# Broken Carlon Boxes



## wendon (Sep 27, 2010)

knowshorts said:


> I rarely do residential work. I am working on a house that was just purchased by one of my commercial clients. They have 2 outlets in the kitchen that are just hanging there. Upon looking closer, when the granite was installed someone reinstalled the outlets with 2" #8 wood screws because they didn't have 2" 6/32's. This blew out the screw hole making the box useless. I plan on cutting the boxes out and installing old work cut in boxes and replacing the factory #6 wood screws with longer screws to accommodate the additional depth of the granite.
> 
> Am I on the right page here or is there another method I should be looking at?


Is there a box extender installed? Maybe go with some type of a metal box?


----------



## knowshorts (Jan 9, 2009)

wendon said:


> Is there a box extender installed? Maybe go with some type of a metal box?


No extenders, yet. They wouldn't help fix the situation since they get sandwiched between the box and device. Now that you mention metal boxes, would this be a scenario to use battleships? I have never used them before.


----------



## wendon (Sep 27, 2010)

knowshorts said:


> No extenders, yet. They wouldn't help fix the situation since they get sandwiched between the box and device. Now that you mention metal boxes, would this be a scenario to use battleships? I have never used them before.


I did a granite top last year that they cut the holes too small for a regular old work box. Modified a metal box to fit and the cabinet guy got some epoxy and glued them in. I don't think the box will ever come out of there again!!:laughing:


----------



## davis9 (Mar 21, 2009)

Blue Carlon boxes? If so I've had good luck using 8/32's to fix the sheetrock screw blow out. You may have a hard time fitting the replacement box through the granite opening.

Tom


----------



## drspec (Sep 29, 2012)

Maybe try a LV cut in and a box extender?


----------



## Hippie (May 12, 2011)

drspec said:


> Maybe try a LV cut in and a box extender?


I've done this in a wall that had furring strips and sheetrock over the old outlet box. Works well but between the thickness of the faces of the extension and the lv ring it makes the plate not quite flush with the wall and probably wouldn't look right especially in a backsplash. I would try to work with what's there, try a long 8/32 maybe run a tap thru the hole first, or like was said try gluing/ spray foaming in a new box. Battleships aren't going to hold I'm pretty certain, and a hole in granite isn't going to be easy to work with


----------



## k_buz (Mar 12, 2012)

Considering granite isn't a flammable material I would _consider_ installing a low volt ring without the add-a-depth. However, I would guess that if you can't get a regular old work box in the hole, you won't be able to get a plastic low ring in either.


----------



## knowshorts (Jan 9, 2009)

I didn't even think about the hole in the granite. A replacement box might not be able to fit at all. Different/longer screws won't work at all because like I said before, the entire screw holding area is all blown out. If I were to use a screw, the best bet would probably be a 6" drywall screw through the back of the box. I think the best option would turn out to be an MP1, which is the commercial version of a low voltage cut in ring. I'll get some pictures on Monday.


----------



## Selectric (Aug 18, 2009)

Demo the old boxes and use these http://www.aifittings.com/catalog/fan-and-fixture-boxes/one-box-non-metallic-outlet-boxes/F101 :thumbsup:


----------



## chewy (May 9, 2010)

I had that problem in a psychiatric room I was doing idiot electronics techs stripped out the brass screw holes. I ended up using this stuff called "knead it" it comes in tubes and is a 2 part putty that sets like rock, I made a gasket and put it inside the box then screwed the screws into it, when it had set I screwed them back out and screwed the face plate back and it was just like a bought one.


----------



## Spark Master (Jul 3, 2012)

Selectric said:


> Demo the old boxes and use these http://www.aifittings.com/catalog/fan-and-fixture-boxes/one-box-non-metallic-outlet-boxes/F101


Is that called an arlington box ??

Never seen those before :thumbsup:


----------



## pwoody (Oct 14, 2012)

use #10 screws


----------



## Sparky J (May 17, 2011)

Spark Master said:


> Is that called an arlington box ??
> 
> Never seen those before :thumbsup:


Yep Arlington makes them and so does Slater they are gray and I believe smaller like 18cuin. though.
It really depends on wire size and devices but I have used the metal old works with either Madison straps or the compression wings when in a jam and the plastics are too big
And here inspectors look for depth rings on granite, wainscoting, molding, etc.
Here in some jurisdictions the inspectors want the depth rings on boxes used in granite because if the box throws sparks it could set the drywall behind the granite on fire:whistling2: yes I witnessed an inspector argue with another electrician about it.


----------



## knowshorts (Jan 9, 2009)

Granite hole turned out to be too small for a new box so I ended up epoxying an MP1 to the granite.


----------



## Hippie (May 12, 2011)

knowshorts said:


> Granite hole turned out to be too small for a new box so I ended up epoxying an MP1 to the granite.


Looks good, I was picturing a deeper hole


----------

