![]() ![]() ![]() The concern is that if the boxes were mounted back-to-back the fire-rating of the wall would be compromised. You ask an important fire safety question that I would phrase as "What is the required offset or separation between an inside electrical receptacle box and an outdoor receptacle box mounted in the same wall cavity". In new construction, can there be an indoor (into kitchen) and outdoor outlet (on back porch) in the same bay? Reply: 3 1/2" or 5 1/2" separation requirements for indoor & outdoor receptacles in the same stud bay Question: can there be an indoor (into kitchen) and outdoor outlet in the same bay? Often, for convenience the outdoor electrical receptacle will simply be extended off of an existing circuit of indoor receptacles, but even if the two receptacles and their boxes are on different circuits, they still should not go back-to-back in the same wall cavity. Instead, as you will read below, the boxes need to be offset from one another.Ī typical receptacle box offset amount is equal to the thickness of the stud bay, such as 3 1/2" or 5 1/2", but greater offsets are required in fire-rated walls, ceilings, and floors. ![]() The result of such an installation can violate the fire resistance of the wall. Watch out: do not install a pair of interior and exterior electrical receptacle boxes in the same stud bay back-to back. Electrical Outlet Box Fire Separation Between Inside Wall & Exterior Wall ReceptaclesĪn electrical outlet must be properly located on the wall, according to local electrical codes and the National Electrical Code.Įxamples of proper electrical outlet locations are shown in our page top sketch courtesy of Carson Dunlop Associates, a Toronto home inspection, eductation, and report writing tool firm.īut what happens when the electrician wants to install an electrical receptacle on both the interior wall (facing the occupied space) and on the exterior wall (facing outside) from within the same stud bay? We also provide an ARTICLE INDEX for this topic, or you can try the page top or bottom SEARCH BOX as a quick way to find information you need. ![]() Electrical receptacles (also called electrical outlets or "plugs" or "sockets") are simple devices that are easy to install, but there are details to get right if you want to be safe. This article series describes how to choose, locate, and wire an electrical receptacle in a home. What offset spacing is required between two such electrical boxes in the same framing cavity, and why? Is it permissible to install an indoor-facing and outdoor facing pair of receptacle boxes in the same wall stud bay? We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website. If you want to be super picky, I bet that nipple is a plumbing pipe nipple rather than an electrical conduit nipple.Ī more common way to do this would be to use a cable connector fitting on the back of the box, instead of the nipple:Īgain you'd need to seal between the connector and the hole in the wall with silicone or duct seal to ensure that water doesn't seep in, and fasten the box securely to the outside wall.InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. If the box was securely mounted to the wall from the outside, and the space between the nipple and the hole filled with silicone sealant or duct seal, then it would be OK.Īlthough it's done as shown all the time, technically the NM-B indoor cable is not rated for the outdoor location in the box. A threaded plastic bushing that threads onto the end of the nipple, rather than a lump of tape, would be suitable. You'd need a proper bushing where the cable exits to protect the cable from abrasion. The nipple doesn't extend too close to the inside finish wall, which is good. Nothing wrong with that, as long as you do it right. It looks like they used short rigid nipple as protection around the cable. There are lots of ways to run cable through the sheathing as seen in the picture, but there are some issues with what's shown. ![]()
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