Mounting Vanity Light

16 years ago

Working on the guest bath. Trying to mount a new light fixture. Unfortunately, the plumber ran the 1.5" pvc vent pipe right up the middle where the light would mount.

There is no electrical box there currently. There is a stud just to the left of where the wiring comes out of the wall. That is all the slack I have in the cable, just what is sticking out as you see in the photo below.

The base plate for the light is taped to the wall where it needs to go. But there is no way for me to get an electrical box behind there.

Any ideas on how to handle this? The light fixture is only a two light version, not heavy.

{{!gwi}}

Featured Answer

homella

5 years ago

In case someone is following this old thread, there is a retrofit ( old work) pan junction box that can be placed in front of pipe. It has a bracket that holds it up against drywall. Check Amazon, cheaper in US stores. It happens all the time when taking down condo light bars. Wire just has to make it to new location.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (8)

groundrod
16 years ago
get a fixture with a wide base that will cover an offset box. it looks like the fixture that was taken down would have covered a pancake box with its left side mounted to the stud.
joed
16 years ago
Does the cable come from above or below? You could use a pancake box if the cable comes from above and will reach. If the cable will not reach then no options. Put it back where it was or replace the cable with longer one.
You can not bury a splice to extend the cable inside the wall.
Related Professionals
Florence General Contractors · McAlester General Contractors · Johnson City General Contractors · Sugar Land General Contractors · Dubuque General Contractors · Monroe General Contractors · Farmington General Contractors · Selma Home Remodeling · Waterbury Home Remodeling · Superior Home Remodeling · Santa Fe Home Remodeling · Spokane Home Remodeling · Jacksonville Bathroom Remodelers · Lake City Bathroom Remodelers · Athens Bathroom Remodelers
ohmmm_gw
Original Author
16 years ago
The light we want there has already been purchased and has a round base.

The cable comes from below.

There will be a mirror hanging where the wiring is sticking out in the photo. I could mount a box with the splice behind the mirror with easy access to the cover plate. Nobody would see it once the mirror is hung.

Then could I just run the splice lines up into the base of the light fixture and use that as the electrical box for the final connections.

Any problems with that solution?
kudzu9
16 years ago
If it were me, and since the cable comes from below, I'd go through the back of the vanity and install an easily accessible box down there to make a splice, then run an appropriate length of cable up to a pancake box where you need it.
ohmmm_gw
Original Author
16 years ago
The plumbing vent pipe is directly behind where the new cable is pulled out in the below photo. No room for any box at all in that section.

So since a mirror was going up anyway, I installed a box to splice a longer cable up to the light fixture. The box is recessed a bit so the cover plate does not interfere with the mirror. It JUST fit in there with the right side of the box touching the pvc vent pipe and the left side right on the stud.

All the final connections are inside the round base of the light, not in the wall cavity.

Once the mirror is up, none of the work behind it is visible.

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}
kudzu9
16 years ago
If the mirror hangs on the wall, and can be easily lifted off, I think you're probably fine. If the mirror is going to be mounted permanently to the wall, it wouldn't be Code-compliant.
ohmmm_gw
Original Author
16 years ago
The mirror simply hangs from keyhole slots in the back of the frame. Easily removed.