J-Boxes in the Attic

[MrSurly]

What is the common thought on using 4-square boxes (plastic, w/covers) in the accessible attic space?
What does code say or maybe what is common practice?
The project at hand is my (old) house and making some changes to a room's use. I'm adding outlets to current code and lighting, including a few can lights. Part of the room is existing wall that I will be fishing 12 NM-b vertically with no access for drilling studs in that wall. I will have 3 or four cables to join for outlets and in the interest of simplicity (avoiding box-stuffing) I want to utilize a four-square or similar. There are others in the attic already but I'd like to know you guy's opinions as the propriety of doing this.

 

[sberry]

It's done all the time. Sometimes there isn't any choice. I did a couple rewires a while back. The first was a ranch and I started the job thinking it would be partial and copied the old design, hound have redesigned and came all from the basement.
The second job was 2 story and no way to get between floors on a lot of it, had to come attic down.

 

[nh_yota]

Rewired the upstairs of my old house that way. Ran new circuits up from the panel in the basement and dropped branches down the walls to each outlet in a star configuration.

 

[MrSurly]

Is it recommended to mount them at the joists or should they be mounted higher to be out of the insulation? (buncha blow-in up there).

 

[Slowgsr]

Mount them above the insulation if possible. Otherwise I wouldn't consider them to be accessible.

 

[larry4406]

Mount them above the insulation if possible. Otherwise I wouldn't consider them to be accessible.

I like this answer. I have some that I only found after digging in blowin insulation. Not fun

 

[Slowgsr]

I like this answer. I have some that I only found after digging in blowin insulation. Not fun

I recently did some work at a 1880s home, been rewired maybe 30 years ago. I changed all the plugs/switches up stairs, the existing wire was ok however every plug/switch/fixture only had 1 wire in it. I went in the attic, very walkable. Zero visible junction boxes, originally the house had no insulation, I guess all the junction boxes got covered. .

If they ever had an issue I wouldn't be digging.

 

[Dagny]

Never in a new home. Repair is a different story.

 

[Bert_]

If you can, avoid the junction box altogether. Run the wire in and back out of the outlet/etc. Sometimes it just isn't practical and you have to use a junction box. Keep it visible or make a mark that will stay visible.

 

[larry4406]

...Keep it visible or make a mark that will stay visible...

After I found mine, I used a Sharpie and wrote on the trusses with an arrow pointing towards the junction box and identified the circuit number.

 

[oledude1952]

Could either make these out of caution/colored tape or just buy them to use to stick up out of the insulation at the JB's. Then use a magic marker to write on the flags " Junction Box" JMO

 

[Siegel1719]

Like others have said sometimes there is no reasonable alternative. Just keep it visible and accessible. I have done it and wrote on the insulation in the living space accessible junction box that there is an additional junction box in the attic. Just in case I ever forget or sell the house.

 

[75gmck25]

I ran two 12/3 wires from my panel up to the attic, wired as an MWBC, and then used a junction box to break it out into four circuits in the attic. Two circuits were used for a bath heater/light/fan and the GFCI receptacle, and the other two were for additional bedroom receptacles.

I used the deepest 4" square metal junction boxes I could find, and located them high enough to stick above the insulation. I used a Sharpie to mark the top cover with the circuit #, and to show which wires were in/out for power. Its not very elegant looking to have the boxes sticking up, but its easy to figure out what goes where. I used metal boxes because they might get kicked or hit when moving something around in the attic.

Bruce

 

[allinon72]

Have a few in my 40s era house. I simply put a 1x across the joists and mounted the boxes on that. Easily visible over the blown in insulation.