Danger Zone ??

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Frenchie

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Your photos gave the impression that 1/2 the fixture was missing. You have the back and the front? Then you're set.

Do as Alectrician says - drill out a new hole in the back, give it a bushing, run your wires where you need them to be for the fixture to be centered. The right bit to do this with, since you want a very clean hole, is an electician's stepped bit, they run about 40$ but give a nice, clean hole that you can fit a bushing onto. A regular bit will tear the edges.

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&Partnumber=362-105

I was going to suggest that, but assumed it was illegal to modify listed equipement... I guess maybe not?



My idea for using a receptacle box at the light, was based on using the bigger box with a mud-ring for the receptacle box, and doing all you splices there - only one cable run to the light box.
 
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Jadnashua

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In a small bathroom, it may not be possible, but I prefer to use lights to the sides of the mirror; you get fewer unflattering shadows that way, and then you would avoid the problem you have with the vent pipe. If you wanted, you could jog the vent pipe as well.
 

Molo

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Inspection Time

Ok, this is what I've done. I've temporarily installed the outlet and light fixture to see if this worked. I will be replacing the temporary standard 15 amp outlet with a 15 amp GFCI outletas soon as I get to the store, and I will be replacing the light IF you experts STILL think it's unsafe. PLEASE look at the photos of the light fixture with the front attached and tell me if it's still unsafe. This is exactly how it was installed when I got to it.
How I wired this:
I used a large metal box (4" x4" x 2 1/8" deep) above the medicine cabinet. I also installed an outlet box to the right of the vanity (in photo). I used the big metal box to junction the old power leg with new power going to the outlet. Then I brought powre out of the outlet back into the big metal box and used that as my power leg to wire the switch, light, and fan to.
1. Is this light still dangerous?
2. What is the best way to hande the 5 ground wires?

TIA,
Molo
 

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JWelectric

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You done a good job. Make sure that all the wires go into the box and nothing is left out except the fixture wires.

Where is the receptacle?
 

Molo

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If you look at photo 1 from my last post, the receptacle is at the lower left.

1. Is this light still dangerous?
2. What is the best way to hande the 5 ground wires?

TIA,
Molo
 

JWelectric

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molo said:
If you look at photo 1 from my last post, the receptacle is at the lower left.
My fault, just didn't look hard enough

molo said:
1. Is this light still dangerous?
Less dangerous now that it was before. It will be fine
molo said:
2. What is the best way to hande the 5 ground wires?

TIA,
Molo
Not sure what you are asking but be sure to bond the metal box and use a wire nut on the grounds ( I think this is what you are asking)
 

Frenchie

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Means you connect the metal box to the ground wires.

Look for a grounding screw, inside the box. If there isn't one, look for a grounding-screw-hole. It's often got a little arrow nearby, and the letters "grd.", to differentiate it from the mounting holes.

If you need to get grounding screws, any electrical supply will have them, even HD has them sometimes.

Connect a pigtail under the screw, join the other end with your ground wires bundle. Which you connect all together, as Mike mentioned, with a wire nut.


...I was going to link to a picture I found on a google search, but it's from a blocked site.

So I stole it, instead.


They don't have a bundle of ground wires, and it's a fan not a light, so it's a tiny bit different; but the basic principle's the same:
 

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Molo

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Thanks for all the help guys, this was a good learning experience. My local electric supply house has some new med.cab. lights that I will be looking at this week. He said the hole is in the center (where the wires come out) but I could drill over to the side and bring the wires out in front of the box. I'll have to take a look. I wonder what code is for insulating lights like this. Most of the new lights that I see have a layer of insulation with a reflective coating on one side. This is usually found between the light fixture and the wall/ceiling. I wonder if this reflective layer of insulation is required where the fixture is larger than the receptacle, which is so often the case with light fixtures. Does anybody know about the requirements for this? I am particularly interested because sometimes I like to use older light fixtures.

Molo
 

JWelectric

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molo said:
Thanks for all the help guys, this was a good learning experience. My local electric supply house has some new med.cab. lights that I will be looking at this week. He said the hole is in the center (where the wires come out) but I could drill over to the side and bring the wires out in front of the box. I'll have to take a look. I wonder what code is for insulating lights like this. Most of the new lights that I see have a layer of insulation with a reflective coating on one side. This is usually found between the light fixture and the wall/ceiling. I wonder if this reflective layer of insulation is required where the fixture is larger than the receptacle, which is so often the case with light fixtures. Does anybody know about the requirements for this? I am particularly interested because sometimes I like to use older light fixtures.

Molo

It would depend on the UL listing.
 

Leejosepho

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molo said:
I wonder what code is for insulating lights like this. Most of the new lights that I see have a layer of insulation with a reflective coating on one side. This is usually found between the light fixture and the wall/ceiling. I wonder if this reflective layer of insulation is required where the fixture is larger than the receptacle, which is so often the case with light fixtures. Does anybody know about the requirements for this?

I believe the issue there is simply that of keeping heat away from combustible material(s), and that would mean the physical size/shape/construction of the insulator is determined accordingly regardless of the size of the box behind it ... and a UL listing simply means the fixture and or some integral component is believed safe.
 

sbrn33

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I think the insulation is there to direct heat away from the wiring.
I believe you need to replace the receptacle with a GFCI.
If you do stay with that existing fixture install some compact fluorescent lamps as that will cut down on the heat also.
Other than that I would say you have done fine with what you had to work with.
 

Molo

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The receptacle will be replaced with a GFCI, it makes sense that heat is the concern, I will do like you said and go with the compact flourescents or a low-heat bulb like that.

Thanks for the suggestion,
Molo
 
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