PVC extender and Metal box

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Rufer
Posts: 23
Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2004 7:08 am
Location: Alexandria, VA

PVC extender and Metal box

Post by Rufer »

Hey there. I purchased some PVC extenders to make my outlets flush with my thick walls. After I brought them home, I read on the package it says "for use with non-metal electric boxes". Is there a danger in using the two together or is it something undangerous (perhaps a potential fitting issue?

Thanks a lot.
knightfly
Senior Member
Posts: 6976
Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2003 11:11 am
Location: West Coast, USA

Post by knightfly »

There's a serious possibility that these will disrupt your ground if not wired with that in mind; typically a metal box makes the outlet body grounded by the fact that the receptacle is screwed directly to the metal box - this makes it so all metal parts are grounded to system ground.

With a plastic ring, it's possible to end up with only the frames of your receptacles grounded (romex ground)

I'm on the wrong computer to be able to search code to see if this is actually "verboten", but at the least I'd connect an auxiliary ground wire from your receptacle's ground screw to a metal screw inside the metal box, so that ALL metal parts that aren't either hot or neutral are at ground potential... Steve
Soooo, when a Musician dies, do they hear the white noise at the end of the tunnel??!? Hmmmm...
Rufer
Posts: 23
Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2004 7:08 am
Location: Alexandria, VA

Post by Rufer »

Thanks again for your time, Knightfly.
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