billconner
Well-known member
Heating climate, lots of insulation, 6 mill vapor barrier under drywall - what's your favorite means of making vapor barrier continuous around electrical boxes?
vapor barrier and electrical boxes
- Thread starter billconner
- Start date
plastic "trays" meant for this purpose
OP
billconner
Well-known member
I like those too but can't find them in US. I find one by Lessco but $5. Worth a drive to Kingston perhaps.
MBfreak
MEMBER EMERITUS
Very good q.
In a tropical country I worked in, a hospital was equipped with a comm system with amps , plugs, switches etc in 70 mm square boxes in the drywall. All rooms were airconditioned at around 21 C. Plastic pipes up in the crawlspace, above insulation. Where it was 60 C att 99 % RH.
Wires run between pipes which were open in the crawlspace
After a month system broke down. Every single unit in the wall boxes were drowned by condensation.
Ola
In a tropical country I worked in, a hospital was equipped with a comm system with amps , plugs, switches etc in 70 mm square boxes in the drywall. All rooms were airconditioned at around 21 C. Plastic pipes up in the crawlspace, above insulation. Where it was 60 C att 99 % RH.
Wires run between pipes which were open in the crawlspace
After a month system broke down. Every single unit in the wall boxes were drowned by condensation.
Ola
mike93lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Looks like ABB uses the Thomas and Betts brand for them in the US
OP
billconner
Well-known member
Great but I need like 10, not the minimum 50.
I'll probably do it like the YouTubes with poly, or use the boxes with a flange and foam the back.
I'll probably do it like the YouTubes with poly, or use the boxes with a flange and foam the back.
mike93lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
You do exposed conduit in residential applications?
mike93lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Yeah, I think this is residential living space
OP
billconner
Well-known member
Garage converted to family room, so surface doesn't cut it. Was playing with a built up base board "raceway" detail with a removable - screws with those fancy washers - face and put all wiring and hydronic heating pipe in it. Match it up with base board radiators.
Fav Onefour
Well-known member
That's a bummer situation.
Builders in the 80s screwed up a lot of electrical with vapor barrier right under the rock and nice wide open steel boxes. Throw in a bunch of **** insulation, no wrap, and you have corrosion city in the boxes. Let's just say I might have seen that a time or two.
It's tempting to tear the walls open and redo the whole works.
Reality tells me different. That is the type of project with no end.
I foam around the boxes.
Builders in the 80s screwed up a lot of electrical with vapor barrier right under the rock and nice wide open steel boxes. Throw in a bunch of **** insulation, no wrap, and you have corrosion city in the boxes. Let's just say I might have seen that a time or two.
It's tempting to tear the walls open and redo the whole works.
Reality tells me different. That is the type of project with no end.
I foam around the boxes.
OP
billconner
Well-known member
In addition to Baldor, GE's electrical distribution , ABB owns T&B.
OP
billconner
Well-known member
The ones I bought were Arlington (who by coincidence make the vinyl siding plinths or blocks for mounting exterior sconces). I wanted Raco because they are screw mount instead of nail but couldn't source them at a reasonable price.
The "pan" behind and ordinary box or these vapor barrier boxes is interesting decision, and I probably won't have an opinion till I install these, but the one piece and no caulk or foam to mess with is appealing. Might feel differently if someone else was doing the vapor barrier but since I'm doing all trades, I like saving a step.
The "pan" behind and ordinary box or these vapor barrier boxes is interesting decision, and I probably won't have an opinion till I install these, but the one piece and no caulk or foam to mess with is appealing. Might feel differently if someone else was doing the vapor barrier but since I'm doing all trades, I like saving a step.