Metal flat plate fittings

ELDON · Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2004 7:02 pm Post Subject: Metal flat plate fittings

Do all metal flat plate fittings have to be mounted on a metal box and not plastic, e.g., dry line boxes?

chickoo · Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2004 7:14 pm Post Subject: Re: Metal flat plate fittings

ELDON wrote:

Do all metal flat plate fittings have to be mounted on a metal box and not plastic, e.g., dry line boxes?

I bought metal boxes for metal flat plate recently and as far as i know, you may use either of them. Moreover metal boxes cost less than plastic ones too.

ELDON · Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2004 7:49 pm Post Subject: Metal flat plate fittings

Thanks, chickoo. Have already bought dry line boxes but read on Homebase site that metal mounting boxes must be used with all brass fittings and wondered if this applies to all metal fittings. Sadly manufacturers instructions are non-specific about this. They do say that an earth wire must be led from the earth terminal on the fitting to the earth terminal in the mounting box, but dry line boxes have no such terminal and so I am rather confused.

plugwash · Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2004 7:51 pm Post Subject:

no problem putting metal plates on a plastic box as long as the plates have an earth terminal

chickoo · Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2004 9:58 pm Post Subject:

yes i forgot to add what plug said above. Thanks plugs.

ELDON · Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2004 10:10 pm Post Subject:

Thanks Chick & Plugs, can go ahead and get sockets and switches ready for sparky to come and wire up. Will save him bother and save me weeks of tidying up plasterwork; as on my last three house rewires.

securespark · Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2004 10:22 pm Post Subject:

plugwash wrote:

no problem putting metal plates on a plastic box as long as the plates have an earth terminal

And I know this sounds stupid, pedantic & an@l, but you must attach an earth wire to the switch plate terminal.

dingbat · Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2004 10:27 pm Post Subject:

securespark wrote:

plugwash wrote:

no problem putting metal plates on a plastic box as long as the plates have an earth terminal

And I know this sounds stupid, pedantic & an@l, but you must attach an earth wire to the switch plate terminal.

Er, Simon, that's what plug said, isn't it?

ban-all-sheds · Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2004 10:20 pm Post Subject:

ELDON wrote:

Thanks Chick & Plugs, can go ahead and get sockets and switches ready for sparky to come and wire up. Will save him bother and save me weeks of tidying up plasterwork; as on my last three house rewires.

If you're on your 4th house rewire it would have paid you to do your 2381 and 2391 and DIY-ed them....

__________________
I mustn't warn people that the "experts" on the plumbing forum can't be trusted to tell the truth.

securespark · Posted: Sun Jul 18, 2004 12:16 am Post Subject:

He said, "as long as the plates have an earth TERMINAL". I know it is a very small point, but there are some out there who take things very literally. The switch may have an earth terminal, but it needs a sound earth conductor wiring to it to be effective.

Like my mate "fill the engine with oil" - he put oil in till it came out of the filler cap.........he took it literally.

Sad, but true.