ELECTRICAL BOXES

WHAT ARE ELECTRICAL BOXES?

ELECTRICAL BOXES ARE USED IN ANY INSTALLATION TO MEET THE FOLLOWING

REQUIREMENTS:

 THE WIRE CONNECTIONS OR CABLE SPLICES ARE PROTECTED BY ELECTRICAL BOXES.

 ELECTRICAL BOXES PROTECT WOOD BUILDING FRAME MEMBERS AND OTHER NEARBY
COMBUSTIBLE ITEMS FROM ELECTRICAL SPARKS IF THE WIRING FAILS.

 THE ELECTRICAL BOXES ALSO KEEP MOISTURE AND DUST AWAY OF WIRE CONNECTIONS
OR SPLICES, PROTECTING INDIVIDUALS FROM ELECTRICAL SHOCK.

MOST ELECTRICAL BOXES ARE MADE FROM THE FOLLOWING MATERIALS:

1. SHEET STEEL AND HAVE A PAINTED OR GALVANIZED FINISH,

2. CAST IRON,
3. ALUMINUM,
4. PVC, OR
5. CLEAR POLYCARBONATE.

TYPES OF ELECTRICAL BOXES

THERE ARE MANY TYPES OF BOXES USED IN A CONDUIT INSTALLATION. THE APPLICATION AND
SITE CONDITIONS DETERMINE THE TYPE OF BOX USED. THE ELECTRICAL BOXES CAN BE DIVIDED
TO:

 THE OUTLET BOXES,

 DEVICE BOXES,
 PULL AND JUNCTION BOXES.

THE FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF THE MORE COMMON BOXES AND A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THEIR
INTENDED USE.

FIRST: OUTLET BOXES

I
THE OUTLET BOXES WITH THE CORRECT FITTINGS BE INSTALLED AT THE FOLLOWING
LOCATIONS:

1. EACH CONDUCTOR SPLICE POINT,

2. EACH OUTLET, SWITCH POINT, OR JUNCTION POINT,
3. EACH PULL POINT FOR THE CONNECTION OF CONDUIT AND OTHER RACEWAYS,
4. TRANSITIONS FROM CONDUIT TO OPEN CABLES.

• COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE CONVENTIONAL METAL AND NONMETALLIC ELECTRICAL OR

OUTLET BOXES FOR INSTALLING SWITCHES AND RECEPTACLES, CONNECTING LIGHTING
FIXTURES, AND SHIELDING SPLICES. ONLY THE MOST COMMONLY USED BOXES AND THEIR
FEATURES ARE DISCUSSED AND ILLUSTRATED IN THIS COURSE.
• THERE ARE VARIOUS SIZES AND SHAPES OF ENCLOSURES USED AS OUTLET AND DEVICE
BOXES FOR SUPPORTING, ENCLOSING, AND SECURING WIRING DEVICES SUCH AS SWITCHES,
RECEPTACLES, OR OTHER EQUIPMENT ON THE SAME YOKE OR STRAP. THESE ENCLOSURES MAY
BE USED IN ONE, TWO, THREE OR MORE GANG TYPES.

RECTANGULAR OUTLET BOXES

RECTANGULAR OUTLET BOX

RECTANGULAR OUTLET BOXES ARE INTENDED FOR INSTALLING A SINGLE SWITCH OR A DUPLEX
RECEPTACLE. ALSO CALLED DEVICE BOXES, THEY ARE NORMALLY MOUNTED VERTICALLY IN
WALLS BY FASTENING THEM TO WALL STUDS IN NEW CONSTRUCTION.

OCTAGONAL OUTLET BOXES

AN OCTAGON ELECTRICAL BOX IS A COMMON TYPE OF BOX THAT IS TYPICALLY USED FOR
INSTALLING LIGHT FIXTURES ON A WALL OR CEILING. THEY ARE USUALLY MADE OF METAL AND
COME IN STANDARD SIZES OF 4 X 4 INCHES, AND IN DEPTHS OF 1 1/4, 1 1/2, AND 2 1/8 INCHES
DEEP

ROUND CEILING PAN BOXES

ROUND PAN, OR "PANCAKE," OPTIONS ARE SHALLOW CIRCULAR BOXES THAT ARE MOST
COMMONLY USED FOR CEILING- OR WALL-MOUNTED LIGHT FIXTURES THAT WEIGH NO MORE
THAN 50 POUNDS.

SQUARE OUTLET BOXES

A SQUARE ELECTRICAL BOX, ALSO KNOWN AS A “DOUBLE-GANG BOX,” HOUSES TWO DEVICES.
THEY'LL HAVE A COMBINATION OUTLET/SWITCH OR A PAIR OF OUTLETS/SWITCHES INSIDE. THE
ROUND OR OCTAGONAL BOX HOUSES LIGHTWEIGHT FIXTURES OR SAFETY DEVICES IN THE
CEILING.

THE UTILITY BOX

UTILITY BOXES ARE ABOVE-GROUND STRUCTURES THAT HOUSE ELECTRICAL TRANSFORMERS,

ELECTRICAL SWITCHES, CABLE TV, COMMUNICATION OR TELEPHONE CONNECTIONS AND
WIRING, AND OTHER ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS REQUIRED TO DISTRIBUTE A UTILITY SERVICE
FROM A MAIN LINE TO INDIVIDUAL BUILDINGS.

THE CONDUIT DEVICE BOX

A CONDUIT DEVICE BOX INSTALLS IN DRYWALL. THE SIDES CAN BE REMOVED TO ENLARGE IT
BY ATTACHING ANOTHER BOX. THIS IS REFERRED TO AS "GANGING THE BOXES." A CONDUIT
DEVICE BOX INSTALLS IN OFFICES AND HOMES FOR SWITCHES AND RECEPTACLES.

THE MASONRY BOX

THE MASONRY BOX IS SPECIAL CONDUIT DEVICE BOXES. THE MASONRY BOX INSTALLS IN
CONCRETE BLOCK AND BRICK WALLS. AVAILABLE IN VARIOUS SIZES, THE MASONRY BOX DOES
NOT ENLARGE.

THE WEATHERPROOF BOX

THE WEATHERPROOF BOX IS SPECIAL CONDUIT DEVICE BOXES AND USED OUTSIDE AND IN
DAMP OR WET AREAS. THE WEATHERPROOF BOX IS MADE OF HEAVY CAST METAL AND HAS A
THREADED HUB TO CONNECT TO CONDUIT.

OUTLETS
IF NOT ALL ELECTRICAL OUTLETS IN YOUR HOME LOOK THE SAME, IT’S BECAUSE THERE ARE
MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF ELECTRICAL OUTLETS. EACH VARIETY HAS DISTINCT QUALITIES AND
FEATURES. WHAT WORKS WELL IN THE BEDROOM MAY NOT WORK WELL IN THE BATHROOM,
AND VICE VERSA.
CHOOSING AND INSTALLING THE CORRECT ELECTRICAL OUTLET FOR THE SPACE’S DEMANDS
WILL KEEP YOU SAFE FROM ELECTRICAL RISKS AND MAKE YOUR HOUSE MORE ENERGY-
EFFICIENT. THIS GUIDE EXPLAINS THE PROPERTIES OF NINE DIFFERENT ELECTRICAL OUTLETS
YOU CAN HAVE AT HOME.

1. 15A, 120 VOLT OUTLETS

THE COMMON 15 AMP, 120 VOLT HOUSEHOLD OUTLET (ALSO CALLED A RECEPTACLE) IS USED
THROUGHOUT NORTH AMERICA. LAMPS, VACUUM CLEANERS, REFRIGERATORS, ETC. PLUG
INTO IT. THE OUTLET HAS TWO VERTICAL SLOTS; THE U-SHAPED HOLE IS FOR THE GREEN
SAFETY GROUNDING WIRE.

2. 20A, 125 VOLT OUTLETS

MANY LARGE APPLIANCES NEED A 20-AMP CURRENT TO OPERATE. THESE ARE ESPECIALLY
COMMON FOR REFRIGERATORS AND LAUNDRY MACHINES. THEY ARE SIMILAR TO THE THREE-
PRONG, 15-AMP OUTLETS BUT HAVE A HORIZONTAL OR T-SHAPED PIN ON THE LEFT. THIS
HELPS PREVENT PEOPLE FROM PLUGGING ITEMS INTO THE WRONG TYPE OF OUTLET.

3. 20A, 250 VOLT OUTLETS

YOU'LL FIND A 20-AMP, 250-VOLT OUTLET INSTALLED WHERE HIGH POWER APPLIANCES ARE
USED, SUCH AS AIR CONDITIONERS, COMPRESSORS, WATER HEATERS, STOVES, POWER TOOLS,
ETC. THIS OUTLET MAY HAVE THREE OR FOUR PRONGS

4. TAMPER-RESISTANT RECEPTACLES

THESE RECEPTACLES ARE NOW REQUIRED BY BUILDING CODES IN MANY AREAS. THEY HAVE A
SPECIAL BARRIER THAN STOPS OBJECTS FROM BEING INSERTED TO THEM BY CHILDREN. IT IS A
SIMILAR CONCEPT TO PLASTIC OUTLET PLUG COVERS BUT MORE EFFECTIVE. THE BARRIER CAN
ONLY BE PUSHED ASIDE BY A PLUG OR SIMILAR OBJECT. THIS IS VERY EFFECTIVE IN
PREVENTING ACCIDENTAL INSERTIONS.

5. GFCI OUTLETS
GROUND FAULT CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER OUTLETS ARE A SHOCKINGLY SAFE CHOICE OF OUTLET.
IT IS OFTEN USED IN KITCHENS, BATHROOMS AND ANYWHERE THAT THE OUTLET MAY BE NEAR
WATER. THE OUTLET MONITORS THE ELECTRICAL FLOW IN THE CIRCUIT. IF THE CURRENT
SPIKES OR LEAKS, THE GFCI OUTLET WILL INTERRUPT THE CURRENT TO AVOID A HAZARD. THE
OUTLET FEATURES TWO BUTTONS FOR TESTING AND RESETTING THE INTERRUPTER.

6. AFCI OUTLETS
AN ARC FAULT CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER LOOKS VERY SIMILAR TO A GFCI OUTLET. ITS PURPOSE IS
TO PROTECT AGAINST ARCS WHEN ELECTRICITY JUMPS FROM ONE WIRE TO ANOTHER. ARCING
IS A FIRE HAZARD, SO THIS TYPICA OF CIRCUIT PROTECTION IS IMPORTANT. IN MODERN
CONSTRUCTION, AFCI CIRCUITS ARE BUILT INTO THE BREAKER. HOWEVER, ON OLDER HOMES,
THIS TECHNOLOGY CAN BE ADDED USING A SPECIAL OUTLET.

7. SWITCH AND OUTLET COMBINATIONS

UNLIKE THE OTHER OPTIONS ABOVE, THIS DOESN’T OFFER ANY SORT OF ELECTRICAL BENEFITS
OR DRAWBACKS. INSTEAD, THIS MARVELOUS MULTI-TASKER ALLOWS THE ADDITION OF A
SWITCH OR OUTLET TO A RECEPTACLE. RATHER THAN HAVING TO ADD WIRING TO PUT A
SWITCH IN THE WALL, AN OUTLET CAN BE CONVERTED TO HAVE AN INTEGRATED SWITCH. THIS
IS GREAT FOR USE IN NEW BEDROOMS OR TO HELP MAKE A ROOM MORE PRACTICAL.
8. USB OUTLETS
THESE OUTLETS HAVE USB CHARGING PORTS INTEGRATED INTO THEM. THEY ARE GROWING
VERY POPULAR THANKS TO THE PREVALENCE OF USB-CHARGED SMARTPHONES, TABLETS AND
OTHER DEVICES. THE KEY ADVANTAGE IS THAT THE CHARGING CABLE DOES NOT TAKE UP AN
OUTLET.

9. SMART OUTLETS
A SMART PLUG IS A POWER RECEPTACLE THAT PLUGS INTO A TRADITIONAL ELECTRICAL
OUTLET AND INTEGRATES IT INTO YOUR SMART HOME NETWORK, ALLOWING YOU TO
CONTROL WHATEVER YOU PLUG INTO IT FROM AN APP ON YOUR SMARTPHONE OR WITH
YOUR VOICE THROUGH A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT.

WIRING DEVICES
WIRING DEVICES PROVIDE PROPER CONTROL AND CONNECTIONS IN YOUR ELECTRICAL DEVICES
AND WIRING. WIRING DEVICES ARE NEEDED FOR EFFICIENT, RELIABLE, AND SAFE ELECTRICAL
WIRE CONNECTIONS IN YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS. THEY CAN PROTECT CIRCUITS AND
PREVENT FIRE AND SHOCK HAZARDS. FAILING TO PUT THE PROPER WIRING DEVICES IN YOUR
COMMERCIAL, RESIDENTIAL, OR INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY CAN PUT YOUR FAMILY, EMPLOYEES,
OR CUSTOMERS AT RISK. WIRING DEVICES CAN GIVE YOU PEACE OF MIND KNOWING YOUR
HOME OR BUSINESS’S ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS ARE SAFE AND CONTROLLED.

WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF WIRING DEVICES?

WIRING DEVICES INCLUDE A WIDE VARIETY OF ITEMS AND APPLIANCES SUCH AS POWER
OUTLETS, WALL PLATES, SWITCHES, DIMMERS, TIME SWITCHES, SENSORS, LAMP HOLDERS,
ELECTRICAL BOXES, PLUGS, CONNECTORS, AND MORE. WIRING DEVICES CAN BE USED FOR
PROTECTION OR AS CONNECTION AND CONTROL POINTS FOR THE HOME OR BUSINESSES
OUTLETS, LIGHTING, AND APPLIANCES. WIRING DEVICES WILL ENSURE YOUR WIRING STAYS
CONNECTED AND UNDER CONTROL, EVEN UNDER EXTREME CIRCUMSTANCES.