Home Improvement
I was hanging a ceiling fan in this room when I discovered that the mounting screw holes in the electrical box are stripped. My dad has suggested using JB Weld putty, letting it cure, drilling it out with a small bit and then using wood screws. I’m a first time homeowner and have neither the confidence nor the expertise to completely replace the box. Is my dad’s route the best course of action or is it a waste of time and/or dangerous to go that route? Thank you!
Definitely don’t use JB weld, and I think you should be able to do it without replacing the box.
Regular electrical boxes are usually 6-32 size screws, ceiling fan boxes usually 8-32. If the holes are stripped, especially with plastic boxes, a lot of times you can get away with using the next size up (either 8-32 or 10-32) and forcibly screwing them in. They will cut new threads in the soft plastic/metal of the box, and you’ll be good to go. This is how most electricians would handle it without replacing the box.
If you want to do a cleaner, less hacky job, you can get a set of drill-taps, like this:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Klein-Tools-Drill-Tap-Tool-Set-4-Piece-32383SEN/304401087
Or the hand tool: https://a.co/d/6fr9d4Z
You can usually find them in the electrical section of your big-box home improvement store of choice. Just use the next size up and get some appropriate screws.
I will second getting the Klein tap set and just drilling and tapping the hole and using a size up. Replacing the box is by far the best thing to do, but tapping the existing box is fine for the next 10 years.
I don't like the idea of putting in putty and drilling it out, but it wouldn't be the worst DIY hack that I have ever seen.
Honestly though, switching out the box is not a particularly big deal. Seriously consider getting up there and getting a good look at it and check out a couple of youtube videos. You can get an old work box and throw it up between some rafters in a few minutes.
Gotcha, thanks, it seems like replacing that box is the consensus. Guess I’m gonna have to figure that out. Thank you!
Just make sure to turn the power off at the box! You can get a cheap voltage detector to be sure.
My recommendation would be to either use a larger sized self tapping screw, or go one size up with a regular screw. You could. Go the JB route, but if it's going to hold up a fan I would rather one of the other two options.
Or replace the box. if you're comfortable shutting off the breaker and switching everything over.
Since it is a ceiling fan you’re going to want it to be strong. I see two options here
Get a tap set and re-thread the holes a little larger and get new bolts
Or
Bolt the bracket for the fan to the stud directly instead of using the electrical box. Lots of fan bases are large enough that you can do this while still being able to hide the electrical box under it