no electrical box behind light fixture - need advice

[Cobra6]

We were painting my daughter's bathroom (she and her husband just moved into the house) - when we removed the light fixture, there was a stud there and no electrical box. (pic below)

Is there a box that I can get for this, or do I need to move the hole over and mount an electrical box to the stud? (I also have a picture of the mounting plate for the light fixture) I think I can move the hole over and keep the mounting plate centered over the sink, but was wondering if there is another way without cutting a new hole?

Thanks

 

[pattenp]

1/2" pancake box.

 

[soj]

This:

http://www.cpesupply.com/default.aspx?page=item detail&itemcode=293

 

[Cobra6]

Thanks to both of you - that will work perfectly -

 

[5mall5nail5]

Wow 1/2" box - do the wire nuts fit after lol

 

[soj]

Wow 1/2" box - do the wire nuts fit after lol

The wires come into the wall fixture, wire nutting in done in the fixture.

 

[Cobra6]

The wires come into the wall fixture, wire nutting in done in the fixture.

Yep - that's exactly how this one is -

 

[ddawg16]

Those pancake boxes are a life saver....

You just don't want to use it to run a bunch of ckt's through....

 

[5mall5nail5]

The wires come into the wall fixture, wire nutting in done in the fixture.

Oh ok I see I hadn't looked at that picture

 

[G_P]

Gotta love it when the previous owners did shoddy work or hired some handyhack to do shoddy work.

I bet there are at least a few exposed splices or buried junction boxes in that house.

Sent via carrier pigeon.

 

[cburnscrx]

Gotta love it when the previous owners did shoddy work or hired some handyhack to do shoddy work.

I bet there are at least a few exposed splices or buried junction boxes in that house.

Sent via carrier pigeon.

Let's not necessarily blame the homeowner or tradesman...

I am rehabbing a house now that has no junction boxes on any exterior light fixtures, or in any bathrooms either. That was done by the builder...in 1987

 

[soj]

Let's not necessarily blame the homeowner or tradesman...

I am rehabbing a house now that has no junction boxes on any exterior light fixtures, or in any bathrooms either. That was done by the builder...in 1987

I think some people think that since the splice is made between the mounting plate and the cover (all part of the fixture), that it is the same as a j-box.

 

[Cobra6]

Gotta love it when the previous owners did shoddy work or hired some handyhack to do shoddy work.

I bet there are at least a few exposed splices or buried junction boxes in that house.

Sent via carrier pigeon.

Well..... Actually this may be the worst thing I have found on that house. There was not a separate breaker for the heat pump, but we made them put one in before my daughter and her husband bought the house.

 

[cowboyjosh]

Let's not necessarily blame the homeowner or tradesman...

I am rehabbing a house now that has no junction boxes on any exterior light fixtures, or in any bathrooms either. That was done by the builder...in 1987

I have seen homes built in the early to mid 90's in Highlands Ranch, Colorado (tract home master planned community) with no back boxes on exterior lights fixtures or in the bathrooms either. I am not familiar with code from the late 80's- early 90's so IDK if that met code back then or not.

 

[iroc409]

I have seen homes built in the early to mid 90's in Highlands Ranch, Colorado (tract home master planned community) with no back boxes on exterior lights fixtures or in the bathrooms either. I am not familiar with code from the late 80's- early 90's so IDK if that met code back then or not.

Our house was built in '96 in Castle Rock. We just bought it, and I replaced a bathroom fixture with no box. It's probably about being cheap.

 

[5mall5nail5]

I've got to ask. What's the point of a box anyway? Sounds stupid, but a plastic box (ungrounded) vs a fixture with wire nuts behind the wall... what do a box provide? I know structurally a metal box or plastic fixture box will give the light something to hang from. But let's talk about fixtures that mount to studs or drywall directly.

 

[jrsulo]

I've got to ask. What's the point of a box anyway? Sounds stupid, but a plastic box (ungrounded) vs a fixture with wire nuts behind the wall... what do a box provide? I know structurally a metal box or plastic fixture box will give the light something to hang from. But let's talk about fixtures that mount to studs or drywall directly.

Sparks !!!!!

 

[ishiboo]

I've got to ask. What's the point of a box anyway? Sounds stupid, but a plastic box (ungrounded) vs a fixture with wire nuts behind the wall... what do a box provide? I know structurally a metal box or plastic fixture box will give the light something to hang from. But let's talk about fixtures that mount to studs or drywall directly.

Fire safety - heat and sparks. Install a wire nut wrong and you have a high resistance connection which will heat up. Bury that in a wall - big problems.

Also future accessibility - all splices/connections, which are potential places where "maintenance" may be required, needs to be accessible and findable.

 

[crepr12]

Let's not necessarily blame the homeowner or tradesman...

I am rehabbing a house now that has no junction boxes on any exterior light fixtures, or in any bathrooms either. That was done by the builder...in 1987

My vote is for the Builder also....

 

[Higgins]

New construction around here in IL. terminates the BX or Romex with a connector on it directly to the the metal backing plate of the light bar. The same is true for kitchen vent hoods, and microwave units.

I guess the thinking is the metal enclosure on the light bar or microwave unit provided the safety protection for the connections....

AL

 

[gatchel]

There's also:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004WZ39/?tag=atomicindus08-20

or

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000HEHFN4/?tag=atomicindus08-20

These may work if you want more wiring room around that stud.

 

[mayday0017]

Um... depending on the fixture he shouldn't need a box. Example of this is the T8 fixtures we all use in our garage it is to code to run the wires directly into it and connect them with out any box behind the fixtre. I would think that the same rules apply to thes bathroom fixtures that house the wire completely in a metal frame and have a clamp that secures them to the metal frame where it enters from the wall. I'm not an expert so I am not positive what code is, but it would be perfectly safe and is to code for T8 fixtures.

 

[skiingman]

Does anybody have a reference or explanation of what fixtures need boxes per code (or maybe in what locations?) and when it is OK to make connections inside of a fixture? I've often wondered this, and I've seen it done a lot of different ways. I recently replaced an old EXIT sign that had a bunch of ugly connections in it with a new LED one...the new one was slimmer and plastic so I moved the connections to the junction box behind the sign. Just wondering what the rules/practices are about all this.