Extension for 3x2 device box + outlet question

10 years ago

My son replaced the outlet in garage ceiling for GDO.

The wires were short and he had to pigtail the outlet. That didnt leave much room for both the outlet and meeting boxfill in general.

He went to the hardware store looking for a 3x2 device box extension. Couldnt find one, so instead used a Handybox extension and it fit perfectly to the screws on the device box.

Is that the proper extension to use for this situation?

Also the OLD outlet was had 3 wires going to it.... hot/neutral on one set of screws and a lone neutral on another screw. There were some wirenuts in the box left undistrubed. We figure the extra neutral was passing thru the outlet so instead he pigtailed the two neutrals and connected it to the outlet. Is that OK?

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Comments (5)

grandmum
Original Author
10 years ago
I figured out the handy box extension was all that would work. But the question about the neutrals remain....

Outlet had 1 hot and 1 neutral on top set of screws. And one neutral on bottom. I am assuming the outlet was being used to feed thru the neutral. There were some wirenutted hots in the box too.

To install the new outlet, we pigtailed the neutrals together and hooked it back up. Every works as it did before.

Does that sound acceptable? Is our assumption about the outlet feeding thru correct?

p.s.- thanks for any replies, I really appreciate the information I have received here both directly and from reading the many posts.
Ron Natalie
10 years ago
Yes, pigtails are fine (and some would even say preferable) than using the device. In some cases (MWBC) it's illegal to use the device.
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grandmum
Original Author
10 years ago
If the middle tab was removed on the old outlet and the neutrals were hooked up in such a way... would installing a new outlet with the tab in tact have any effect if the device was used to feed the neutral thru? Or is it only the hots that are seperated with split outlets like that?

We threw the old outlet away and cant check and I dont think this is the case, but its a scenario I thought of after the fact.
Ron Natalie
10 years ago
I can' believe the middle tab is removed on either side with that configuration.
grandmum
Original Author
10 years ago
HI ron- "can'"?

is that can or cant... please elaborate.