BX routing issues

[Beatachon]

"Sure! I can install a ceiling fixture for you, dear! The new baby needs light!" Seemed like a simple statement. So 4 hours later here's my predicament.

1) I opened a hole for a ceiling junction box intending to use a fan brace. I have discovered that the joists in this particular building are spaced very closely. About 12~13 inches. Therefore, all of the ceiling fan braces I have been able to find for old work will not fit. They seem to start at 16 inches. Am I going to have to open a big hole to span the joists with a 2x4? Any other choices?

2) The entire run of where the wall meets the ceiling appears to have a metal girder all along the header. This precludes me drilling a hole vertically to drop the BX. Can I notch the header where appropriate to drop into the wall? It's not like it's carrying any significant load...the building is poured concrete construction.

3) There is one joist I need to cross. Right now it just happens to be that there is enough space between the joist and the drywall for the BX to cross into the proper spot between studs. Should the joist be notched? Or is it okay to leave it as it appears in the picture below, crossing between the ceiling joist and ceiling drywall?

Here is a picture of the situation mentioned in 2 and 3.

Any/all help is appreciated! Thanks.

-ben

[RBM]

The Westinghouse (1100) I believe that's the number, fan brace can be cut down. Just pop out the dead end cap, slice off a few inches of the tube and a few inches of the screw, then pop the end cap back on. I wouldn't hesitate to notch a little of the header and for protection, you could sleeve a small piece of half inch tubing over the cable

[Beatachon]

Those are good suggestions. What should I use to cut it? Will a hacksaw do? Can I use a dremel tool? Thanks!

-ben

[DT]

There are fan boxes that do not use a brace between joists, they just fasten onto the side of a single joist. At first glance they look like standard deep plastic junction boxes, but they are heavy fiberglass (not plastic), and have metal brackets built in. Home Depot has them. Of course, you need to have a hole right next to a joist to use one of them, and you need to be able to get clearance to put in the screws in the top bracket, so it may not help that much in a retrofit situation.

There are also shallow fan boxes that screw directly to the bottom of a single joist, not the side.

Both of these boxes have lower weight limits then the brace type, I think, but they handle typical fans OK and will be marked for their weight limit.

Dennis

[Goedjn]

Agree with the above. But for the other question, for crossing over the joist, you ideally want to drill through the joist halfway up. and at least a handspan away from where it bears on the I-beam. you can probably get away with a notch and a cover plate there, too, but it's a bad habit to get into.

I'm assuming that the power is coming from above, and this bit headed down the wall is a switch-leg?

'Cause if your power supply is in the wall too, then it would almost be worth just putting a half-switched receptacle up there, and hanging a cord-and-chain light fixture from a hook. I'm sure you'll eventually find a use for the extra outlet.

[Beatachon]

Hmm. Now you've got me worried. Power is not coming from above. (Should it be?) The way this is working is that I have a switch in the wall which currently (excuse the pun!) controls an outlet. So I decided to drop some BX down the wall and essentially extend that switch leg up into a ceiling fixture. The outlet will still be powered, as there are enough wires (three - neutral,switch leg,and capped off unused) in the existing conduit to run a constant hot to the outlet as well. When I opened the outlet up and the switch, I found that the previous electrician did me a favor and left a capped third wire in case somebody wanted to split the outlet and have half controled by switch and half always on. At least this is what I assume he did it for, but I'm not complaining because it saves me from having to fish another wire to the switchbox.

Is all of this proper wiring? I can't think of anything wrong unless I'm violating some code. Thanks much! Great advice!

-ben

[Goedjn]

no need for that.

Nope, what you're doing doesn't violate any code that I know of, it's just that making the wall-ceiling transition around that I-beam only leaves you about 3/4" of plaster to bury the cable in, and I don't think I could do that successfully. At least, not without gluing up some crown molding.

[scott21230]

"There are fan boxes that do not use a brace between joists, they just fasten onto the side of a single joist. At first glance they look like standard deep plastic junction boxes, but they are heavy fiberglass (not plastic), and have metal brackets built in. Home Depot has them"

I used one of these, except the box is metal, not fiberglass! They work great.