how to mount receptacle in pole barn

[jonese]

My pole barn just got finished so now I'm trying to figure out some of the wiring. Right now I'm wondering how to mount the receptacles. Being a pole barn it's got 2x6's mounted horizontally but since they are mounted flush to the outside of the poles I'm having a hard time figuring out how to mount them. I purchased a single slim receptacle box to figure out how I'm going to mount them. I got the slim one because it's about the same depth as the 2x, I'm not planning on putting up sheetrock any time soon so I didn't want them sticking out too far. The bottom 2x6 is only about 33" to the top of it and the next one up is 57" to the bottom of it. Because I want them 48" off the ground they're going to have to be mounted in the middle somewhere. I was thinking of using two 2x4's mounted vertically and attaching the receptacle horizontally kinda like the picture(those are some scrap boards I had laying around). Is there a different receptacle box on the market that will work better? These have mounting holes on the top and bottom.

Thanks.

 

[harvero]

I'm favoring EMT for exposed installs.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

I'm not planning on putting up sheetrock any time soon so I didn't want them sticking out too far.

Plan for the future. You want these boxes mounted so that when you do install sheetrock, OSB or plywood, the boxes are the proper depth for the install. You do NOT want to have to remount the boxes to skin the inside of the building.

Do not short yourself. Use 4x4 steel boxes, the deep ones, 2-1/8" I think, even if only one receptacle will be installed in it. You need room to work in the box. I used a couple of handy boxes to mount single receptacles where only the hot, neutral and ground entered the box, and it was not easy to do. Everywhere else I used the deep 4x4 boxes everywhere else and it was much easier to work in the box, folding back wires and pushing the receptacles in, and will be much easier later on if you need to modify or change things.

Also, horizontal mounted receptacles are frustrating to use. I have a log home and they are all horizontal, more difficult to plug and unplug cords from.

Charles

 

[wolflrv]

I'd take 2x4's and screw them in flat to the 2x6's. Then you have your depth. Later if you go to insulate and wall the inside, you can just add extra 2x4's the same way to build depth for insulation and to mount drywall or insulation.

 

[TWX]

Don't they make box extenders that stick out about 3/4", so that one could mount them essentially flush now but use the box extenders to bring 'em out when it's time to sheetrock?

http://www.farmandfleet.com/products/651817-metallic_electrical_box_extender.html

 

[jonese]

The truth is I may never put up sheetrock unless I find a good reason to do so. I know it looks a little nicer and more "finished" but if aesthetics is the only reason to do so I probably won't ever do it. There is some insulation in there which I'm hoping will be adequate, it's quite thin but we'll see how it gets in the summer and winter. I do remember seeing those extender boxes at Lowe's. I couldn't really figure out what they were for but now I see. So that's an option down the road. I'm interested in that metal bracket that harvero is using. Can that bracket be used vertically while still mounting the box vertically?

 

[haugy]

Just an FYI, check your local codes on how they need to be installed if you leave them un-sheetrocked. If you have an inspection on it, it may not pass if the wire is run the same way you would if it were going to be sheetrocked.

I wasn't planning on doing sheetrock for some time, but my electrician knew I would drywall it, so he ran the wires accordingly. Well because of that, I couldn't pass inspection unless I drywalled because of the way he ran all the wiring for the outlets.

 

[dittle fart around]

If you plan on not installing sheet rock for a while then conduit is the way to go. Not only is it up to code but is much safer, protecting wiring from damage. No one wants to get hurt because you wanted to save some money. 120 volt circuits kill more people than higher voltages because there's more 120 around and non-electricians think it's ok to wire their own circuits.