Triple Accessory Backbox

[ldoodle]

I never did this in the end, but I recently thought about how some metal back boxes have 4 lugs;

http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/produ...GQsEIFHRKu3Pjw66DTDGr0ti-SStbfvi0BnxtIz3w_wcB

I basically needed 2 rows of 3 accessories - if the plasterboard back boxes had 4 lugs, I could have put 3 double accessory back boxes in portrait mode.

 

[Taylortwocities]

I would never attempt to juggle 6 accessories side by side, up and down.
In that situation, use a multi grid switch.

 

[plugwash]

Just one more reason why stud & plasterboard walls are the work of the devil.

In my experiance plasterboard is a dream to fit boxes in compared to the alternative of lath and plaster where the back is rough and neatly cutting the springly laths that are weakly attatched to the plaster without breaking them off is easier said than done.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I think you'll find that lath & plaster is not the only alternative to stud & plasterboard.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I never did this in the end, but I recently thought about how some metal back boxes have 4 lugs

And into which some accessories will not fit because of the lugs top & bottom.

 

[plugwash]

rock hard brick with sand like mortar is "fun" too.

Sure I can see lightweight easy to cut blocks with decent mortar joining them together is probablly nicest but on a scale of wall types you can encounter and how much of a pain they are to fit electrical boxes too plasterboard is really quite nice IMO.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The problem is that, even disregarding fitting electrical boxes, just as walls stud & plasterboard is the work of the devil.

 

[333rocky333]

In case anyones not aware, theres now a sort of "dragons den" product that joins metal boxes together leaving a gap for standard size accesories,
sort of cross between a plastic bush and grommet

 

[ban-all-sheds]

And before that there were these:

 

[seasickstevie]

One of the problems with ready assembled twin boxes (although it may not have concerned the OP) is that some modern fancy 'thin plate' accessories are slightly bigger than standard size, so there's a danger they'd be overlapping.
If sticking to conventional accessories though this wouldn't arise.

Even with the six-box configuration (in landscape formation) that Idoodle mentioned, although I've not tried it, it's certainly feasible to mount all six boxes on a piece of ply (or similar) with the middle top and bottom boxes turned 90 degrees for the use of the tabs.

 

[Taylortwocities]

One of the problems with ready assembled twin boxes (although it may not have concerned the OP) is that some modern fancy 'thin plate' accessories are slightly bigger than standard size, so there's a danger they'd be overlapping.

How I wish that I had thought to mention that a bit earlier……

The problem I have found with those dual box arrangements is tha they are just fine if you are using standard white accessories.
The problem arrises with many of the decor finishes (chrome, satin, etc)
These are often wider than the white ones and they do not fit side by side.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

One of the problems with ready assembled twin boxes (although it may not have concerned the OP) is that some modern fancy 'thin plate' accessories are slightly bigger than standard size, so there's a danger they'd be overlapping.
If sticking to conventional accessories though this wouldn't arise.

Even with the six-box configuration (in landscape formation) that Idoodle mentioned, although I've not tried it, it's certainly feasible to mount all six boxes on a piece of ply (or similar) with the middle top and bottom boxes turned 90 degrees for the use of the tabs.

Link the 6 boxes together with 14 couplers and 28 bushes and they'll be nice and rigid, nicely spaced, and you'll have lots of routes to pass cables from one box to another.

 

[ldoodle]

In that situation, use a multi grid switch.

Personally, I think a bank of 6 FCUs would look better than a 12 gang grid switch (6 fuses with 6 switches).

And I don't see the point in only having the switches 'on show' with fuses behind the appliances.

If I was building a house, or having a complete re-wire before doing any other renovation, I'd have each appliance on it's on RCBO, rated appropriately and just have a grid switch with no fuse. Like cooker circuits.

 

[Adam_151]

Just one more reason why stud & plasterboard walls are the work of the devil.

springly laths that are weakly attatched to the plaster without breaking them off is easier said than done.

The answer of course is a tool along the lines of this: http://www.tooled-up.com/product/bo...yppy6tM6phFTPWoV36ARkkVonvvT12xAA8aeTT8fw_wcB

Use a worn blade to go through the plaster then change to a sharp one for the laths.

Also very useful on sites where the walls have been battened out and then MDF or ply fixed to the top and painted up (it seems to be prevelent on shop fitting)