Electricians: Ok to mount lighting box ON exterior wall?

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  • K_W

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    I can't find many examples of what I want to do.

    I want to add an LED security light under the soffit of my house. I do not want to cut out the brick and fish wire so I am looking to mount a box ON the wall and run a short piece of rigid conduit up through the soffit to the attic. I plan to power it from an unused 15A circuit nearby that will (eventually) be used for LED attic lighting also.

    If this is allowed, is there a certain type of box I must use?
     

    printcraft

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    I can't find many examples of what I wane to do.

    I want to add an LED security light under the soffit of my house. I do not want to cut out the brick and fish wire so I am looking to mount a box ON the wall and run a short piece of rigid conduit up through the soffit to the attic and tie into an unused 15A circuit nearby that will (eventually) be used for LED attic lighting.

    If this is allowed, is there a certain type of box I must use?


    I am not an electrician...


    Seems like it is just like any other outside light/outlet to me.
    Ground it and waterproof as best you can. Go for it.
     

    obijohn

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    You should be fine as long as you environmental fittings on the conduit and an environmental box properly sized for the base of the fixture.
     

    K_W

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    Change of plan, I have a security light back there that's controlled on a switch, I want in to that instead so I can control them both in one switch.

    Can I locate the wire going to that light, cut it put it in a junction box and run a second wire over to the new light? Or is that an allowed?
     

    femurphy77

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    Cutting in a box and wiring in an additional light may create issues with wire length but yes you can do it. Interstingly enough some is not all counties basically allow the homeowner to do whatever they want within the confines of the house. Where the problems arise is when the house burns down
     

    JettaKnight

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    Change of plan, I have a security light back there that's controlled on a switch, I want in to that instead so I can control them both in one switch.

    Can I locate the wire going to that light, cut it put it in a junction box and run a second wire over to the new light? Or is that an allowed?

    Not if that junction box will be inaccessible.

    Can't you just run a new line from the existing fixture or the switch?

    Cutting in a box and wiring in an additional light may create issues with wire length
    Yup. The cable is long just long enough to go from point A to point B. So, there's no extra for splice back together after you cut it.
     

    K_W

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    The circuit I thought was disused is actually not... It is spliced off of the bathroom vanity light which also likely is from the bathroom plug.

    The attic fan was 3-5 amps and ran with no issues, so the same circuit will have no problem with 1 or 2 amps of LED lighting. The wire is also long enough that I do not have to run any new wire today and will have plenty of cable for adding a box for the attic lighting later.
     

    JettaKnight

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    The circuit I thought was disused is actually not... It is spliced off of the bathroom vanity light which also likely is from the bathroom plug.

    The attic fan was 3-5 amps and ran with no issues, so the same circuit will have no problem with 1 or 2 amps of LED lighting. The wire is also long enough that I do not have to run any new wire today and will have plenty of cable for adding a box for the attic lighting later.
    So, just get yourself a watertight box, conduit, and Tapcons...
     

    K_W

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    Delayed... forgot thread compound and the "all in one box kit" did not have expanding anchors and screws like the sales guy said it did.
     

    K_W

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    All done and it works. I did have to put in the new box because the existing ended up being 5 feet too short. Distances are deceiving in tight spaces.
     
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