photos.imageevent.com/eigenve...e/P5050113.JPG No that isn't green insulation - that's exposed hot and neutral wires that are almost corroded through. In fact the Romex wires that it was connected to were corroded as well - not terribly but there was a definite green film on the wires. So what am I looking at here - completely removing the old Romex, installing an exterior box, then cutting my siding to install the new fixture? For now I've clipped the connection, wirenutted both the hot and neutral wires and wrapped them with electricians tape and put the old fixture back on the siding to keep it moderately covered from the elements. Should I be safe until I can do a permanent install or would it be a good idea to unhook the wires from the actual switch inside the house too? |
#5
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need help with porch light
If you have boards or plywood sheeting behind the siding, you could use a
three of four inch hole saw . Just cut through the siding then screw the pancake box to the sheeting. "Eigenvector" wrote in message . .. "RBM" rbm2(remove wrote in message ... PS, there is no box behind the siding Damn. Well I can try using one of those 1/2" high boxes and see if I can inset it into the sheathing beneath it. In some ways I wish I hadn't uncovered that little mess - but on the other hand it was an absolute fire waiting to happen. "RBM" rbm2(remove wrote in message ... Three options: You can use a siding box, which would probably look silly on the wood, You can cut in a gem box, right around the existing cable, which would work fine, or you can mound a pancake box right on the surface and get new fixtures with deep canopies to accommodate the pancake box. You need new fixtures anyway "Eigenvector" wrote in message . .. Secretly in the back of my mind I think I know what I'm gonna have to do, but I'm hoping for an out. The porch lights on my house are firetraps and have to go. So I get some new ones and begin the process of unmounting one of them - big mistake. http://photos.imageevent.com/eigenve...e/P5050111.JPG As you can see its simply screwed onto the siding. http://photos.imageevent.com/eigenve...e/P5050112.JPG And the romex is fed to it through a hole in the house. Dare I cut the siding and hope that there's an electical box behind it? I really really hope there is, otherwise I have quite a task ahead of me - ripping out the drywall and installing an box to mount the new fixture. So staring at that mess I look at the old fixture - bigger mistake http://photos.imageevent.com/eigenve...e/P5050113.JPG No that isn't green insulation - that's exposed hot and neutral wires that are almost corroded through. In fact the Romex wires that it was connected to were corroded as well - not terribly but there was a definite green film on the wires. So what am I looking at here - completely removing the old Romex, installing an exterior box, then cutting my siding to install the new fixture? For now I've clipped the connection, wirenutted both the hot and neutral wires and wrapped them with electricians tape and put the old fixture back on the siding to keep it moderately covered from the elements. Should I be safe until I can do a permanent install or would it be a good idea to unhook the wires from the actual switch inside the house too? |
#6
Posted to alt.home.repair
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need help with porch light
"RBM" rbm2(remove wrote in message ... If you have boards or plywood sheeting behind the siding, you could use a three of four inch hole saw . Just cut through the siding then screw the pancake box to the sheeting. Just to be clear, when you say "pancake box" you are referring to the circular 1/2" and 5/8" metal boxes? "Eigenvector" wrote in message . .. "RBM" rbm2(remove wrote in message ... PS, there is no box behind the siding Damn. Well I can try using one of those 1/2" high boxes and see if I can inset it into the sheathing beneath it. In some ways I wish I hadn't uncovered that little mess - but on the other hand it was an absolute fire waiting to happen. "RBM" rbm2(remove wrote in message ... Three options: You can use a siding box, which would probably look silly on the wood, You can cut in a gem box, right around the existing cable, which would work fine, or you can mound a pancake box right on the surface and get new fixtures with deep canopies to accommodate the pancake box. You need new fixtures anyway "Eigenvector" wrote in message . .. Secretly in the back of my mind I think I know what I'm gonna have to do, but I'm hoping for an out. The porch lights on my house are firetraps and have to go. So I get some new ones and begin the process of unmounting one of them - big mistake. http://photos.imageevent.com/eigenve...e/P5050111.JPG As you can see its simply screwed onto the siding. http://photos.imageevent.com/eigenve...e/P5050112.JPG And the romex is fed to it through a hole in the house. Dare I cut the siding and hope that there's an electical box behind it? I really really hope there is, otherwise I have quite a task ahead of me - ripping out the drywall and installing an box to mount the new fixture. So staring at that mess I look at the old fixture - bigger mistake http://photos.imageevent.com/eigenve...e/P5050113.JPG No that isn't green insulation - that's exposed hot and neutral wires that are almost corroded through. In fact the Romex wires that it was connected to were corroded as well - not terribly but there was a definite green film on the wires. So what am I looking at here - completely removing the old Romex, installing an exterior box, then cutting my siding to install the new fixture? For now I've clipped the connection, wirenutted both the hot and neutral wires and wrapped them with electricians tape and put the old fixture back on the siding to keep it moderately covered from the elements. Should I be safe until I can do a permanent install or would it be a good idea to unhook the wires from the actual switch inside the house too? |
#7
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need help with porch light
On Sat, 5 May 2007 12:00:53 -0700, "Eigenvector"
wrote: Secretly in the back of my mind I think I know what I'm gonna have to do, but I'm hoping for an out. The porch lights on my house are firetraps and have to go. So I get some new ones and begin the process of unmounting one of them - big mistake. http://photos.imageevent.com/eigenve...e/P5050111.JPG As you can see its simply screwed onto the siding. http://photos.imageevent.com/eigenve...e/P5050112.JPG And the romex is fed to it through a hole in the house. It is so sad that wiring like this becoming the standard today. Someone should loose their job for work like this. They should start with the building inspectors. |
#8
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need help with porch light
"Terry" wrote in message ... On Sat, 5 May 2007 12:00:53 -0700, "Eigenvector" wrote: Secretly in the back of my mind I think I know what I'm gonna have to do, but I'm hoping for an out. The porch lights on my house are firetraps and have to go. So I get some new ones and begin the process of unmounting one of them - big mistake. http://photos.imageevent.com/eigenve...e/P5050111.JPG As you can see its simply screwed onto the siding. http://photos.imageevent.com/eigenve...e/P5050112.JPG And the romex is fed to it through a hole in the house. It is so sad that wiring like this becoming the standard today. Someone should loose their job for work like this. They should start with the building inspectors. Well I don't kow about today, this was presumably done when the house was built in 1960. Also I'm not clear how inspections are done when the property is in county land - my house was pretty far out in the boondocks in 1960. |
#9
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need help with porch light
On Sat, 5 May 2007 18:27:48 -0700, "Eigenvector"
wrote: "Terry" wrote in message .. . On Sat, 5 May 2007 12:00:53 -0700, "Eigenvector" wrote: Secretly in the back of my mind I think I know what I'm gonna have to do, but I'm hoping for an out. The porch lights on my house are firetraps and have to go. So I get some new ones and begin the process of unmounting one of them - big mistake. http://photos.imageevent.com/eigenve...e/P5050111.JPG As you can see its simply screwed onto the siding. http://photos.imageevent.com/eigenve...e/P5050112.JPG And the romex is fed to it through a hole in the house. It is so sad that wiring like this becoming the standard today. Someone should loose their job for work like this. They should start with the building inspectors. Well I don't kow about today, this was presumably done when the house was built in 1960. Also I'm not clear how inspections are done when the property is in county land - my house was pretty far out in the boondocks in 1960. I had a vinyl siding guy tell me that they never put an electrical box. They have just what you have, a piece of romex hanging through a hole in the wall. This would never pass any inspection. |
#10
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need help with porch light
It did pass an inspection. Electrical inspectors are just regular human
beings, with no psychic abilities. When they do a roughing inspection, it can be normal to have a cable just sticking out of the sheeting or siding. It's expected that the electrician install the boxes afterwards and not cheat "Terry" wrote in message ... On Sat, 5 May 2007 18:27:48 -0700, "Eigenvector" wrote: "Terry" wrote in message . .. On Sat, 5 May 2007 12:00:53 -0700, "Eigenvector" wrote: Secretly in the back of my mind I think I know what I'm gonna have to do, but I'm hoping for an out. The porch lights on my house are firetraps and have to go. So I get some new ones and begin the process of unmounting one of them - big mistake. http://photos.imageevent.com/eigenve...e/P5050111.JPG As you can see its simply screwed onto the siding. http://photos.imageevent.com/eigenve...e/P5050112.JPG And the romex is fed to it through a hole in the house. It is so sad that wiring like this becoming the standard today. Someone should loose their job for work like this. They should start with the building inspectors. Well I don't kow about today, this was presumably done when the house was built in 1960. Also I'm not clear how inspections are done when the property is in county land - my house was pretty far out in the boondocks in 1960. I had a vinyl siding guy tell me that they never put an electrical box. They have just what you have, a piece of romex hanging through a hole in the wall. This would never pass any inspection. |
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