I looked through the archives, but didn’t find anything on this subject.
I’m in the process of rehabbing the exterior of my 270 year old house (well actually, I hired a crew as this project was too big for me – says the wife). The exterior was taken down to the lath and plaster of the interior walls, so that we could insulate, run new electrical, etc.
my wife wanted more outlets added so that she could put electric candles in the windows, so the electrician ran some more boxes. After the wall was sealed up (sheathing, tyvek, clapboards), I noticed cold air coming out of the new boxes, so evidently the electrician didn’t use a sealed box.
Does anyone have some suggestions how to seal the outlets in the installed condition? Can I pull the sockets out of the box and spray some insulating foam in the back of the box?
Art
Replies
If at all possible, can you cut a little gap around the electrical box? Enough that the cover will hide everything, and spray a little expanding foam around the box. Just a quick thought.
If you foam the box, you make the service loop of wire, outside the box, a nightmare to use in the future.
If you ever need to pull that wire, it's tough t*ts.
Please think a bit of the future servicing/remodeling of a house before applying any permanent technique.
D*mn that's a pet peeve. Some installer uses Gorilla glue or equivalent to save a few minutes/pennies. The next guy adds HOURS to a simple job just to remove it.
Off the soapbox now. Troy Sprout
Socialism in general has a record of failure so blatant that only an intellectual could ignore or evade it."-- Thomas Sowell
This is one advantage of using a lump of electrican's putty instead.
People never lie so much as before an election, during a war, or after a hunt. --Otto von Bismarck
they make foam gaskets specifically for this purpose. pop off the outlet or switch plate, hold the gasket in place, and put the cover back on.
I would not spray insul foam inside the electrical box. This could cause a fire hazard.
Instead, go to your electrical store and buy draft-stop gaskets.( I'm not sure of the proper name for this type accessory).
These rubber gaskets are precut to fit over top the body of your actual electrical "plug" outlets. First, remove the plastic cover plate from the outlet, fit the gasket in place and then re-install the cover plate. The cover plate hides the gasket from view, but the gasket is designed to stop air drafts.
They make these gasket covers for both outlets and switches...this should do the trick...they are very inexpensive and very easy to install.
Davo
the gasket approach sounds elegant - definitely the way to gothanks Art
The gaskets are simple, but not remarkably effective.
People never lie so much as before an election, during a war, or after a hunt. --Otto von Bismarck
I agree with the gaskets, but on the spray foam not, our building inspector encourages DOW Great Stuff instead of fire caulk for blocking. He says its the only fire resistant spray foam.
Try the gaskets. Try spraying foam AROUND the box, and, if need be, through the holes in the box (from the inside) so that you can seal the holes and around the cables coming in. Another way to seal the holes and around the cable it to get some electrician's putty ("duct seal") and push bits of it into the holes inside the box. (Remove power from the box first.)