MK list special back boxes for their grid switches, e.g. item no. 892 for
flush mounting the 3 and 4 gang grids. Is there some subtle difference that
prevents the grids being used with "normal", and cheaper, boxes? A plastic
dry lining box would be more convenient for a task I have in mind but I was
wondering if the grid would seat properly on it.

--
Mike Clarke

In article ,
Mike Clarke writes:

MK list special back boxes for their grid switches, e.g. item no. 892 for
flush mounting the 3 and 4 gang grids. Is there some subtle difference that
prevents the grids being used with "normal", and cheaper, boxes? A plastic
dry lining box would be more convenient for a task I have in mind but I was
wondering if the grid would seat properly on it.

I've never used a special MK backbox for gridswitch mounting
a single row. When you're screwing the row into the box, there's
very little extended metalwork to screw up flush against the wall,
and if the plaster around the box isn't perfect, you can find you
have nothing to screw it up tight against. In that case, screw it
up so it would be level with the wall finish (if the wall finish
had been present in the right place), and then screw about half
or one turn further. Now when you screw the facia onto the grid
row, it will be the edge of the facia gripping the wall, rather
than the edge of the grid row, but that works just fine IME.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

Andrew Gabriel coughed up some electrons that declared:

In article ,
Mike Clarke writes:

MK list special back boxes for their grid switches, e.g. item no. 892 for
flush mounting the 3 and 4 gang grids. Is there some subtle difference
that prevents the grids being used with "normal", and cheaper, boxes? A
plastic dry lining box would be more convenient for a task I have in mind
but I was wondering if the grid would seat properly on it.

I've never used a special MK backbox for gridswitch mounting
a single row. When you're screwing the row into the box, there's
very little extended metalwork to screw up flush against the wall,
and if the plaster around the box isn't perfect, you can find you
have nothing to screw it up tight against. In that case, screw it
up so it would be level with the wall finish (if the wall finish
had been present in the right place), and then screw about half
or one turn further. Now when you screw the facia onto the grid
row, it will be the edge of the facia gripping the wall, rather
than the edge of the grid row, but that works just fine IME.


I just phoned GET about their grid dimmer modules and asked the same
question - in my case: "Why do you sell special back boxes, wouldn't 35mm
standard boxes be OK?".

The technical answer was, yes it would fit a standard box as you say
Andrew - but the bloke also said that they require deeper boxes for the
dimmer modules to allow for heat dissipation. I think their grid boxes are
42mm deep - but he said, of course I could use a standard 47mm box if I
wanted.

So back to the OP: do you want dimmers? If not, I think 35mm standard boxes
would house most modules quite happily.

Cheers

Tim

In article ,
Mike Clarke wrote:
MK list special back boxes for their grid switches, e.g. item no. 892
for flush mounting the 3 and 4 gang grids. Is there some subtle
difference that prevents the grids being used with "normal", and
cheaper, boxes? A plastic dry lining box would be more convenient for a
task I have in mind but I was wondering if the grid would seat properly
on it.

I think it's that if fitted correctly you can tighten the grid to the lugs
and the plate will then be an exact fit to a perfect wall. With an
ordinary steel box you have to leave the grid slightly lose and use the
plate to nip things up. Dunno about using dry lining boxes - I hate them
so never do.

Other thing is grid boxes are made for multiple grids - so the one and two
gang just complete that range.

--
*In "Casablanca", Humphrey Bogart never said "Play it again, Sam" *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Tim S wrote:

So back to the OP: do you want dimmers? If not, I think 35mm standard
boxes would house most modules quite happily.

No, just a couple of rocker switches and a push switch so no problem with
depth here.

--
Mike Clarke

Thanks Andrew and Dave for the point about the ends of the grid possibly not
locating against the box. It shouldn't be a problem to let the switch plate
provide the alignment against the wall as you describe. Judging from the
number of boxes that end up being fitted just below the plaster surface,
and sometimes not even quite parallel to it, I expect quite a few grids
must end up being aligned this way even with the "official" grid boxes.

I had also wondered if the spacing between the mounting screws might have
been different from standard boxes, your replies have confirmed there's no
problem with that.

As regards dry lining boxes, people either love them or loathe them. I find
them quick and easy to fit but agree they can sometimes look ugly. In this
case with a plain white switch plate they'll be OK. One plus point though -
when you loosen them off to repaint the wall it's the flange on the box
that sticks to the tacky paint when you tighten them up afterwards so if
you ever need to remove the switch or socket it doesn't pull any paint away
with it.

--
Mike Clarke

In article ,
Mike Clarke wrote:
As regards dry lining boxes, people either love them or loathe them. I
find them quick and easy to fit but agree they can sometimes look ugly.
In this case with a plain white switch plate they'll be OK. One plus
point though - when you loosen them off to repaint the wall it's the
flange on the box that sticks to the tacky paint when you tighten them
up afterwards so if you ever need to remove the switch or socket it
doesn't pull any paint away with it.

That's one great benefit of grid switches - you can remove the plate for
decorating while continuing to use the switch. With care, obviously. If
only sockets were similar.

--
*Gargling is a good way to see if your throat leaks.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article ,
"Dave Plowman (News)" writes:
In article ,
Mike Clarke wrote:
As regards dry lining boxes, people either love them or loathe them. I
find them quick and easy to fit but agree they can sometimes look ugly.
In this case with a plain white switch plate they'll be OK. One plus
point though - when you loosen them off to repaint the wall it's the
flange on the box that sticks to the tacky paint when you tighten them
up afterwards so if you ever need to remove the switch or socket it
doesn't pull any paint away with it.

That's one great benefit of grid switches - you can remove the plate for
decorating while continuing to use the switch. With care, obviously. If
only sockets were similar.

I'm always amazed at professional decorators, who go to great lengths
to get perfectly straight paint edge lines against skirting edges,
architrave, cupboards, etc, but paint randomly over the edges and face
of all wiring accessories. It's not like this is just one decorator
either -- it applies to every decorator I've ever come across.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

Dave Plowman (News) coughed up some electrons that declared:


That's one great benefit of grid switches - you can remove the plate for
decorating while continuing to use the switch. With care, obviously. If
only sockets were similar.


You can with the screwless flat plates

In article ,
Tim S wrote:
That's one great benefit of grid switches - you can remove the plate
for decorating while continuing to use the switch. With care,
obviously. If only sockets were similar.


You can with the screwless flat plates

Ah - not come across those.

--
*Money isn‘t everything, but it sure keeps the kids in touch

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Dave Plowman (News) coughed up some electrons that declared:

In article ,
Tim S wrote:
That's one great benefit of grid switches - you can remove the plate
for decorating while continuing to use the switch. With care,
obviously. If only sockets were similar.


You can with the screwless flat plates

Ah - not come across those.


Yep - not dissimilar to grid switches. The socket plate is really a subplate
which is screwed on normally, though the plate doesn't protrude beyond the
box much (like grid). The decorative plate clips onto the subplate.

Only downside is it turns a £2.75 2 gang socket into a 12-15 quid 2 gang
socket ;-

Cheers

Tim

Previously I wrote:

Thanks Andrew and Dave for the point about the ends of the grid possibly
not locating against the box. It shouldn't be a problem to let the switch
plate provide the alignment against the wall as you describe.

Having done the job I can now confirm that the lugs on the ends of the MK
grid locate against the flange of a dry lining box with no problem.

The only minor snag to watch out for is to make sure that the grid is
precisely aligned horizontally in relation to the box otherwise the front
plate won't align with the flange and will look messy. If it becomes a
problem just partially tighten the grid screws to start with then
temporarily offer up the front plate and use it to slide the grid round a
bit.

--
Mike Clarke