# Carlon SuperBlue Hard Shell boxes... Anyone use them?



## Dustincoc (Sep 14, 2011)

I'm off to replace an outlet this afternoon and I picked up one of these boxes since I usually use metal at this place due environmental changes making plastic boxes break. These cost half the price of metal but supposedly don't break if hit with a hammer. I have a tool chest made of similar material that hasn't broke after 3 years outdoors so I suspect its rather durable.


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## woodchuck2 (Feb 27, 2008)

Local hardware has some of them, i dont bother with them myself. I prefer fiberglass. easy to work with, pre-threaded and i like the old work design better.


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## Dustincoc (Sep 14, 2011)

Ended up not using it. The box that was in there already was metal and in good shape. The reported sparks were from a disintegrating outlet. 20-30 years of unheated north country winters breaks havoc on old plastic. The place has been occupied full time for 13 years but still have issues come up from when it was only used in the summer.


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## pappagor (Jan 29, 2008)

the blue box is the frist sign of a hack elec job the guy was to cheap to spend .75 on single gangbox i know around here no sparky would ever use them


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## Dustincoc (Sep 14, 2011)

pappagor said:


> the blue box is the frist sign of a hack elec job the guy was to cheap to spend .75 on single gangbox i know around here no sparky would ever use them


I've seen electricians replace metal boxes with plastic on purpose. Said something about code requiring plastic if we opened the wall.

I didn't know where your getting your boxes but the cheapest I've seen is at least double that for anything other than a handy box. This was a double gang device box and the only ones offered where I was were $7. This "plastic" one was half that cost with the added bonus of being a deep box which would help in this case. The box also isn't plastic, it appears to be Structural Foam which I have found to be nearly indestructible.


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## pappagor (Jan 29, 2008)

Dustincoc said:


> I've seen electricians replace metal boxes with plastic on purpose. Said something about code requiring plastic if we opened the wall.
> 
> I didn't know where your getting your boxes but the cheapest I've seen is at least double that for anything other than a handy box. This was a double gang device box and the only ones offered where I was were $7. This "plastic" one was half that cost with the added bonus of being a deep box which would help in this case. The box also isn't plastic, it appears to be Structural Foam which I have found to be nearly indestructible.


menards fg single gang 80 ot 90 cents:clap:


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## Dustincoc (Sep 14, 2011)

pappagor said:


> menards fg single gang 80 ot 90 cents:clap:


No Menards around here. I usually pick up stuff for small jobs like this at lowers and the do list a single gang handy box for $0.91. However, I needed a double gang old work box for this job. The cheapest single gang old work box I see from Lowes is $2.49. And as I said, the only double gang old work metal box was about $7.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Dustincoc said:


> No Menards around here. I usually pick up stuff for small jobs like this at lowers and the do list a single gang handy box for $0.91. However, I needed a double gang old work box for this job. The cheapest single gang old work box I see from Lowes is $2.49. And as I said, the only double gang old work metal box was about $7.


You can use a double gang ear box with steam boats.


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## pappagor (Jan 29, 2008)

Dustincoc said:


> No Menards around here. I usually pick up stuff for small jobs like this at lowers and the do list a single gang handy box for $0.91. However, I needed a double gang old work box for this job. The cheapest single gang old work box I see from Lowes is $2.49. And as I said, the only double gang old work metal box was about $7.


just hire a lic sparky :laughing:


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## HARRY304E (Jan 18, 2011)

pappagor said:


> the blue box is the frist sign of a hack elec job the guy was to cheap to spend .75 on single gangbox i know around here no sparky would ever use them



Oh Boy here we go....:no::laughing::laughing:


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## woodchuck2 (Feb 27, 2008)

Lots of opinions on this matter but anyone with experience will prefer the easiest box to work with as well as fit/finish. Personally i like fiberglass. Easy to feed wire into, prethreaded for the device, if needed to be removed it is easy to break apart without damaging the drywall and i like the thin metal brackets on the old work boxes so the device cover can sit more flush to the wall.

Damn plastic boxes have the chinese fingers that take up room in the box, you have to fight with device screws to get them threaded all the way in, removing them from a finished wall is harder than removing a steel box and the old work boxes have a thick lip on them that tends to keep the device cover from sitting flush to the wall. This includes the newer style plastic boxes. I stay away as much as possible. 

Steel boxes? They are what they are. They are easy to make into multiple gang boxes, prethreaded for devices, not too bad to pull apart for removing in a finished wall although the steel fingers can make it a challenge to make use in the old work situation.


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## Dustincoc (Sep 14, 2011)

pappagor said:


> just hire a lic sparky :laughing:


No such thing as a licensed sparky here. You can get a certificate from the colleges but NYS does not issue electrical licenses. 

As I posted a week ago, the job is long done. I reused the box that was there since it was in good shape and metal. I only picked up the box because I didn't know what was in the wall. I also have a distrust of the ears on metal boxes holding the box in place since I've seen a number of them come loose.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

woodchuck2 said:


> Lots of opinions on this matter but anyone with experience will prefer the easiest box to work with as well as fit/finish. Personally i like fiberglass. Easy to feed wire into, prethreaded for the device, if needed to be removed it is easy to break apart without damaging the drywall and i like the thin metal brackets on the old work boxes so the device cover can sit more flush to the wall.
> 
> Damn plastic boxes have the chinese fingers that take up room in the box, you have to fight with device screws to get them threaded all the way in, removing them from a finished wall is harder than removing a steel box and the old work boxes have a thick lip on them that tends to keep the device cover from sitting flush to the wall. This includes the newer style plastic boxes. I stay away as much as possible.
> 
> Steel boxes? They are what they are. They are easy to make into multiple gang boxes, prethreaded for devices, not too bad to pull apart for removing in a finished wall although the steel fingers can make it a challenge to make use in the old work situation.


The only time I think a plastic box is better is a vapor rated box for an outside wall...but that's only because I'm in vapor barrier country.


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## pappagor (Jan 29, 2008)

HARRY304E said:


> Oh Boy here we go....:no::laughing::laughing:


nock nock whos there:jester:


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## Dustincoc (Sep 14, 2011)

woodchuck2 said:


> Lots of opinions on this matter but anyone with experience will prefer the easiest box to work with as well as fit/finish. Personally i like fiberglass. Easy to feed wire into, prethreaded for the device, if needed to be removed it is easy to break apart without damaging the drywall and i like the thin metal brackets on the old work boxes so the device cover can sit more flush to the wall.
> 
> Damn plastic boxes have the chinese fingers that take up room in the box, you have to fight with device screws to get them threaded all the way in, removing them from a finished wall is harder than removing a steel box and the old work boxes have a thick lip on them that tends to keep the device cover from sitting flush to the wall. This includes the newer style plastic boxes. I stay away as much as possible.
> 
> Steel boxes? They are what they are. They are easy to make into multiple gang boxes, prethreaded for devices, not too bad to pull apart for removing in a finished wall although the steel fingers can make it a challenge to make use in the old work situation.


I agree that the easiest box to install as well as fit and finish decides what box I use. In this case, I felt this box would be easiest to install. Knowing the structure(timber frame barn) there is no reliable way to know if or where you will find a stud. All I knew going in is that a double gang box was already there and there was an outlet who's plastic was disintegrating, causing sparks. I didn't know if the box was metal or plastic, nailed to a stud of floating in the middle of a cavity, none of that. As I mentioned, I have a distrust in metal old work boxes. The mounting system on plastic old work boxes I find to be more reliable.


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## pappagor (Jan 29, 2008)

i thought all states lic sparky and plumbers
the only blue box i ever see is the 19 cent ones from the big box hors.
all thoe there are towns around here that do not require a permit at all for new homes :no::blink:


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## Dustincoc (Sep 14, 2011)

pappagor said:


> i thought all states lic sparky and plumbers
> the only blue box i ever see is the 19 cent ones from the big box hors.
> all thow there are towns around here that do not require a permit at all for new homes :no::blink:


Not NY. No state issued contractor licences at all.


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## pappagor (Jan 29, 2008)

i would have never thought that from a union state like ny


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## woodchuck2 (Feb 27, 2008)

Surprisingly NY does not require a license. They leave it up to local Governments to enforce any kind of a license. Even then most do not require permits. The only thing required is a rough/final inspection to obtain a CO. The building inspectors have no say in the wiring other than they need to see a sticker either on the panel or at least a window/door. I prefer the electric inspector place the sticker on the panel. Hack work?? Yup, see lots of it. I prefer to get inspections even when not required just to help cover my butt. Inspections also reassure the HO that the job was done properly. Some balk at the cost and feel it is not necessary but i still do it anyway, in the end they are happy.


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## pappagor (Jan 29, 2008)

what are your coast if you want to have a inspection done on your job .
and how long dose it take you to get some one out to do it.
it just blows my mind that ny is that lack on inspection of a job. you would think they would want the money:jester:


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