ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area I'm tired of seeing installations like this

txsparky, I just fixed one like this yesterday, Although I had a box in the wall,there was no cover and the wire was made up in a "flying splice" in what was probably the pot and pan cabinet. Real gem of a house as it had radiant ceiling heat run with 240 V across the black and white wire!!!

> run with 240 V across the black and white wire
Now, what's the matter?
Pull a red ground wire, install Schuko recpetacles and pretend you're in continental Europe, several years ago. +grin+

Are we the only ones to have plugs for ceiling lights? As only electricans are allowed to work with the wires, it's necessary to have plugs for the lamps. The plug and receptable are of a special small size type, in order to be hideable. (Hope there is such a word in English) These have been used for the past 70 or so years.

Originally, they were three pin, round and symmetrical. Trial-and-error. Murphys law ensures that you always get it wrong the first time. Now they are two-pin. (The three pin plug is ungrounded and the two-pin grounded. No, it's not a typo!)

The usual (and approved) way of mounting the receptable is to leave it hanging from the wires. Thus, no need for flying splices.

Ok, I've NEVER seen anything like this.
Connections are always flying splices (nothing like fixture boxes is known here, each fixture is supported differently (pendant fixtures by a hook driven into the lathes, joists or anything else handy, lighter types secured by some drywall screws driven into the ceiling). Connections are made flying on the ceiling or inside the fixture, either strip connectors or twisted and taped (old or "botcher at work").

A couple of British manufacturers make ceiling outlets with a plug-in lamp cord, in most case secured with a locking ring which ensures that the plug can't fall out.

Most pendant lights though just have the lamp cord hard-wired into terminals in the box (commonly called a "ceiling rose").

Texas-Ranger:

Flying splices on the outside of the wall????

And this is the country that doesn't allow you to re-connect gas appliances after they're a certain age.

If I read this correctly, you mean absolutely no wall boxes are used for mounting outlets or switches or for holding splices on cable that goes inside the wall??? WOW!!

I can understand not using wall boxes if you use those round "tumbler" switches like the one you showed in a photo some time back.


[This message has been edited by SvenNYC (edited 10-23-2002).]

We are lucky that there are not more vacant lots around because of such installations.

Sven, you got me wrong. We just don't use light boxes. All outlets and switches (except for surface-mount types like the one you referred to) are in boxes! (Round or octagon PVC, 7 cm (= roughly 3") in diameter, octagon ones are gangable). Only pendant ceiling lights are connected with flying splices. Wall sconces have all connections made safely inside the fixture. The splices on the ceiling are usually covered by some kind of plastic cup (ceiling rose, I guess), can also be brass or steel.
There are just some ingenious people who don't anchor surface mount receptacles properly, which would create a situation like you imagined. This is usually DIY work. They drill into the gaps between the bricks, the mortar is pretty weak (ALL construction prior to the 1950ies or so used plain mud, without lime or cement as mortar and plaster, it mainly hardened by drying, if you crush it and mix it with water you can reuse it)

This reminds me of something I have intended to ask: Does anybody else have problems with wall receptables hanging from the wires?

The engagement face of our (Schuko) receptables is recessed and the cover therefore protrude about an inch from the wall. (Surface mounted receptables twice that.) They therefore have a tendency to be torn out (or off) the wall when they are hit from the side. (Think public buildings and hallways!) This can also result in smashed covers, leaving live metal parts exposed.

Sure! 2 receptacles in our appartment just fell out of the walls. Had to mount them with screws instead of the usual clamps on both sides of the devices that spread when the screw is tightened and press against the box to hold the device in. At our school I remember many many receptacles hanging loose because everyone just ripped out the plug without holding the receptacle. Some of them I've repaired myself because it'd have been too much paperwork to get an electrician.