Moving vanity light, need advice.

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kyleh

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I am almost finished a bathroom remodel, but need to move the vanity light in order to accommodate the new vanity and mirror. I have already cut open the wall and seem to have run into a header or top plate of the house--picture attached. Does anyone know why it is built that way? I am also open to suggestions on how to mount the light box. I was just going to cut a hole in the wood and attach a 2x4 to the stud underneath of it for extra support. Any advice you guys have would be much appreciated.

Vanity light.jpg
 

kyleh

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So i don't need the light box at all? Are you saying that i should run the wire through the wood and attach the light to the wall?
 

Terry

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So i don't need the light box at all? Are you saying that i should run the wire through the wood and attach the light to the wall?

They make a box about the thickness of drywall, though sometimes I see a wire sticking out and they call it good.
The light will attach to the wall, and oftentimes the light has space for wire nut it up.
I'm a plumber, and not licensed for electrical. But that's what I have been observing.
 

Jadnashua

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I think you'll find that any junction/connection needs to be in an electrical box. http://www.homedepot.com/p/Raco-4-in-Round-Ceiling-Pan-1-2-Deep-with-NMSC-Clamps-8293/100574367 might work, but not sure of the best way to get the wire into it. One of the electricians may have a better way. Some fixtures are designed to be surface mounted, and can safely have the wire come into it directly since it is an enclosed box. One with an open back, would need a box behind it, if I understand things. Hopefully, one of the sparkies will answer.
 

Vegas_sparky

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The way you rough it in depends entirely upon the fixture. A standard 3-0 round box, roughed in flush with the drywall, is the norm. It works with most types of fixtures. It provides an adequate place to do any terminations, and provides a decent mounting point.

Of course there are many types of fixtures where a NM cable whip hanging out of the wall is fine. Light bar assemblies, with metallic back plates are often installed with no box behind them, and the wire connections are made in the fixture itself. An appropriate cable clamp must be installed in the fixture if no box is roughed in.

What does your new light fixture look like?
 

Vegas_sparky

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That fixture is designed to mount to a solidly installed box. It provides the support to hold the fixture up. I'm sure it has a back plate, with concentric slots. That plate is what mounts to the box itself, with 8-32 screws.

You'll have to do some careful measuring to rough in the box. Its location determines the finished location of the fixture.

You'll need to account for countertop, and plumbing fixtures, the mirror, and the relative location of the light fixture. Height above mirror is subjective, but having it centered over the mirror is critical.
 

kyleh

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That fixture is designed to mount to a box. It provides the support to hold the fixture up. I'm sure it has a back plate, with concentric slots. That plate is what mounts to the box itself, with 8-32 screws.

You'll have to do some careful measuring to rough in the box. Its location determines the finished location of the fixture.

The pancake box or a normal box? I've done all of the measuring, took me almost 4 hours to figure out where i wanted it. Yes it came w/ the plate that is supposed to attach to a box of some sort.
 

Vegas_sparky

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Either will work. A pancake is typically used if the box must be installed where there is an existing stud(or header like you have). Notching the stud is too labor intensive to mount a deeper junction box.

You'll have to layout the new box, and drill up or down at an angle to feed the cable up into your desired location.

If the position of the light is between studs, nail/screw in a horizontal board between the studs, at the required elevation, with the wide face flat. The depth you mount the board is determined by the depth of the box, plus drywall. Your new box mounts to that.
 
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kyleh

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I appreciate your advice! I attached a picture in my first post showing where the light will be mounted, which will be on the stud or header. While i'm in here, do any of you guys have suggestions on how to mount the mirror flush to the wall? I was going to use something like these
 
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Vegas_sparky

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I'm on my phone, looked at the pic a little closer, and edited my post. You have it pretty easy. The pancake is your best option.

Install it to your desired location, remove the cable clamp(if included), and mark where the cable will enter the box. Remove the box, drill the hole, push the wire up, and install the box over the cable feeding the cable through it. Screw the box to the framing, snug the clamp, and you're done.
 
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JohnfrWhipple

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I have learned over the years that what ever way you orientate the screws on the pancake box it will be wrong. Set them level and they certainly will need to be vertical. Set them vertical and they need to be at 45 degrees.

In Vancouver we can not use the center knock out as a FYI.

Get the light in your hands. dry mount it first before fixing any box to the wall....

Good Luck
 
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