metal or dry lining box

Hello,

My shaver socket currently has an earthed metal back box with two sides screwed to a horizontal and vertical wall stud in a partition wall. The other two side of the box are unsupported hence the socket (bottom left) moves a little every time you plug and unplug something.

I want to keep the position of the socket. So would it be better to replace the back box with a dry lining box? So the box is supported at one end (bottom) by the clamp on the dry lining box, and on the other side (top), screws through the plastic box to the stub.

Any problems with doing this or is there a better solution?

Thanks.

You will not be able to get the top dry lining lug into place if there is a peice of wood in the way


Can you screw through the plasterboard at the tow sides of the box where there is no wood to secure some batons to the back of the plasterboard, and then fix the box to these?

Thanks for the reply.

Yes there would be a piece of wood/stud in the way of one lung... hence I was thinking of cutting the lung off and then screwing that end to the wood/stud.

Looking at the dry lining box, I'm now also wondering if it would raise my shaver socket (I have one of those thin face plate sockets) so it might not be be flush with the wall any more if I do use this method. As dry lining boxes has that edging around it doesn't it.

I think I understand what you mean with the screwing pieces of wood behind the plasterboard for supporting the other two sides. Now why didn't I think of that . I guess one piece of wood along the long edge would be enough to stop it moving. I would have to polyfill over the screws/holes and repaint a bit if my understanding of your method is correct.

Thanks.

When faced with a noggin against the lug at one end of a dry lining box I have done this:

Use hacksaw and cut off the external wing at one end of the box

Drill a 6mm hole thru the remaining half of the wing (the bit that has the threaded hole for the shaver point screw.

Use wood screw thru the hole you have drilled to secure that end of the box into the noggin.

The other end of the box is secured by its wing behind the plasterboard in the usual way.

Dont forget to use a 47mm deep box!


Method 2 is to use a metal box and use nails thru the small holes in the edge of the box. The nails go thru into the edge of the plasterboard.
A dollop or three of Gripfill is useful here.

Method 3. if this is a stud wall then gripfill a thick piece of wood to the internal surface of the wall behind the shaver point position. Screw metal box to the piece of wood when Gripfill has set.

Hope this makes sense...