What Is It Used For?

There are then many unlike types of electrical boxes out in that location, and then it’sec tardily to get confused as well as become your wires crossed. Although quite minor, these boxes are crucial to any dwelling house, together with you lot cannot install whatsoever lighting fixture or switch without i.

We accept a closer wait into pancake boxes (too known equally pan boxes) together with how they benefit ceiling- or wall-mounted fixtures.

Pancake boxes are electrical boxes that tin live used with wall- together with ceiling-mounted lite fittings. Their shallow design makes them more affordable together with agency that they accept up less space. Pancake boxes can live used for ceiling fans, just only if they are correctly rated.

What Is a Pancake Box?

A pancake box is a type of junction box that tin can be used when installing ceiling- as well as wall-mounted low-cal fixtures also as ceiling fans.

The argue why it is called a pancake box is because it is circular and shallow—1/2“ or two/iii″ deep amongst a diameter of iii″ or 4″.

These junction boxes tin can live made out of PVC or fiberglass cloth. They can as well be made from metals, such as steel or aluminum, which are quite durable.

The weight that the pancake box tin can back up volition live evident on the box itself through markings that are constitute within the housing.

Typically, pancake boxes support no more than than l lbs. However, in that location are around that are designed to deport more than weight, expanding the purpose of these boxes.

Illustration of a Pancake Electrical Box

Purpose of a Pancake Box

Pancake boxes house electric wiring, protecting it from existence compressed or otherwise damaged, also equally keeping the wires nifty too easily accessible.

Fittings, similar lights and ceiling fans, demand these junction boxes every bit a connection point between the mounting bracket as well as joist. In the instance of heavier fittings, the boxes tin be secured to the joists together with studs to furnish a more secure back up structure.

In improver to protecting the wires, pancake boxes tin protect yous. They have a grounding screw allowing the system to live grounded, preventing the organisation from short-circuiting as well as posing a high daze gamble to anyone who comes into contact amongst the appliance.

Pancake boxes tin be used for both novel too one-time work. If it is novel run (new structure amongst an open frame too no drywall installed withal), y'all can screw your pancake box direct onto your frame through the holes provided.

Should it live sometime run (have an existing wall as well as are replacing an existing box and going back into the hole), the box has a bracket that secures it to the stud wall.

Ceiling- and Wall-Mounted Light Fixtures

The virtually common type of electric box that is best suited for ceiling- in addition to wall-mounted light fixtures is the pancake box type as these types of fixtures are light plenty to live supported past such. However, there are notwithstanding close to drawbacks.

Let’second await at why they are unremarkably used together with what the downsides of this role may live.

Benefits of Pancake Boxes

Due to the shallowness of pancake boxes, they are the ultimate contender when having to live fitted inward tight spaces.

While you may mean that at that place is enough of room inwards your ceilings, and even enough space inwards the smaller wall cavities, you lot have to recollect that the junction box volition live contending amongst wiring, plumbing pipes, exhaust as well as HVAC ducts, insulation, etc.

The fact that pancake boxes are sparse makes them ideal inwards these crowded locations, in addition to, although they are pocket-sized, they tin however support the weights of nearly ceiling together with wall-mounted fixtures.

The size also tends to brand them more affordable than mutual electric boxes equally less fabric is used to make them. Standard electrical boxes tin can be well-nigh $three- $four more than measure pan boxes.

Drawbacks of Pancake Boxes

Pancake boxes have got a considerably smaller volume than other electric boxes. Their shallow depth doesn’t allow for too much room for your wiring.

This constituent as well limits the lite fixture’sec mounting device as it mightiness accept up quite a bit of space in the box, non leaving plenty room for your wiring.

Other electrical boxes, such every bit octagon as well as circular electric boxes, are much deeper (upwards to 3″ deep), allowing more than room for multiple wire connections to be made.

Not many pancake boxes are strong enough to hold heavier lite fixtures.

Ceiling Fans

Ceiling fans are less probable to be installed amongst pancake boxes. The reasons for this tin can be institute inward the drawbacks of such practices. However, pancake boxes do accept some benefits for ceiling fan installation.

Benefits of Pancake Boxes

An off-eye ceiling fan is extremely annoying—at least, it is to me. Asymmetry really bugs me together with I know I’k non lonely.

So, if your ideal ceiling fan placement is direct below a ceiling joist too the distance between the ceiling board in addition to the joist is small, so a pancake box is going to be your hero.

The shallow blueprint will let it to sit level with the ceiling (equally it should) merely however connect to the joist (equally it should).

The smaller size of a pancake box way that less textile is required inwards their product, which way that they are sold at lower prices than normal junction boxes.

Apart from this, there may non be many more than benefits to using a pancake box for ceiling fans.

Drawbacks of Pancake Boxes

Ceiling fans are, for the nearly office, heavier fixtures than lights. In fact, near accept low-cal fixtures inwards addition to the fan assembly too blades.

In improver, the rotation of ceiling fan blades adds extra forces to the gravitational pull.

Thus, the electrical boxes used for installation involve to be able to withstand greater force. This is achieved in pattern together with composition. The textile must live potent as well as the box must be able to attach securely to a joist.

You do become more or less pancake boxes that tin can live used for ceiling fans, merely these are not every bit mutual as regular boxes amongst the right weight-rating.

One terminal drawback to using pancake boxes for ceiling fans is the lack of space inwards the box. You take earth wires, wires for the fan motor, in addition to wires for the fan’second calorie-free. In addition, remote-controlled fans involve space for a receiver.