I'm installing some lighting on the outside of my garage. It seems pretty
straightforward, but I've got a question regarding the electrical boxes...

I'm using "pancake" boxes. I knockout one of the holes in the back of the
box. Then I hold it up where I want it mounted and mark the wall. I take it
down and drill my hole. Put it back up and screw into place. Pull the wire
through.

How do I clamp the wire so it doesn't pull out of the box? I know that there
are clips that can be put into place, but the sheathing of the garage wall
precludes my using them. I guess I could put the clip in backwards, but they
are wider than the pancake box is high.

Do I just leave the wire loose and depend on the "staple" inside the garage
to hold the wire?

Just want to be sure that this will meet code here in Calgary. Don't want to
fail my inspection.

Thanks!

Assuming you are using non metallic cable, you can get a connector called
"button" made by Arlington Industries. It's very small and just pops into a
1/2" knockout, and the cable just pushes through it



"Noozer" wrote in message
news:7ajGi.164760$fJ5.162983@pd7urf1no...
I'm installing some lighting on the outside of my garage. It seems pretty
straightforward, but I've got a question regarding the electrical boxes...

I'm using "pancake" boxes. I knockout one of the holes in the back of the
box. Then I hold it up where I want it mounted and mark the wall. I take
it down and drill my hole. Put it back up and screw into place. Pull the
wire through.

How do I clamp the wire so it doesn't pull out of the box? I know that
there are clips that can be put into place, but the sheathing of the
garage wall precludes my using them. I guess I could put the clip in
backwards, but they are wider than the pancake box is high.

Do I just leave the wire loose and depend on the "staple" inside the
garage to hold the wire?

Just want to be sure that this will meet code here in Calgary. Don't want
to fail my inspection.

Thanks!

on 9/13/2007 6:51 PM Noozer said the following:
I'm installing some lighting on the outside of my garage. It seems pretty
straightforward, but I've got a question regarding the electrical boxes...

I'm using "pancake" boxes. I knockout one of the holes in the back of the
box. Then I hold it up where I want it mounted and mark the wall. I take it
down and drill my hole. Put it back up and screw into place. Pull the wire
through.

How do I clamp the wire so it doesn't pull out of the box? I know that there
are clips that can be put into place, but the sheathing of the garage wall
precludes my using them. I guess I could put the clip in backwards, but they
are wider than the pancake box is high.

Do I just leave the wire loose and depend on the "staple" inside the garage
to hold the wire?

Just want to be sure that this will meet code here in Calgary. Don't want to
fail my inspection.

Thanks!



My outside front door lights have been that way for 23 years. How can
they pull,or fall, out?
It was probably a little tough to bend it around the pancake box to
begin with.

--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
To email, remove the double zeroes after @

"Noozer" wrote in message
news:7ajGi.164760$fJ5.162983@pd7urf1no...
I'm installing some lighting on the outside of my garage. It seems pretty
straightforward, but I've got a question regarding the electrical boxes...

I'm using "pancake" boxes. I knockout one of the holes in the back of the
box. Then I hold it up where I want it mounted and mark the wall. I take
it down and drill my hole. Put it back up and screw into place. Pull the
wire through.

How do I clamp the wire so it doesn't pull out of the box? I know that
there are clips that can be put into place, but the sheathing of the
garage wall precludes my using them. I guess I could put the clip in
backwards, but they are wider than the pancake box is high.

Do I just leave the wire loose and depend on the "staple" inside the
garage to hold the wire?

Just want to be sure that this will meet code here in Calgary. Don't want
to fail my inspection.

Thanks!



I'd use one of these if I were going in or out of a box. I assume you're
using NM cable?
http://www.doityourself.com/invt/u251507

"Noozer" wrote in message
news:7ajGi.164760$fJ5.162983@pd7urf1no...
I'm installing some lighting on the outside of my garage. It seems pretty
straightforward, but I've got a question regarding the electrical boxes...

I'm using "pancake" boxes. I knockout one of the holes in the back of the
box. Then I hold it up where I want it mounted and mark the wall. I take
it
down and drill my hole. Put it back up and screw into place. Pull the wire
through.

How do I clamp the wire so it doesn't pull out of the box? I know that
there
are clips that can be put into place, but the sheathing of the garage wall
precludes my using them. I guess I could put the clip in backwards, but
they
are wider than the pancake box is high.

Do I just leave the wire loose and depend on the "staple" inside the
garage
to hold the wire?

Just want to be sure that this will meet code here in Calgary. Don't want
to
fail my inspection.


An 1 1/4" hole should be the right size to allow a two screw Romex connector
to fit behind the box. You can cut the screws a little to make it fit
better. As RBM suggested a button type connector will work also.

One question no one is asking. I this box rated for exterior use?
The only pancake boxes I have seen are for indoor work.



"Noozer" wrote in message
news:7ajGi.164760$fJ5.162983@pd7urf1no...
I'm installing some lighting on the outside of my garage. It seems pretty
straightforward, but I've got a question regarding the electrical boxes...

I'm using "pancake" boxes. I knockout one of the holes in the back of the
box. Then I hold it up where I want it mounted and mark the wall. I take
it down and drill my hole. Put it back up and screw into place. Pull the
wire through.

How do I clamp the wire so it doesn't pull out of the box? I know that
there are clips that can be put into place, but the sheathing of the
garage wall precludes my using them. I guess I could put the clip in
backwards, but they are wider than the pancake box is high.

Do I just leave the wire loose and depend on the "staple" inside the
garage to hold the wire?

Just want to be sure that this will meet code here in Calgary. Don't want
to fail my inspection.

Thanks!

Don't tell me this!

I did not see anything that looked like an "outdoor" pancake box. What's the
difference between an outdoor rated box and a normal box?

"Cliff Hartle" wrote in message
news:mpmGi.6006$1n1.2053@trnddc02...
One question no one is asking. I this box rated for exterior use?
The only pancake boxes I have seen are for indoor work.


"Noozer" wrote in message
news:7ajGi.164760$fJ5.162983@pd7urf1no...
I'm installing some lighting on the outside of my garage. It seems pretty
straightforward, but I've got a question regarding the electrical
boxes...

I'm using "pancake" boxes. I knockout one of the holes in the back of the
box. Then I hold it up where I want it mounted and mark the wall. I take
it down and drill my hole. Put it back up and screw into place. Pull the
wire through.

How do I clamp the wire so it doesn't pull out of the box? I know that
there are clips that can be put into place, but the sheathing of the
garage wall precludes my using them. I guess I could put the clip in
backwards, but they are wider than the pancake box is high.

Do I just leave the wire loose and depend on the "staple" inside the
garage to hold the wire?

Just want to be sure that this will meet code here in Calgary. Don't want
to fail my inspection.

How do I clamp the wire so it doesn't pull out of the box? I know that
there
are clips that can be put into place, but the sheathing of the garage wall
precludes my using them. I guess I could put the clip in backwards, but
they are wider than the pancake box is high.

Do I just leave the wire loose and depend on the "staple" inside the
garage to hold the wire?

Just want to be sure that this will meet code here in Calgary. Don't want
to fail my inspection.

The clamp is as much to protect against electrical fires in the box as to
hold the wire in place. A hole in a box is unacceptable.

The pancake box is designed to be installed on the sheeting, not the siding.
you use a hole saw and cut through the siding material, then mount the
pancake. The surface should be flush with the siding. It is not an outdoor
box, and is not being used as one



"Noozer" wrote in message
news:NenGi.170063$rX4.134010@pd7urf2no...
Don't tell me this!

I did not see anything that looked like an "outdoor" pancake box. What's
the difference between an outdoor rated box and a normal box?

"Cliff Hartle" wrote in message
news:mpmGi.6006$1n1.2053@trnddc02...
One question no one is asking. I this box rated for exterior use?
The only pancake boxes I have seen are for indoor work.


"Noozer" wrote in message
news:7ajGi.164760$fJ5.162983@pd7urf1no...
I'm installing some lighting on the outside of my garage. It seems
pretty straightforward, but I've got a question regarding the electrical
boxes...

I'm using "pancake" boxes. I knockout one of the holes in the back of
the box. Then I hold it up where I want it mounted and mark the wall. I
take it down and drill my hole. Put it back up and screw into place.
Pull the wire through.

How do I clamp the wire so it doesn't pull out of the box? I know that
there are clips that can be put into place, but the sheathing of the
garage wall precludes my using them. I guess I could put the clip in
backwards, but they are wider than the pancake box is high.

Do I just leave the wire loose and depend on the "staple" inside the
garage to hold the wire?

Just want to be sure that this will meet code here in Calgary. Don't
want to fail my inspection.

"RBM" rbm2(remove wrote in message
...
The pancake box is designed to be installed on the sheeting, not the
siding. you use a hole saw and cut through the siding material, then mount
the pancake. The surface should be flush with the siding. It is not an
outdoor box, and is not being used as one

Ahh.. Good. That's exactly how it'll work.

I marked where I wanted fixtures and the siding guy installed the proper
"beneath the siding" trim at each location. Once the pancake box is in
place there is a second piece that finishes the trim around the opening in
the siding.