Appreciation post for the old metal junction boxes we used to install

I keep seeing guys on new builds using those plastic blue nail-on boxes for alarm contacts and they always crack when you tighten the screws, which is why I still buy the steel 4-inch squares from the electrical supply house in Portland for $2.50 each, has anyone else noticed the failure rate on the cheap stuff going way up lately?

3 comments

3 Comments

mark_mitchell17d ago

You ever had a plastic box split right as you torqued that last screw? I used to be all about saving money and grabbing the cheap blue ones, but after a job where the tab snapped off and the switch drooped like a broken arm, I switched over. That metal box you're talking about feels SOLID in your hand, and I've never had one fail on a residential job even when I was rough with it. The plastic ones might save you a buck up front, but when you factor in the headache and the callback, the steel box is the real bargain. I'm fully converted now, no going back.

stellachen18d agoMost Upvoted

Actually the grounding path through those metal boxes is way better than the plastic ones in my experience, especially when you're using the box as the bond for old work or exposed conduit runs. I had a service call last month where a plastic box had cracked so bad the device screw pulled right through the drywall. The steel boxes might cost a bit more but you don't have to replace them in five years when the tabs break off.

james_campbell1218d ago

Pulled right through the drywall"? That's wild, I've never seen a box crack like that. I thought the plastic ones were supposed to be tougher than that, but I guess not if a screw can just rip through like that. Makes you wonder if the cost savings is even worth it when you're patching holes a year later.