electrical box?

[cduncan26]

i purchased a keyless porcelain light fixture for my basking bulb... right now im looking at either a 45w or 55w indoor flood light bulb. i have it wired up and was going to install it on my melamine enclosure. but someone told me that i needed an electrical box for the fixture.. that the back of the fixture will get to hot and cause a fire... is this true?? this is the one i purchased....

 

[ruben0311]

no you'll be fine, especially with those wattages. risk of fire is usually associated with using these fixtures within a home ceiling which would have more combustible materials such as insulation which would be heated by the wiring . Electrical box would protect the connections at the plate to ensure they were not exposed.

 

[maskedburito]

This is great, I had the exact same question! A box would be hard to fit, Im doing this in a pvc tank. Could someone please let me know how they installed/wired this same fixture into a pvc cage?

Thanks!

 

[cduncan26]

So the 45w bulb is not putting out that much heat. I went with a 75w which is closer.. and now trying a 100w he halogen par38. I'm still a little worried about causing a fire with this thing and no electrical box.

 

[ruben0311]

as long as the wires you are using are rated for the wattage use and you have no exposed ends or ways for it to contact other items, mainly dust, you are ok. get some electrical tape and cover up any loose wire that is still exposed and you are good. ignition point for wood is pretty high and the most vulnerable part of melamine would be the internal bits so dont worry too much. many many people have used these types of fixtures without issue, important thing to do is to use the correct wiring, too small a wire and it will overheat and melt through the case.