Backbox Disaster

[soulman]

Hi, I returned to a property today for second fix, all was going well until i hit the sockets! The metal backboxes i installed, the fixed lug on one side would not hold the screw. The screw would just turn & not nip up. There was 6 in total out of 30 that were faulted. (Appleby)
Anybody got any ideas on how i could rectify this without removing the boxes.

Cheers

 

[a1colly]

Is it the adjustable/sliding lug or the fixed one? Re tap out and use a larger machine screw is a possibility that I've done

 

[Daveash123]

You could try squeezing the lug to close up the hole a bit then run a 3.5mm tap through it. It has worked for me in the past

 

[soulman]

No it's the fixed one.

 

[Matthew168]

Another possibility is to give the lug a squeeze with pliers to make the existing hole more oval shaped then re tap the hole, sometimes works!

 

[shanky887614]

easy fix, drill the back of the box and tap so you can use long pins. I picked up some 75mm long 3.5 pins the other day

(drill through the existing lug then you know it will line up)

 

[Maestro]

can you get in the lug from a fast a fix box and screw to the side of the box, can the 3.5 not be retapped, or can put ptf or insulated tape round the screw to make it bigger

 

[Matthew168]

Or drill a hole in the back of the knock out box behind the lug then tap the hole out and use a longer 3.5mm fixing screw

 

[R G]

You could remove the lug or bend it back ,drill a 3.5mm hole in the back of the box and tap it with 3.5mm tap , then put in an extension screw , then use a normal 3.5mm screw , but watch the length of the screw though, thats what I have done in the past,,

 

[Matthew168]

I'm too slow at typing!