Weight bearing capacity of electrical box for a chandelier
Rickman75
| Posted in General Questions on
Hi everyone,
In looking for finishings for our house (new build) we found a crystal chandelier we liked but it’s a bit on the heavier side (approx 40lb). in the foyer our electrician currently has an octogon box wired and attached to a 2×4 brace (see picture attached)..
My concern now is going with a heavier chandelier with this type of box and/or how it is supported in terms of its capacity to bear the weight of the chandelier we are looking at?
Many thanks in advance
Rick
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Replies
Rick,
An ordinary box, like the one you have shown, uses 8-32 screws which are rated for fixtures up to 50 lbs. When a fixture is that heavy, the box is usually secured by a second 2"x4' behind or on the opposite side. if you are worried that the box is close to its limit you can have it swopped out for one used to mount ceiling fans.
Rick,
Just out of curiosity - what's going on with that Tuck-Tape around the box? Is it sealed to an enclosure I can't see, or is there really a large gap between it and the poly?