How to remove OLD switch box (1910s-1950s?)?
I'm a n00b trying to install a bathroom exhaust fan. Part of this requires me to install a timer switch next to the existing light switch. The old switch box doesn't look like it's made for me to attach a new metal switch box to the side of it. I'm trying to remove the previous switch box but I don't know how. My house was built in the early 1900s (I'm in Los Angeles) and some additions were made somewhere along the way, so I'm unsure how old this switch box is, but it's sometime after electricity was invented. :oP
The switch box appears to be attached to 3 flanges (first picture). The flanges come from some metal plate somehow attached to the stud. There are also 4 holes at the back of the box (you can see 2 of them in the second picture), and the box seems to be nailed through the lower left hole. Nailed to what? I'm not sure exactly, but I think some wooden board about the size of the switch box. I can see it peeking out below the box and it's definitely not the interior of the other side of the wall because I can see there's space behind/around it. So I guess the back surface of the box is nailed to some piece of wood that's attached probably to the stud.
Anyone familiar with this old style of switch box that can give me some hints as to what's the least destructive way to remove it?
Thanks!
Comments (10)
Related Discussions
Need some ideas for my 1950's bathroom restore
Comments (30)The leaks didn't come from the shower head/ faucet side but on the opposite end, which is an outside wall. The water was dripping directly underneath down the basement wall. I've scoped out a couple of pro tile installation/repair companies and will have them come in to check it out and provide estimates to clean the floor and repair the shower. Finally got up to the attic to get the spare tile. Fortunately, I've got about 70 brand new wall tiles which the original owner had left behind. Gathering dust for over half a century but am glad to have them!...See MoreRemoving wallpaper in a 1950's house
Comments (17)Congrats to your DS and DIL. My DD just called last night to tell us that her bid was accepted for her first home. What an exciting time. We're making a list of all the items we have in our home that we can give to her. Very timely since we're hoping to downsize in a year or so. Good luck removing the wallpaper. When we moved into our current home we were totally unaware that the wallpaper had been applied over unpainted, unsealed drywall. What a nightmare. After scarring one bedroom we gave up and hired a fellow who used a steam plate - it was 12" by 12" and emitted so much steam that one day I opened the door to ask a question and there was a haze of steam hanging above his head. I'm surprised that a house built in 1957 has knob and tube. I thought that went out in the 40's?...See MorePink and maroon 1950s bathroom
Comments (53)OMG. This is the color of my bathroom as well! And it's been very difficult finding pictures of other bathrooms with the same scheme. (The reverse -- pink with maroon trim -- is easy. But maroon with pink seems much less common.) The towel bars, toothbrush holder, etc. are all pink. The previous owners covered all the tile with white paint and I can't decide whether to strip it off or not. I'd like the room to be original but it's only 5'x7' and I'm worried it will be too dark and oppressive. For a few days I was sure I was going to strip it off, but the stripper I used on a test portion wasn't very effective, so now I don't know if I want to bother. And of course I don't know the condition of the tiles and fixtures under the paint. Unfortunately the original floor tiles -- which were very cool -- are already gone....See MoreHow to remove incorrect Old English Scratch Remover from wood
Comments (6)Old English furniture polish (which this is) lists this product as an oil. It is possible/probable that you can leave it alone and the oil will eventually disappear with normal cleaning methods (hardwood floor cleaner such as Bona, Loba, Polywhey Cleaner, etc). Even a 'drop of dawn' soap in 1 gallon of water would do it. As mentioned above, a bit of bleach (5% solution on wood is about as exciting as you want to get) *might do it. If I'm correct and this is a temporary 'oil' then a mild degreaser (such as Windex original) can get rid of this stuff. I would be VERY cautious when using ANYTHING other than a wood floor cleaner. Personally I would dampen a clean cloth with the Windex and then LIGHTLY DAB at a bit of the dark colour. I would check the clean cloth to see if there is any 'old english' that is coming up. If it is, I would continue to be very gentle with the removal. And for the record, these 'oil' based products can cause damage to wood floors to the point where they may not be refinished in the future. That would be a TERRIBLE upset to someone who just wanted to make their floors look 'a little better'. You currently have a CLEAR finish over the wood. To get rid of the LOOK of nasty scratches (from dragging things across the floor), you can work with a FINISH pen. Yep. Home Depot, etc carries many versions of Finish pens. These are pen-like containers filled with URETHANE. You use them like a stain-pen...except there is zero colour. All you have to do is match the gloss level of your floor and voila you have a 'cure' for damaged finish. And the good thing about finish-pens is: they do NOT damage the wood nor cause any issues with future refnishing. Anything 'oil' (ahem...Murphy's Oil Soap, oil soap of any kind, 'eco' cleaners of any kind, etc, etc, etc) can and will contaminate the WOOD underneath to the point that future refinishing *could be made impossible....See More
Fred S
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoFrom what I have seen from old work, the tabs are what hold the bracket onto the box from before they just welded the bracket to the box. It should look similar to this.
You also have conduit coming in both the top and bottom of the box which will make changing the box without destroying the wall finish almost impossible.
menk thanked Fred S
menk
6 years agoThanks for everyone's feedback! This was helpful.
Your suggestions have prompted me to think about alternative options, especially considering how difficult it would be to detach the conduit (I thought I just loosen the nut thingies, but looks like that's not the case).
I figured there's no way to replace or expand the current switch box, so I'll find a way to just add a second one alongside it and use two separate switch plate covers.
After opening the wall more, it seems there's just a board running between the two studs (see pic) that the current box is nailed to. I plan to get another box that's the same depth and just screw it to the same board. Punch the holes between the two boxes, connect wiring through there.
Not sure how many electrical codes I'll be violating haha...
Fred S
6 years agoYou may get lucky and be able to push the conduit up and down enough to replace the box. It just depends on how well it is anchored. Just remember to tighten the nut thingies down tight to the new box, as that is a grounding path that needs to be electrically continuous. Since I can now tell that that is drywall, and not any lath or plaster, patching what you mess up won't be that difficult. It is really hard to tell from the pictures on my phone, but the box may be more this style.
menk thanked Fred S
PROGraham and Sons Professional Electrical
6 years agomenk thanked Graham and Sons Professional Electricalmenk
6 years agoBit the bullet and opened the hole up more. I'm sure my wife loves the way this is going, noticing my "progress" every time she visits the bathroom.
Current plan is just to replace the old with a 2-gang switch box (or connect 2 old-work steel boxes). I'm guessing the conduit is ground since there's only 2 wires. I used a multimeter to touch the hot and the metal switch box and it measured 110v (I did this a while ago before I carved everything up).
After this: Learn how to patch drywall ha (I've watched a couple YouTube videos and doesn't seem too bad - also why I tried to cut a perfect rectangle).
randy427