Built-in box on recessed light too small - what to do? (1 Viewer)

[cruisermantis]

Hoping someone can assist me, here. I'm installing some recessed can lights in my kitchen. Each of them has a built in junction box that is about the size of a 1 gang box and maybe 1.5-2" deep. It is imprinted on the cover that the box is good for 6 12AWG connectors. The wire I am working with is 12 AWG.

Well 6 connectors isn't enough for my setup. I have 1 wire with unswitched power coming in (3 connectors), 1 wire branching off to take unswitched power along to the next thing on the circuit (3 connectors), 1 wire to the switch (taking power to the switch and then back again, 3 connectors) and one wire taking the switched power on to the next light in the series of 3 that is operated by the aforementioned switch (3 connectors). So I have 12 connectors and a box that's good for 6.

I don't suppose there is any way to increase the size of this box (it's the kind that is off on a "stem" that departs the top of the light and heads to the side at a 90 degree angle to the direction of the can), so what's the right thing to do?

I was thinking of installing a junction box, screwed to the joist but accessed through the can light hole, to contain all of the junctions (unswitched power in, unswitched power out, to / from switch wire) then have switched power coming out of this box and into the proprietary box, where it will splice in with the wire that departs to the next switched light.

Is there anything inherently wrong with this idea?

In hindsight, perhaps I should have run unswitched power into the switch box, made the junction for unswitched power to continue out to the next thing on the circuit here, gone through the switch and run switched power and only switched power to the can light. But that ship has sailed...

Thanks for your thoughts!
Reid

 

[LAMBCRUSHER]

I was thinking of installing a junction box, screwed to the joist but accessed through the can light hole, to contain all of the junctions (unswitched power in, unswitched power out, to / from switch wire) then have switched power coming out of this box and into the proprietary box, where it will splice in with the wire that departs to the next switched light.

Is there anything inherently wrong with this idea?
Thanks for your thoughts!
Reid

land a 2 gang non metallic Jbox to an adjacent joist; make all of your connections there and include a 2 wire romex with ground in the Jbox to take the switched power to the can light via one romex cable, requiring only 1 port of each connector in the can light box. Those can light boxes are quite small and can be challenging to make all the splices inside of....just put the Jbox somewhere you can get to without too much trouble- it must remain accessable in the future and be covered with a proper 2 gang blank trim plate. HTH

 

[LAMBCRUSHER]

putting the box near the can light opening does give access- we have done so many times- it can be difficult to get both hands into those openings sometimes tho; might try to bring all the wires you need to work with down thru the hole so you can make the slices in the box while it is still below the ceiling and then cover the box and then tuck it up into the attic with only the wire for the light still hanging down so the light can be made up below ceiling level as well, and then tucked back into its hole with the can light going in last but not least. clear as mud?

 

[fledglingme]

this is, probably the best way to approach your problem. but keep in mind that this is not allowed by code.....some inspectors are understanding and will look the other way if pressed. simply put both the box and the romex have to be affixed to the building.(wires are to be supported ((attached)) within so many inches of their termination- the exact distance I've forgotten) so once you're done, don't point out your workmanship unless you know what the outcome will be.