110 AC Outlets in Shallow Walls?

[VermonTear]

Hmmm... I had hoped to put a couple of 110 AC outlets in my Tear's sidewalls, but they're a ply foam sandwich of only 1 1/4 inch thick.
Those blue plastic outlet boxes are deeper than that. Do I really need a box for safety, or is there some other technique going that will allow me to safely mount an outlet in my wall?

Ken

[bobhenry]

half depth boxes will fit in a 1" deep wall. I ran short during my build and took my 4" grinder fitted with a cut off wheel and cut the back half off of a standard carlon box to finish up without having to make a 30 mile trip to the big box store.

[absolutsnwbrdr]

half depth boxes

Yup. I have solid walls so I made little "enclosures for the half-depth boxes. Then painted them to match. Used plastic split-loom to cover the exposed wires where needed.

[VermonTear]

Thanks guys. I want to recess the outlet in the wall, and I can only recess 1" into my 1 1/4" wall. My Carlton blue half depth box measures 1 3/16" deep. Am I going to burn my Tear down if i cut off the back of the box and have the outlet against the exterior ply? Will the UL police stop me on the highway?

[bobhenry]

Ken:

I just wandered back past this post and had a question and a suggestion.

Have you allowed the extra quarter inch for some type of paneling or liner on the inside walls?

Mine recessed 3/4" plus the 1/4 " paneling and I simply let them stand a bit proud and placed oversized ( Jumbo ) covers over the duplexs and the switches.

[prodart]

If you would care to look around,there are boxes made by a company, "wiremold", that make 1" deep boxes, that are used to "surface mount" electrical boxes, in a remodel situation. They could also be recessed into your wall with a little ingenuity. Being an electrician by trade, I would NOT recommend mounting the outlets or switches in boxes without a full back, and I believe if you look at where your wiring will be terminated, you may agree, or not, your decision Something to think about though,,,,,,,,I make a living at replacing ,the more than occassional, outlet that "just started giving me a problem", and then I show the customer just how the wire burns in two right there inside that little box and the ul police aren't the ones I'd be afraid of, it's the firemen that I wouldn't want to see

[VermonTear]

I would NOT recommend mounting the outlets or switches in boxes without a full back

Thanks! That's what I was expecting to hear from someone with credentials.

Yesterday, I routed out 1" depth where the box should go, and all went well. It even was in the right spot where I'd run a "conduit" in my foam wall! Imagine that!

The pictures I took with measurements marked along the way really worked.


So that's where I put the box:


It protrudes a 1/4" like bobhenry says, but I'll do a shallower version of Zach's and put a little ply maple frame around it that will match the door frame that you can see to the right of the box.

Thanks all.

[VermonTear]

Being an electrician by trade, I would NOT recommend mounting the outlets or switches in boxes without a full back

Hey Prodart...

Does the same hold true for DC switches on the DC wiring side of things? I've seen shots of builds with DC wiring with toggle switches tucked into a circurlar hole drilled into a sidewall. Do you have any expertise/experience there?

Any help there anybody?

[bobhenry]

I installed toggles for my 120 volt AC and rotary switches for my 12 volt DC in the same shallow box. In the dark of night I can tell which is which by feel.

[chartle]

I installed toggles for my 120 volt AC and rotary switches for my 12 volt DC in the same shallow box. In the dark of night I can tell which is which by feel.

I'm pretty sure code, at least for houses, would have you put a separator between the two voltages. You don't want 110 getting into your 12v circuit.

[bobhenry]

Insulated butt connectors were use and all connections were well taped after crimping. The wiring was all extention cord so it is double insulated as well. It hasn't gone up in smoke in 5 years so I guess I was real good or real lucky.

[prodart]

low voltage switches,in the application that we use them for, should not be an issue as long as we insulate all of our conections and leave a little air space around the switch so that it can dissipate a little heat Always make sure that the switch you are using is rated for more than the amp load you are applying to it

[chartle]

Insulated butt connectors were use and all connections were well taped after crimping. The wiring was all extention cord so it is double insulated as well. It hasn't gone up in smoke in 5 years so I guess I was real good or real lucky.

Just relaying some knowledge I happen have.

[Aaron Coffee]

Thought I had a pic but can't find it, looking around Menards, I did see that they still sell surface mount plug ins and switchs, think old looking I have thought of using them in #1 as I never wired it for 110, I just use power strips. Here is a link
http://www.menards.com/main/electrical/wiring-devices/outlets/surface-mount-ground-outlet/p-1517562-c-9526.htm

[H.A.]

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