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Painting over outlets
Question:
> > And the NEC is brought to you by the National Fire Protection > Association, the organization originally formed to standardize > fireplugs. > Dogs can *now* travel to different cities and count on hitting their target > without worrying about "height of leg aiming trajectories" and other > difficult math problems! 
More importantly, if the fire trucks from an adjacent town come to the aid of your city, they will be able to tap into your hydrants.
Response:
> More importantly, if the fire trucks from an adjacent town come to the > aid of your city, they will be able to tap into your hydrants.
Sorry Dan, around here we carry adapters for when we go into the neighboring water ‘authority’. Some $$$ for the 5" jobs. Tekkie
Response:
> > More importantly, if the fire trucks from an adjacent town come to the > aid of your city, they will be able to tap into your hydrants. > Sorry Dan, around here we carry adapters for when we go into the neighboring > water ‘authority’. Some $$$ for the 5" jobs.
Now there are only a dozen or so variations. Used to be hundreds — every city had their own.
Response:
Remove the plates, be careful — but if you do get a spot of paint on the device: Use steel wool to remove it. This ALSO checks the tripability of the circuit breaker and proves that the metal box IS grounded. <G> – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->I would not advise painting over outlets. If you do it once, you will >probably do it again, and again. After a few coats, you will have trouble >using your outlets and switches. Also using the outlets will scrape away >the paint and it will look tacky. By the way… I saw on one of those home >fix-it shows for women where they were covering electrical switch plates >with "copper sheets" (and bending the copper back behind the wall plate) to >make them look better! I would NOT suggest doing this either as the copper >could come in contact with wires and zap you. I don’t know what they were >thinking about when they showed this on TV…. >Only a woman would do something that dumb ! >> Just wondering, does the NEC say anything about painting over outlets >> and outlet covers, switches, etc.?
None preaches better than the ant, and she says nothing. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, Poor Richard’s Almanack, 1736. Quality is remembered long after price is forgotten. Ben VI
Response:
> OK, what’s NEC
National Electrical Code. Once upon a time each and every town/county/state had their own electrical rules/codes. This gets to be a royal pain for electricians and manufacturers to provide electrical equipment and services for different areas. By having a "National" code with only one set of electrical wiring rules, it makes it much easier to know what is allowed and what is not allowed. There are still some small differences between different areas, so always best to check with your local electrical inspector if in doubt. There are other "National" building codes, I don’t remember them all, but I think there are a lot called Uniform this, that, and the other thing. Like Uniform Building Code. (Unless they have changed the name…)
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> OK, what’s NEC > National Electrical Code. Once upon a time each and every town/county/state > had their own electrical rules/codes. This gets to be a royal pain for > electricians and manufacturers to provide electrical equipment and services > for different areas. By having a "National" code with only one set of > electrical wiring rules, it makes it much easier to know what is allowed > and what is not allowed. There are still some small differences between > different areas, so always best to check with your local electrical > inspector if in doubt. There are other "National" building codes, I don’t > remember them all, but I think there are a lot called Uniform this, that, > and the other thing. Like Uniform Building Code. (Unless they have changed > the name…)
And the NEC is brought to you by the National Fire Protection Association, the organization originally formed to standardize fireplugs.
Response:
> And the NEC is brought to you by the National Fire Protection > Association, the organization originally formed to standardize > fireplugs.
Dogs can *now* travel to different cities and count on hitting their target without worrying about "height of leg aiming trajectories" and other difficult math problems!
Response:
> I don’t know the answer to this one, but I often have questions similar to > this and would like to have a searchable copy of the NEC so I could go > looking for things. Is it available in .pdf or some other format?
They make too much money selling it to give it away.
Response:
<G> <G> <G> Anger is never without a reason, but seldom with a good one. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, Poor Richard’s Almanack A learned blockhead is a greater blockhead than an ignorant one. Ibid. He is not well bred that cannot bear ill breeding in others. Ibid Be civil to all; sociable to many; familiar with few; Friend to one; Enemy to none. Ibdi. 9 Men in 10 are Suicides. Ibid. Let thy discontents be thy Secrets, — if the world knows them ’twill despise thee and increase them. Ibid. He that lieth down with dogs shall rise up with fleas. Ibid. Every man is a damn fool for at least five minutes every day. Wisdom consists in not exceeding the limit. Ibid. Glass, china and reputation are easily cracked, and never well mended. Ibid. Where Sense is wanting, every thing is wanting. Ibid. Teach your child to hold his tongue, he’ll learn fast enough to speak. Ibid. Take counsel in wine, but resolve afterwards in water. Ibid. <G> <G> <G> Angry, blockhead, not well bred, uncivil, suicidal, Gggg grandpa Ben to WHAT or to WHOM were you referring? <G> – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >John, ben whatever your name is this week, >Speaking of screen names, I have never seen a more pompous name as Ben >Franklin VI. You might be a distant relative but your still full of >shit. Do yourself and everyone else a favor and stay off the bottle. >You really seem to have a problem, looks like your 12 step program >failed again huh? >"The secret is in the sauce" The cinema, Fried Green Tomatoes. >As there is no manual for common sense, NEC in this case may mean = > NEEDY for EDUCATED CONSIDERATION >None preaches better than the ant, and she says nothing. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, >Poor Richard’s Almanack, 1736. >Quality is remembered long after price is forgotten. Ben VI
<G> agrin agin <G>
Response:
Figures. You have something which is basically a law and you have to pay to get a copy of it. I could see a small fee for manufacturing, S&H. But $77 does seem quite steep. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->I don’t know the answer to this one, but I often have questions similar to >this and would like to have a searchable copy of the NEC so I could go >looking for things. Is it available in .pdf or some other format? >Jeff Koebrich >It’s available on CD-ROM from its publisher, the National Fire Protection >Association (http://www.nfpa.org). Cost is US$69.50 for NFPA members, $77.25 >for non-members.
Response:
:> :> Just wondering, does the NEC say anything about painting over outlets :> and outlet covers, switches, etc.? : :I’ve never seen anything in NEC on the topic (but, then, I don’t pick up … snip… OK, what’s NEC – acronymically challenged again, Dan
Response:
:Only morons paint outlets and switches……. :You may as wlll throw them in the trash before you waste the paint on :them. Personally, I’ve been removing the paint from mine. Not made out of money… yet. Dan : : :>Just wondering, does the NEC say anything about painting over outlets :>and outlet covers, switches, etc.? :
Response:
>I don’t know the answer to this one, but I often have questions similar to >this and would like to have a searchable copy of the NEC so I could go >looking for things. Is it available in .pdf or some other format? >Jeff Koebrich
It’s available on CD-ROM from its publisher, the National Fire Protection Association (http://www.nfpa.org). Cost is US$69.50 for NFPA members, $77.25 for non-members. — dlmiller/at/netdirect/dot/net
Response:
"The secret is in the sauce" The cinema, Fried Green Tomatoes. As there is no manual for common sense, NEC in this case may mean = NEEDY for EDUCATED CONSIDERATION None preaches better than the ant, and she says nothing. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, Poor Richard’s Almanack, 1736. Quality is remembered long after price is forgotten. Ben VI
Response:
John, ben whatever your name is this week, Speaking of screen names, I have never seen a more pompous name as Ben Franklin VI. You might be a distant relative but your still full of shit. Do yourself and everyone else a favor and stay off the bottle. You really seem to have a problem, looks like your 12 step program failed again huh? – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->"The secret is in the sauce" The cinema, Fried Green Tomatoes. >As there is no manual for common sense, NEC in this case may mean = > NEEDY for EDUCATED CONSIDERATION >None preaches better than the ant, and she says nothing. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, >Poor Richard’s Almanack, 1736. >Quality is remembered long after price is forgotten. Ben VI
Response:
Okay, let me rephrase the question: What does the N—-E—-C say about this topic if anything? I understand all of your opinions and nobody hates painted outlets more than I do, believe me. I was not planning on doing it nor have I ever done it nor will I ever do it. The question came up due to the fact that boxes are supposed to be accessible and with gobs of paint essentialy gluing the covers, the wall it really technically is not accessible.
Response:
Careless job. It takes just a screwdriver to remove the outlet plate, and paint after that.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Just wondering, does the NEC say anything about painting over outlets > and outlet covers, switches, etc.?
Response:
And your point was? – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >Careless job. >It takes just a screwdriver to remove the outlet plate, and paint after >that. > Just wondering, does the NEC say anything about painting over outlets > and outlet covers, switches, etc.?
Response:
> Just wondering, does the NEC say anything about painting over outlets > and outlet covers, switches, etc.?
I’ve never seen anything in NEC on the topic (but, then, I don’t pick up the NEC when I want to do a little light reading). NEC would come into play if the paint entirely blocks the outlet (causing there to be fewer usable outlets than code requires) or if paint got into the outlet and degraded the insulation or contacts (though this would likely be a UL issue instead). There is probably nothing in NEC that would prohibit a thin coat of paint over an outlet, and I doubt that there would be any problem with paint on covers. Paint on switches should be OK so long as the operation of the switch isn’t interfered with. This presumes latex or conventional oil paint. Some other paints might have solvent properties that could damage the plastic of the outlet.
Response:
I don’t know the answer to this one, but I often have questions similar to this and would like to have a searchable copy of the NEC so I could go looking for things. Is it available in .pdf or some other format? Jeff Koebrich
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Just wondering, does the NEC say anything about painting over outlets > and outlet covers, switches, etc.?
Response:
My advice: 1: remove switch/outlet covers 2: paint up to the hole/box that it covered. 3: If you want to paint the covers, do it while they are off, and in light coats. Use an enamel or spray acrylic. or cover something clear and hard. (poly or shellac) 4: let everthing dry then replace the covers. Speaking of covering with shellac, Was it shellac which was used to cover brass plates to keep them from tarnishing?
Response:
>Speaking of covering with shellac, Was it shellac which was used to >cover brass plates to keep them from tarnishing?
Laquer
Response:
Just wondering, does the NEC say anything about painting over outlets and outlet covers, switches, etc.?
Response:
I don’t know about the NEC, but I’ll say "DON’T DO IT!!!" The people that owned our house before us painted over all the outlets and switches and switch plates and it looks ugly, the switches are all filthy, the outlets are scratched and ugly (when not completely clogged with paint), and we have been replacing them all throughout the house. We have to repair all the walls, because prying the switch plates off leaves gouges. Changing out the plugs and switches is a pain in the butt, but looks a lot better. It’s a huge job and irritates me because it’s unnecessary. It’s not that big an effort to do the correct prep and take off the outlet covers and stick a piece of masking tape over them. Argh. You got me started!! Katie — To reply by e-mail, take out all the x’s.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Just wondering, does the NEC say anything about painting over outlets > and outlet covers, switches, etc.?
Response:
I would not advise painting over outlets. If you do it once, you will probably do it again, and again. After a few coats, you will have trouble using your outlets and switches. Also using the outlets will scrape away the paint and it will look tacky. By the way… I saw on one of those home fix-it shows for women where they were covering electrical switch plates with "copper sheets" (and bending the copper back behind the wall plate) to make them look better! I would NOT suggest doing this either as the copper could come in contact with wires and zap you. I don’t know what they were thinking about when they showed this on TV…. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Just wondering, does the NEC say anything about painting over outlets > and outlet covers, switches, etc.?