Anyone know if these are made?

[WP9]

The electrician who wired my house used the small 3.5" round ceiling boxes in the garage ceiling.( why they did not use conventional 4 inch boxes is beyond me). I want to hardwire LED fixtures and am looking for non-metal 3.5" cover plates with a 1/2" hole. I can find these in metal, but that requires extending a ground to the plate which I would like to avoid. Anyone know where I can purchase these? ( or if they are even made?)

 

[wssix99]

I assume you are looking at a circular drywall ring in the ceiling and not an actual small box. If you stick your finger up in there, you should see the volume behind the drywall is larger.

Any home store sells cover plates in two sizes, with different screw spacings for this sort of thing. They are painted white and usually in the section with the lighting trim or the switchplates.

 

[Terry D]

Can you post a picture of what you have. Are you wanting to install fixtures over these boxes. What kind of fixtures are you wanting to install.

 

[u2slow]

am looking for non-metal 3.5" cover plates with a 1/2" hole. I can find these in metal, but that requires extending a ground to the plate which I would like to avoid.

I have never seen a metal cover plate explicitly bonded with a jumper. Has code gone full OCD?

 

[alfredeneuman]

Buy a PVC blank plate and drill your own hole with a holesaw.

 

[WP9]

I assume you are looking at a circular drywall ring in the ceiling and not an actual small box. If you stick your finger up in there, you should see the volume behind the drywall is larger.

Any home store sells cover plates in two sizes, with different screw spacings for this sort of thing. They are painted white and usually in the section with the lighting trim or the switchplates.

Not a circular drywall ring. These are actual ceiling type boxes ( non metal) that are only 3.5" in diameter. Never saw them before this house. To me with the lack of volume, there is no advantage other than cost perhaps over regular 4" standard ceiling boxes

 

[WP9]

I have never seen a metal cover plate explicitly bonded with a jumper. Has code gone full OCD?

If the box is non metallic and you put a metallic cover on it, I don't see why the code requirement would not require that metal cover to be bonded.

 

[WP9]

Buy a PVC blank plate and drill your own hole with a holesaw.

Have not seen any PVC 3.5" cover plates ( solid) either.

 

[u2slow]

If the box is non metallic and you put a metallic cover on it, I don't see why the code requirement would not require that metal cover to be bonded.

Attachment screws fasten through to the plastic box's metallic bonding strap...

 

[Terry D]

What kind of fixtures are you installing.
Most fixtures will fit on either box

 

[Terry D]

If the box is non metallic and you put a metallic cover on it, I don't see why the code requirement would not require that metal cover to be bonded.

You are correct

 

[WP9]

What kind of fixtures are you installing.
Most fixtures will fit on either box

I wanted to utilize simple plug in 4 foot ;eds, but in that small box an outlet cannot be mounted( also did not wnt to have to use a GFCI breaker). So, my choice at this point is to hard wire LED fixtures using a cover plate with 1/2" hole for a strain relief connector leading to the lighting .
here is a photo of one of these small boxes in the basement. You can see its small diameter relative to the standard keyless lighting. In the garage it is drywalled with 10inches of blown-in cellulose so removal and replacement with 4inch boxes is not possible.

 

[Terry D]

I guess you probably already have the fixtures, but maybe consider a fixture that is made to mount over the box. It probably would be a better quality fixture.

 

[alfredeneuman]

Have not seen any PVC 3.5" cover plates ( solid) either.

Here's one>>
http://www.aifittings.com/catalog/miscellaneous/ceiling-box-cover/

 

[craigibc]

our local electrical inspector made me remove the traditional outlet box and install the circular box on the ceiling as a part of the electrical code.

 

[WP9]

Here's one>>
http://www.aifittings.com/catalog/miscellaneous/ceiling-box-cover/

Does not look like a type thatis substantial enough to handle a strain relief fitting when a hole is drilled in it.

 

[WP9]

our local electrical inspector made me remove the traditional outlet box and install the circular box on the ceiling as a part of the electrical code.

These are circular boxes, just smaller in diameter than standardy used ones. Personally I don’t see the benefit of these over 4 inch round boxes.

 

[WP9]

I guess you probably already have the fixtures, but maybe consider a fixture that is made to mount over the box. It probably would be a better quality fixture.

That sounds like the most reasonable way to deal with this. Where is the benefit in using these small boxes.? Beats me!

 

[sparky 1971]

Get a 4" blank that mounts to the box, one of the screw holes will work, drill another hole for the other screw. One of the factory screw holes won't have a screw in it, but surely that can be covered. I wouldn't care about the screw hole showing if it were in my garage.

 

[sparky 1971]

I guess you probably already have the fixtures, but maybe consider a fixture that is made to mount over the box. It probably would be a better quality fixture.

That sounds like the most reasonable way to deal with this. Where is the benefit in using these small boxes.? Beats me!

That's your best bet, plus the plug in fixtures are junk. The only benefit to the small boxes is price, but I'm not interested in saving a few cents on something like that. I've never used one, and hopefully never will.

 

[alfredeneuman]

Does not look like a type thatis substantial enough to handle a strain relief fitting when a hole is drilled in it.

They are more substantial than you'd expect. Definitely thicker material than a normal Carlon blue PVC blank.
Unless the fixture is pendant mounted, it's going to be just fine.

 

[Skooterj]

Mount this to your 3.5", then mount the 4" to it.

Amazon.com

Or This

Amazon.com

 

[Duke74]

It looks like a bakelite box. We wired a bunch of horse stables and had to use them because of the corrosive atmosphere. It was quite a few years ago and it is the only job we ever used them. I believe the round boxes were smaller.

 

[Terry D]

Here is a metal canopy kit. You would have to use a unibit or knock out to enlarge the center hole to 7/8". That is the size for 1/2"fittings. It even has the ground pigtail to bond it. You would just cut the terminal off one end and wire nut it to your equipment ground. It does come with a small strain relief for cord, you might just be able to use that.

Robot or human?

 

[WP9]

Here is a metal canopy kit. You would have to use a unibit or knock out to enlarge the center hole to 7/8". That is the size for 1/2"fittings. It even has the ground pigtail to bond it. You would just cut the terminal off one end and wire nut it to your equipment ground. It does come with a small strain relief for cord, you might just be able to use that.

Robot or human?

Thanks Terry!

 

[SlappyWhite]

The knob and tube ceiling boxes in my house from 1941 were all 3.5", so it must have been a standard back then. All of mine were metal. No help, just some info....