Safety of Using Polyurethane Foam for Inserting Flush-Mounted Boxes into Outlets

Hello, I have a question, is it safe to insert a flush-mounted box into an electrical outlet with polyurethane foam? I have started construction and my electricians have seated all the boxes in this way, claiming that it is absolutely correct. However, I have doubts whether this foam will ignite like gasoline in the event of a short circuit .... Please give your opinion.

Regards.

I see a colleague of professionals entitled "you will be satisfied"
Flammability, it would be difficult to make such a short circuit to ignite the foam through the can, but you can probably do it, better not risk it!
However, I would like to draw attention to another matter - the foam, after it solidifies, is not as hard as "stone" as gypsum or, as a last resort, plaster.
Therefore, the "claws" of the socket's expansion bolts, when stretched in a "soft" box, will not hold as they should and the socket will periodically loosen in the wall.
If they do not want to play with plaster, which in the case of many cans is troublesome, you can embed the cans with the same mortar as plasters are plastering.

In addition, it is hard for your specialists to catch the level and plumb of the sockets because the foam will not bind as quickly as plaster and, in addition, it can push or push the can out. Later, the switches and sockets will be slanted.

It is better to catch plaster, at least that's how they always taught in apprenticeships.
As you can see, the gentlemen had practice at the windows and now they have moved to the industry and they foam cans instead of windows.

Generally, he sneezes terrible, I would be afraid of installations, as they already do such things, better after their work, or in the process, consult another electrician about the installation, or upload photos here, maybe my colleagues will help.

bew2 wrote:

Therefore, the "claws" of the expansion sockets, when stretched in a "soft" box, will not hold as they should

Accessories are now fastened with screws, not claws.

Dude Retrofood, do you really believe that magicians like that mounted all the cans with screw holes arranged horizontally?
I mean, the probability of having to use claws is dangerously high, even though "now it is mounted with screws"

retrofood wrote:

Accessories are now fastened with screws, not claws.

I wonder if there is a single can, in this case we will screw the accessories to the foam with these screws.
(as there is no room for screwing in the screw, of course)


Can be fastened with claws, can be fastened with screws, It all depends on what cans and accessories.

bew2 wrote:

Buddy Retrofood, do you really believe that magicians like that mounted all the cans with screw holes arranged horizontally?

I don't have to believe it because I didn't mention it. And you don't know the truth either.

fighter wrote:

Can be fastened with claws, can be fastened with screws, It all depends on what cans and accessories.

You can, only today fastening with claws (and the use of the cheapest cans without places for screws, to save PLN 7.80 on the general costs of building a house) is a bit of a mouse, to put it mildly.

Installing the boxes on the plaster is quite laborious, but it can be mounted on the plaster of plaster or any other type of slow-setting mortar as the drying time is extended and the cans will be fitted with accessories at a later date. The boxes should have screws so that the sockets do not come out because users are pulling the cord or plug without holding the socket. There are experts of the "will be satisfied" type

It can also be mounted on a mixture of gypsum and construction plaster.
There is time for setting, leveling, and you don't have to wait long compared to putty only.
Another aspect is ... the correct selection of cans and sockets.
Yes, yes - they may not fit together.

fighter wrote:

foam will not set as quickly as gypsum and additionally it can push or push the can apart. (...)
As you can see, the gentlemen had practice at the windows and now they have moved to the industry and they foam cans instead of windows.

At the time of expanding the foam, they inserted struts, punched, wedges ...
Builders do not cope with such problems.

As I once accidentally pointed out to the plasterers who were filling the cans that the caps are not plastered and that the cans are not made into foam because they will come out, they told me that "you do not know each other, we have done not one construction" but you probably do not need to know each other, just enough think a little ...

tomaszekw1 wrote:

As I once accidentally pointed out to the plasterers who were filling the cans that the caps are not plastered and that the cans are not made into foam because they will come out, they told me that "you do not know each other, we have done not one construction" but you probably do not need to know each other, just enough think a little ...

Such things are agreed with the investor, and comments are also submitted to him and the construction manager.

I told the owner but out of confidence in plasterers, they waved my hand at my word and the topic fell on, but I have a clear conscience The manager was not there because it was a renovation.

Bricklayers-plasterers lay the installation and embed the cans like this -

Well, yes, but in my opinion they should do it professionally. For this reason, they are staffed because they know how much plaster there will be and they can adjust the can to the depth, and if an electrician manages it, it will probably not hit the depth As for the photo, there is no tragedy You can put on the paws

tomaszekw1 wrote:

I told the owner but out of confidence in plasterers they waved my hand at my word and the topic fell on, but I have a clear conscience The manager was not there because it was a renovation.

So what is the problem. He has as he wanted

Well, as he wanted, only then that when installing the equipment, you have to gently so that it does not break around it as it has already been painted; p

tomaszekw1 wrote:

Well, as he wanted, only then that when installing the equipment, you have to gently so that it does not break around it as it has already been painted; p

No, you don't have to. It was enough to inform the investor about the effects. I used to do it and I do it every day, believe you can. I stopped worrying about it a long time ago

And what do not worry if the can tears out after painting when installing the plaster fixtures? I'd like to see his face

Well, let's do this montage.

We take, for example, such a can -

we mount it on the wall, remembering to place it (box) evenly and evenly.

We install, for example, such a socket -

(ignore the lack of a protective pin, it broke off ... accidentally).

When assembled, it looks something like this -



but something does not fit here, something is blocking -



And it is no longer possible to match -



The bricklayer did his job. The customer bought the sockets, an electrician tore the cans and put them back in ... new ones. :D

Try to mount the socket shown in the box from post # 14 (photo).
Poor chances.

tomaszekw1 wrote:

And what do not worry if the can tears out after painting when installing the plaster fixtures? I'd like to see his face

They are outraged but do not blame me. I kept them informed about it, as well as about other matters to the detriment of my installation. At the very beginning I try to visualize "how it should look like". A kind of dupochron.
I have no influence on investors' decisions, but I get rid of later problems such as, crookedly mounted cans, loose etc.

It's always like this at the end:
Investor: They said I would be pleased.
Me: did I tell you?

Well, I understand what it looks like to install a socket on a straight and curve box Only then the electrician is always guilty of wrong assuming how he sticks out And as it was said when plastering that it was wrong then they did not understand it

tomaszekw1 wrote:

Well, I understand what it looks like to install a socket on a straight and curve box Only then the electrician is always guilty of wrong assuming how he sticks out And as it was said when plastering that it was wrong then they did not understand it

No, not a wine electrician. Read with understanding.

Recently, I even forged 50% of the cans after plasterers and ordered them to be corrected, of course they were planted, but still crooked. I showed them to the owner again, if he does not improve, they will stay so and informed the investor that it would be crooked at most.

drwal88 wrote:

Recently, I even forged 50% of the cans after plasterers and ordered them to be corrected, of course they were planted, but still crooked. I showed them to the owner again, if he does not improve, they will stay so and informed the investor that it would be crooked at most.

In 70%: "Let it be"
They have as they want
An electrician is also a human being, he has his own life and a lot of worries than worrying about crap with a strange client. The customer is our master. If he wants to, he has it - it's not our role in it.

An electrician places the boxes and then mounts the accessories.
Then there will be no surprises -




It is true that there are pseudo-electricians who overdo it:




And miracles come out :

Well, if an electrician puts the cans, there will be surprises after plastering. The cans should be embedded by the one who is plastering during this activity. If he does it professionally, it's equally fun ....

Exactly.
The box should be adjusted to the plaster, not the plaster to the box.
Have you seen a professional plasterer, not to mention a bricklayer?

An electrician places the cans after plastering, not before.

Read carefully. I just wrote that the depth of the can embedding depends on how much plaster there will be, i.e. we adjust the box to the plaster. And if we embed the fluff, then the plasterer will apply as much as it should be and it will not agree. After all, I will put out a 10mm and 10mm can of plaster, and if a plasterer puts 13 mm of plaster, it is already linden ...

Besides, every plasterer told me that they themselves stuff the cans, even mentioned that they had electricians carved out because they had planted ... in my neighborhood, this is how it works ...

And I would not like to banter who has seen and who has not seen a plasterer or bricklayer, I must have seen it and you have seen it too, so there is nothing to talk about.


hehe, that is, plasterers leave a hole where the can is supposed to be, without plaster, just so that an electrician can fill the can? Nobody agrees to such a deal, neither electricians nor plasterers.

Quote:

Besides, every plasterer told me that they themselves stuff the cans, even mentioned that they had electricians carved out because they had planted ... in my neighborhood, this is how it works ...

Yeah, they ordered. End of the world ! Bricklayers / plasterers rule the construction site !!

And didn't they say that a bricklayer and a forester are not a craftsman?

Hehe, a plasterer is able to properly and properly place a set of 4 or 5 cans horizontally, according to the art.
Do not make me laugh. With them, the meters only count, not the pharmacy.