I'm going to add an outside electrical outlet on the side of my shipping container workshop.
(As an aside, this highly-affordable drill bill did a nice job of cutting through the side of the container: amazon.com/dp/B07DQBD7GH?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title ).
I'm going to use this box: https://www.hubbell.com/bell/en/pro...ox-three-12-in-threaded-outlets-gray/p/140455 with PVC conduit coming into the rear of the box via a male adapter (that screws into the rear of the box).
These boxes are design to be mounted using these spastic little lugs that screw into the rear of the box and then to whatever you're attaching it to (just little pieces of metal with two holes in them). I prefer to drill two holes in the rear of the box and put through bolts through there into holes in the side of the shipping container. Seems much more secure. I'm curious peoples' thoughts on this.
I'm pretty sure it's against code to modify a listed item unless the instructions specifically allow it; as far as I can tell, there are no instructions for these boxes. Given this work won't be subject to inspection and is not in a dwelling, I don't think I really care about code. I DO care if there's some logical reason for not doing this. I know if you have metal going from the inside to the outside of a box, it can potentially expose hazardous voltages on the outside. But with metal boxes, which of course are grounded, this shouldn't be an issue, unless the metal fastener is somehow not in contact with the metal box and gets energized by an un-grounded conductor. I suppose this is possible, however the shell of the shipping container is of course well grounded also (tied to EGC and to a dedicated metal ground rod). So the through bolt would have to accidentally contact an ungrounded conductor AND somehow contact neither the box or the shipping container wall. I could always put RTV silicon on the inside part of the bolt and nut. And I believe it IS allowed to put screws and nails through ordinary metal boxes (handi-boxes and such).
The other issue is it could allow moisture inside the box, but of course I'll silicon the bejeesus out of the holes and around the perimeter of the box.
(As an aside, this highly-affordable drill bill did a nice job of cutting through the side of the container: amazon.com/dp/B07DQBD7GH?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title ).
I'm going to use this box: https://www.hubbell.com/bell/en/pro...ox-three-12-in-threaded-outlets-gray/p/140455 with PVC conduit coming into the rear of the box via a male adapter (that screws into the rear of the box).
These boxes are design to be mounted using these spastic little lugs that screw into the rear of the box and then to whatever you're attaching it to (just little pieces of metal with two holes in them). I prefer to drill two holes in the rear of the box and put through bolts through there into holes in the side of the shipping container. Seems much more secure. I'm curious peoples' thoughts on this.
I'm pretty sure it's against code to modify a listed item unless the instructions specifically allow it; as far as I can tell, there are no instructions for these boxes. Given this work won't be subject to inspection and is not in a dwelling, I don't think I really care about code. I DO care if there's some logical reason for not doing this. I know if you have metal going from the inside to the outside of a box, it can potentially expose hazardous voltages on the outside. But with metal boxes, which of course are grounded, this shouldn't be an issue, unless the metal fastener is somehow not in contact with the metal box and gets energized by an un-grounded conductor. I suppose this is possible, however the shell of the shipping container is of course well grounded also (tied to EGC and to a dedicated metal ground rod). So the through bolt would have to accidentally contact an ungrounded conductor AND somehow contact neither the box or the shipping container wall. I could always put RTV silicon on the inside part of the bolt and nut. And I believe it IS allowed to put screws and nails through ordinary metal boxes (handi-boxes and such).
The other issue is it could allow moisture inside the box, but of course I'll silicon the bejeesus out of the holes and around the perimeter of the box.
![[Hearth.com] modifying metal weatherproof electrical box](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/346/346409-6289f913158d478bf4d0e67cc2bc89fd.jpg?hash=tXVNJIC_yk "[Hearth.com] modifying metal weatherproof electrical box")
