Electrical Boxes for Dummies

plastic electrical box

As our staffers roam the internet in search of candidates for the Antisocial Network's fabulous daily award, they continue to cycle back to the websites and sometimes even the same people who've received the DotD in the past. We don't think that's a sin: after all, the people who wrote this bull were paid several times, why not receive multiple awards (not everyone can be Susan Lucci). That's one reason why eHow.com contributor Elizabeth Knoll is back on the podium for her ninth appearance; the other is that she flubbed the information (what a surprise!) in "How to Remove a Plastic Electrical Box."¹ FYI, this is the third time Knoll's been here to "explain" wiring...

We were a little curious about why someone would remove an electrical box in the first place, but just figured it was because 1) they wanted to swap in a 2-gang box for a single-gang, etc., or 2) they wanted to remove the circuit entirely for some weird reason (maybe it was a TV antenna outlet...). Elizabeth didn't say, she just said,

"These boxes are easy to install -- and just as easy to remove if you wish to eliminate the outlet or switch inside."

We don't know that they're all that easy to remove, ourselves, especially if they're in a finished wall but let's see what Knoll drew upon her "early childhood education certification" to say... things like:

"Before starting this task, make absolutely sure the electricity is turned off in the room with the electrical box. Disconnect the specific circuits or fuses that service the room."

As usual, Knoll's lack of experience with the task shows: home wiring circuits are not room-specific, not to mention that turning off all the circuits (you need not "disconnect" them, merely turn off the breaker(s) or remove the fuse(s)...) means you'll be working in the dark. No, just flip the breaker or unscrew the fuse, and then check the circuit at the box with a voltage tester. Dumbass. Liz continued by telling her readers to "Use a hacksaw to cut through the nails holding the electrical box to the stud. There will be two nails -- one near the top of the box and one near the bottom..."

...which strongly suggests that Knoll had never used a hacksaw, given the amount of clearance  this tool would need to "cut through the nails." In fact, what her reference uses is a handsaw, not a hacksaw, which he fits into the space between the box and the stud (along one edge of the opening). You could use a hacksaw blade with one end wrapped in duct tape, or just use a reciprocating saw (though you want to have checked for clearance to make certain you don't damage the wires)

"Push the box down into the wall so that the wiring is pulled out. Reach into the hole and pull the plastic electrical box up and out..."

...to which we say, "Wha!?!?" The geometry of those instructions makes no sense. Push the wires partway out the back of the box to get some slack then grab opposite edges of the box with needle-nose pliers and pull forward. Oh, and by the way: we wonder if Liz knew about "old construction" boxes? We doubt it.
Frankly, we wish eHow had never published (and would stop publishing) "instructions" like this from people who, like Knoll, have never performed the task and are just rewording the suggestions of people who have (or may have) done it. That's why Knoll's getting another Dumbass of the Day award...

¹ The original has been deleted by Leaf Group, but can still be accessed using the Wayback machine at archive.org. Its URL was   ehow.com/how_7406172_remove-plastic-electrical-box.html

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DDIY - WIRING