What Is This?

[Metal Head]

Hi,

Is this what they call a junction box in the electrical trade?. If so (or not) what is the purpose of the box (in the image) please?.

Cheers
David

[doug1]

Yes that is a junction box

for a lighting circuit if the label is correct

Doug

[Abug]

Yes this is a Junction Box.

It is used for terminating and linking cables while providing a safe cover so people don't touch any live wires.

[savage]

Yes this is a Junction Box.

It is used for terminating and linking cables while providing a safe cover so people don't touch any live wires.

While renovating a bathroom in our other house, when I was about to start removing the ceiling I climbed up the ladder and placed my hands into the hole I had made so I could start removing it. To my horror, some "nut job" had done some electrical work and NOT used a box to protect the joins and I put my hand right onto the wires and got a hell of a belt, thankfully I was wearing rubber soled shoes.

[OBBob]

Savage ... you are lucky bacease often it is actually the fall off the ladder rather than the belt that ends up doing the most damage.

[Iain]

I thought a junction box was a device used by incompetent electricians who cannot measure the right length of cable but need an excuse to charge for another part plus labour.
What I have seen is electricians twisting coax together rather than use a splitter, bit like Eric's experience but it doesn't bite, just don't expect spectacular TV reception.

[Redgy]

I thought a junction box was a device used by incompetent electricians who cannot measure the right length of cable but need an excuse to charge for another part plus labour.

A bit harsh Iain, I think you'll find even the most competent sparkys use J-boxes. I can see plenty of situations where using a JB and a short run to a new light or gpo would be cheaper than running a whole new cable both in labour and parts.

Reg

[Iain]

incompetent electricians

[thatirwinfella]

I think you'll find even the most competent sparkys use J-boxes.

[^BL|TZ^]

Well I learnt in my trade that on wiring new houses, a number of j boxes are needed thoughout the house because it is just not possible both physically and financially to run a continuous cable on each circuit to pick up every point.

On additions to existing houses you just take the new cable back to the nearest jbox on the the circuit you require.

[OBBob]

I can understand that, however that raises another question I have always had ... which is, how do you then know (in an old house with a few renos over the years) that the circuit you pick up isn't overloaded?

There are many posts about how many GPOs can be hung on each etc. ... but then down the the track we just tap into the j-box.

[Markw]

I can understand that, however that raises another question I have always had ... which is, how do you then know (in an old house with a few renos over the years) that the circuit you pick up isn't overloaded?

You turn the circuit off at the switchbox and count the number of things that don't work