ECN Forum Forums Photo Discussion Forums Photos for General Discussion In-Ground Boxes

The practices shown in the thread "How many conductors can fit" seem to have once been common.

These two pics are of a typical "in the ground" install at an apartment complex built in the '60's. The heart of the system is a single-gang masonry box, with a 12" nipple of 3/4" RMC exiting the back.

The UF enters the box through the nipple. A concrete block -nicely formed on all sides- completely cases the box and nipple. The box also has a 1/2" plumbing-type "street el" exiting the end of the box, and poking up through the top of the block. The workmanship is so neat and uniform, I can't help but wonder if these things were a manufactured item.

What you see here is a round "Bell" box attached to that street el. Two lampholders were, at one time, attached to the round box.

I say "were", because this entire assembly became buried. A plug cap was screwed into one of the bulb sockets, and buried extension cord was run to a remote light.

At the time I dug this up, the zinc in the Bell box and lampholders was largely corroded away; the lampholders wete corroded completely through at the hinged 'knuckle.' The insulation of the buried extension cord had also completely disappeared- it was not the orange cord you see here- and the three wires were bare, separated only by dirt.

- renosteinke