Replies

1. 
   IMERC | Jan 30, 2009 09:48am | #1

   that would be a no go here...

   make sure the DW is mudded to the box,,,,

   use a foam receptical gasket under the device cover...

    

   Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming

   WOW!!! What a Ride!

   
   Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!

    

   "Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"

2. 
   cap | Jan 30, 2009 10:17am | #2

   The tech is an eff'in idiot.

   When, and that's when, not if, you have to get into the box, the wiring will be damaged in digging out the foam.  What a nightmare.

   Heat buildup is a concern.  There are box fill limits in the NEC so that there aren't so many wires packed into a box that they overheat and damage the conductor insulation.  Damaged insulation leads to shorts and faults, and that can cause arcing, and on a bad day, that means fire. 

   You'd be doing a public service if you go to the owner of the company the tech works for, and tell the owner what the tech is recommending.  If it's company policy, the local fire marshall might like to know.  Just a suggestion.

   Cliff

1. 
   junkhound | Jan 30, 2009 01:07pm | #3

   but the tec is green...............................in more than one way.

3. 
   Piffin | Jan 30, 2009 01:10pm | #4

   Call him and tell him to quit dispensing that advice to people before he burns somebodies house down

    

    

   Welcome to the
   Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
    where ...
   Excellence is its own reward!

1. 
   wane | Jan 30, 2009 04:31pm | #5

   call the owner of the co too!!

4. 
   peteshlagor | Jan 30, 2009 05:55pm | #6

   How can that possibly be done?  These boxes got wires in them.  And if it's like the sparky work I'm familar with, there isn't much room to move them around, unless you plan on switchin' out all of the duplexes and switches at the same time.

    

1. 
   FCOH | Jan 30, 2009 06:18pm | #7

   Isnt cured cllosed cell foam fire resistant?Im sure at some time you will need to get into an outlet but seriously, you don't go digging in your outlet boxes on a daily basis. Heat buildup would be my only concern and even then foam does not conduct elrctricty so how would arcing occur? It would almost do more a service then a disservice by becoming a barrier between terminals no?Please enlighten.

1. 
   Piffin | Jan 30, 2009 08:00pm | #8

   heat build can burn out devices, sometimes ccausing internal sparks.too much heat can burn insulation off, a reason why there are limits on enclosed bundles.heating and cooling connectiopns excessively weakens that contact, aloowing less urrent to pass to the fixture, which is not good for it. The old AL wiring had severe prpoblems beccause of thermal expansion at contats 

    

   Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

2. 
   Eldan | Jan 30, 2009 08:03pm | #9

   I can't imagine it would meet code or pass inspection, but forget about all that. Just think about how aggravated you would be 5 or 10 years later when you want to replace the receptacle or switch and you find the box stuffed full of foam.

    

5. 
   DanH | Jan 30, 2009 08:07pm | #10

   Yeah, the guy's an idiot. What is recommended is to open up the outlet (with power off) and carefully inject foam BEHIND and AROUND the box, through the various openings (and through any crack between box and drywall), trying to seal off air leakage.

   The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. -John Kenneth Galbraith
1. 
   fingersandtoes | Jan 31, 2009 05:20am | #14

   My good buddy Mike Holmes had some adhesive putty-like squares he pressed onto the back of outlet boxes to both stop sound and air. Looked like it did a pretty thorough job. Near as I could tell, in the real world, you would have to rough in your electrical and drywall before sheathing to install them. No problem for him though, he just bashed out huge holes in the drywall some one must have patched later.

1. 
   DanH | Jan 31, 2009 05:27am | #15

   Yeah, I've figured you could run duct seal through a pasta machine to make sheets of sealant to use like that.
   The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. -John Kenneth Galbraith

2. 
   davidmeiland | Jan 31, 2009 05:31am | #16

   I've used that material. It's clay, comes in sheets about 8" x 8" x 1/8" and can be molded very nicely around the back of electrical boxes. You can do it with the sheathing on but I guess it would be hard to completely wrap the back if the box were deep and the wall was 2x4. It's mostly for soundproofing so mostly used on interior walls.

1. 
   fingersandtoes | Jan 31, 2009 05:36am | #17

   Feel the earthquake this morning? It wasn't very noticeable here.

1. 
   davidmeiland | Jan 31, 2009 07:27am | #19

   Nope, didn't feel it. Appears to have been at 5:25 AM? It appears from the USGS site that a few people up here felt it.

   http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/dyfi/

2. 
   DanH | Jan 31, 2009 07:29am | #21

   I remember as a kid in KY feeling the earthquake that struck, I think, Yosemite back in the 50s.
   The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. -John Kenneth Galbraith

2. 
   levelone | Jan 31, 2009 06:37am | #18

   Condo conversions in Seattle, building inspector required those putty pads as fire stop on all electrical boxes in party walls.  Pain in the butt.

1. 
   davidmeiland | Jan 31, 2009 07:27am | #20

   Do you remember where you bought them? I last used them in the SF Bay Area, bought a box at a soundproofing supplier.

2. 
   levelone | Jan 31, 2009 09:45am | #22

   Washington Insulation in Mount Vernon.  I think I might have a partial box in the shed out back if you want the particulars.

3. 
   davidmeiland | Jan 31, 2009 07:02pm | #23

   I'll make a note of that vendor, I was in MV yesterday actually. Tried googling a number of times for those damn things and never got any hits. It would be handy for me to keep some on hand although I wonder if they dry out...

6. 
   gatordoc | Jan 30, 2009 10:32pm | #11

   Many thanks everyone for your input. You've supported my own opinion. I think I'll let the company owner know the advice that's being given, which may be illegal and/or dangerous.

1. 
   Treetalk | Jan 31, 2009 01:13am | #12

   How u supposed to spray wet foam in a box without shorting out evrything?

1. 
   DanH | Jan 31, 2009 01:20am | #13

   I'm reasonably certain that the solvent used in the standard stuff is no-conducting. However, if you were to use DapTex latex caulk ...
   The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. -John Kenneth Galbraith