Pan boxes for fluorescent lights

[gumbudah]

I'm installing fluorescent lights in the garage. before sheetrocking, i installed 14awg romex, daisychaining to each light location, leaving a 2' hangwire. then the rockers came through, and drilled a 1" hole and poked the wire through. Now I've bought my lights, and i think there supposed to have a box behind them. I'd like to use either 1/2" or 3/4" x 4" diameter pan boxes, but I'm in the US, and it doesn't look like either one of these pan boxes has the cubic inch capacity to install two 14awg romex wires. So all in all I have:
2-14 awg ground wires (one with each run of romex)
2-14 awg hot wires plus the 18 awg fixture hot wire
2-14 awg neutral wires plus the 18 awg fixture neutral wires.
Is there some provision in the NEC for needing less cubic inches when using pan boxes for lights? i just don't see how they can be used at 2 cubic in per conductor, for me that's already 8 cubic inches without counting for the rest...?

 

[Norcal]

You do not need boxes behind the fixtures but the NM cable does need strain relief, "Romex connectors".

 

[lakee911]

Typically you can make up your connections in the body of the fl fixture. As Norcal said you'll need strain relief and you'll also need to prevent abraision when the wire comes into the fixture. They make cable clamps or 'romex connectors' to meet both of these needs. Some are rated for two cables, so read the packaging carefully to make your job easier.

 

[rabidsquirrel]

Box fill typically allows only one romex into a pancake box.

 

[Falcon67]

I put 1/2" NM clamps in the fixtures and stuck the tail end threaded part up in the 1' hole drilled for the feed wire. I left a lot of slack on each light drop in the attic, then positioned the fixtures on the ceiling, marked the hole, took out all but one center mounting screw, swung the fixture out of the way, drilled, put in the strain relief, swung the fixture back, fed cable and all done. Easy.

 

[snorky18]

i think there supposed to have a box behind them.

Actually I vaguely recall a rule that the lights should NOT have a box behind them. Something about if there is a box you have to be able to access the whole box, not just a little bitty hole. (Yeah, no NEC reference off the top of my head, sorry).

+1 on the NM cable clamp though.

 

[lakee911]

Actually I vaguely recall a rule that the lights should NOT have a box behind them. Something about if there is a box you have to be able to access the whole box, not just a little bitty hole. (Yeah, no NEC reference off the top of my head, sorry).

+1 on the NM cable clamp though.

Depends on the light and where you make your connections. Box being present isn't a problem, it's the splices that can't be buried. Oversize hole in back of fixture can solve that problem too.

 

[Norcal]

A box behind a fixture needs access, a strip fixture will block that required access, particularly if it is part of a row of fixtures.