Is this fixture installation code compliant?

[DerbyDad03]

Picture a shed with 3/8? SmartSide siding. Picture a motion sensor fixture mounted on the outside of the shed. The fixture is screwed directly to the siding through the holes that would normally be used to mount it to an electrical box.

Instead of using an old work octogon box, the owner screwed a square piece of 1x6 to the inside wall of the shed and, after punching out the center hole in the back of an octagon box, he mounted the octagon box to the 1x6 with the large open side facing into the shed. (The 1x6 also supplies support for the screws that hold the fixture to the outside wall.)

He then drilled a 1/2" hole through the 1x6 and siding and passed the wires from the fixture through the hole into the box. The Romex for the power is attached to the octagon box with a standard Romex connector.

So basically the fixture wires go through about an inch of wood before they enter the back of the electrical box. The hole in the wood is smaller then the hole in the box, so there's no chance of the wires contacting the edge of the metal hole.

Is it OK to pass the wires through the wood or should the fixture be mounted directly to the electrical box?

[hrhofmann]

ure mounted on the outside of the shed. The fixture is screwed directly to the siding through the holes that would normally be used to mount it to an electrical box. Instead of using an old work octogon box, the owner screwed a square piece of 1x6 to the inside wall of the shed and, after punching o ut the center hole in the back of an octagon box, he mounted the octagon bo x to the 1x6 with the large open side facing into the shed. (The 1x6 also s upplies support for the screws that hold the fixture to the outside wall.) He then drilled a 1/2" hole through the 1x6 and siding and passed the wires from the fixture through the hole into the box. The Romex for the power is attached to the octagon box with a standard Romex connector. So basically the fixture wires go through about an inch of wood before they enter the ba ck of the electrical box. The hole in the wood is smaller then the hole in the box, so there's no chance of the wires contacting the edge of the metal hole. Is it OK to pass the wires through the wood or should the fixture be mounted directly to the electrical box?

Did he pass the two or 3 (if grounded)individual wires thru the hole in the wood, or did he use romex from the fixture back to the box? If individual wires, I doubt that it meets any code. If he somehow put romex into the f ixture itself, and then ran the romex thru the hole in the wood, it might p ossibly be ok. But, the fixture is meant to mount over a metal box and not over a slab of wood, so AI doubt that even with romex it would pass an act ual inspection.

Now if he was to mount the outside unit over a metal round (dummy) plate an d pass the romex through a hole in the middle of the plate, using a romex c onnector, and then route the romex through the wood into another romex conn ector and the box on the inside, that might very well pass code inspection.

[DerbyDad03]

It's the 3 individual fixture wires that pass through the side of the shed and 1x6.

[Dean Hoffman]

The kicker might be that it isn't installed per the manufacturer's instructions if the fixture isn't mounted directly to the box.

[gfretwell]

No

314.20 In Wall or Ceiling. In walls or ceilings with a surface of concrete, tile, gypsum, plaster, or other noncombustible material, boxes employing a flush-type cover or faceplate shall be installed so that the front edge of the box, plaster ring, extension ring, or listed extender will not be set back of the finished surface more than 6 mm (1/4 in.).

In walls and ceilings constructed of wood or other combustible surface material, boxes, plaster rings, extension rings, or listed extenders shall be flush with the finished surface or project therefrom.

[John Grabowski]

*I agree. The installer could have used an Arlington siding box on the surface of the siding.

[DerbyDad03]

Thanks for the code cite, but I'm not sure if that section fits this situation exactly.

In this case the box is acting as a junction box, completely inside the shed. The "flush-type cover or faceplate" faces inward, so it's not an issue of the front of the box being set back.

What if a short piece of Schedule 40 conduit was inserted into the hole that goes through the wall and wood to act as a sleeve. Would eliminating the "wires through wood" situation solve the issue?

[hrhofmann]

The conduit would have to be secured with connectors at each end, otherwise there is/are rough edge(s) exposed at both ends that could abrade the insulation on the wires.

[bud--]

The wires from the fixture are not a recognized wiring method and have to be connected to a recognized wiring method in a box.

Possibilities that come to mind:

A surface mount box from Arlington - as in John's post (note 3 pages)

A shallow surface mounted box as in Caulking's post. Light canopy covers the box. (but probably needs to be weather tight, which wouldn't work)

The box above with wood around it to flatten the siding and provide a weather seal.

A surface mounted weatherproof round box.

This is likely a damp or wet location which has to be taken into account.

[DerbyDad03]

Couldn't he just cut a bigger hole in the shed siding and use an old work octagon box? Wouldn't a box with the tabs end up being flush with the face of the siding and allow the fixture to be attached directly to the box?

[jamesgang]

Nope Fire hazard. Cut a bigger hole and turn the box around. Add strain relief.

[John Grabowski]

*Yes he could.

[clare]

No. The lighting device is NOT approved for mounting on flammable surfave. It is only approved for mounting to an electrical box. As noted before, of mounted to a blank cover box (between the lamp and the siding) with a fixture nipple feeding through the wall into the box, it MAY sneak past inspection.

[clare]

Definitely the preferred method.

[DerbyDad03]

I guess I'll lend him my Harbor Freight Variable Speed Multi-Function tool to make it easy to cut the hole. :-)

[WW]

Couldn't he just cut a bigger hole in the shed siding and use an old work octagon box? Wouldn't a box with the tabs end up being flush with the face of the siding and allow the fixture to be attached directly to the box?

That is how the electrical contractor did on our new house to mount a auto sensing light. That passed inspection...WW

[DerbyDad03]

It's all good now!

We installed a old work box, added a fixture strap, and mounted the fixture to the strap as per the instructions.

Thanks for help and suggestions.