Submitted by MiddleChildSyndrome3 t3_y5j3lt in DIY
Changing bathroom light fixture over the sink in my master bathroom and discovered a lack of a junction box. House is vintage ‘93 if that matters, exterior wall. We have 2 sinks both had lights over them, neither have any junction box.
Would the base of the light count as a safe space for the connection? Do I need a junction box in the wall? Everything appears to be tied back through a gfci outlet next to the sink as well.
They make remodel boxes specifically for lights. They’re round and accept 8-32s, single gang boxes are for 6-32s
For those with minimal wiring knowledge, there are electrical boxes called: new work, or old work.
I agree with this, it’s the easiest solution here.
It's the only solution here...
Checked with a friend who has a bit more experience than I and he recommended this route as well, thank you!
Please tell me "vintage '93" means 1893, otherwise I'm going to feel really... vintage.
Yes, fairly certain electrical codes predate even the dark times of 1993. ;)
Only meant that the house was built in 1993, not that it was in fact vintage or old.
yes i panicked here too
Many light fixtures are rated as junction boxes, meaning you route the Romex directly into the fixture and make the connections inside the fixture.
It’s especially common with old fluorescent fixtures. Odds are that bathroom had a little tube vanity light originally.
> tube vanity light
Or really any bulb holder style vanity light. Many have the long style wall plate that has room for all the connections.
Mind you, one thing I rarely see in these is a proper wire clamp where the power wire(s) enter the box. Risk of damage to wire casing and shock. It's almost always a simple 1" clamp that costs pennies.
Which is why the wire clamps should probably be packaged with the fixture. I’m guessing the reason most people don’t use them is because they don’t know they need them and don’t want to make a second run to the store. That’s the reason I skipped it when I put a new vent fan in my bathroom. Ended up putting one in a few years later when I had to take the fan down to get access in the ceiling, but the wiring looked fine.
Pfft this isn’t anything. I rented a house several years ago, the secondary light in the kitchen was a crap shoot whether you were gonna get shocked when you pulled the metal chain to turn it on. Lol. The whole house has a total of FOUR breakers. The landlord was a home builder lol. Super nice guy, but tighter than bark on a tree. The “central air unit” was from 1985. The furnace was from the 50’s lol. I put in a ceiling fan in the master bedroom. When I took the old light down, (y’all will know the correct name for this) it was separate wires running side by side. NOT Romex or anything current. Lol. It was crazy. If you were doing laundry, you couldn’t make toast. Lol you’d trip a breaker.
Knob and tube wiring? That’s a relic
I looked up what you said…yes. Lol. My mom’s house is the same way. Of course her house was built in the 1800’s. Her house actually has more value in tearing it down and repurposing all of the pieces of value. Like the cast iron coal chute door. The huge bannister that goes upstairs and wraps around. The porcelain door knobs. Some are porcelain and some are oblong metal. They all take what I call skeleton keys. Lol. Every bedroom upstairs has a transom window. My mom’s is way more unique than the one I rented. Lol.
The keys would’ve been either bar-and-bit or barrel-and-bit
You know more about my mom’s house than me. Lol barrel-and-bit it is.
Yep even in New houses there may not be a junction box in the wall because the original light fixture was a "metal box" which was up to code enough.
It was probably compliant at install. If you monkey with it, bring it current. That’s the best practice.
If using the round lighting box a 3-5/8 hole saw should’ve the right size for the jbox
Personally I'd just by remote control light fixtures. The switch is taped to the wall but it is just a lot easier.
Affectionate_Zone623 t1_isjxh9q wrote
As a contractor I see this all of the time. The best remedy is to install a pair of 1-gang old work or remodel boxes. These are usually blue boxes with tabs that flip out and hold tight to the back of the wall. Install is just a matter of cutting the hole, feeding the wire into the box, and tightening the screws. If you decide to proceed just be cautious of the wire in the wall when cutting.