[pwd77]

I am finishing a downstairs room. The exterior walls are wrapped and sided on the outside, insulated in the wall cavity, and the drywall is pretty well sealed. I am in Wyoming where it gets quite cold.

I can feel a draft around the box (gap to drywall) as well as into the box itself. I think cold air creeps down behind the insulation and finds a low spot to escape. Putting in the fixture and the cover plate helps, but I still would like to minimize cold air seeping in.

Is there an acceptable way to seal the box? I can foam or caulk around the outside of the box. I could also seal the inside with electrician putty (or whatever it is called).

Thanks!

[peter030205]

You can buy foam gaskets at your local HD or Lowe's. It goes between the box and the cover to prevent drafts.

Edit: Here is a link to find them on the net. 10 cents per.

AM Foam Outlet Gasket [AM55011] - $0.10 : blackEnergy, The Power to Empower

[pwd77]

Great, thanks for the tip.

Still... any thoughts on using "putty" to seal the box itself?

[tkrussell]

Energy saving gaskets for outlets and switches have been around for years, back when energy costs were high... (as opposed to now?)

Draft Stoppers - Energy Saving, Draft Stopping Products from AM Conservation Group

EFI's Consumer Division Residential Catalogue | Electrical Air Sealing

These can be found at any hardware store in the insulation dept.

Light fixtures are bit more involved. You would have to drop a fixture to fill the outlet box with insulation. Or if accessible above, cover with blanket insulation. Be aware of any recess fixtures, some want insulation away 3 " from the housing. ICT rated housings can bury completely covered with insulation

[pwd77]

Energy saving gaskets for outlets and switches have been around for years, back when energy costs were high....(as opposed to now?)

Draft Stoppers - Energy Saving, Draft Stopping Products from AM Conservation Group

EFI's Consumer Division Residential Catalogue | Electrical Air Sealing

These can be found at any hardware store in the insulation dept.

Light fixtures are bit more involved. You would have to drop a fixture to fill the outlet box with insulation. Or if accessible above, cover with blanket insulation. Be aware of any recess fixtures, some want insulation away 3 " from the housing. ICT rated housings can bury completely covered with insulation

Excellent information, thank you!

Rather than try to seal the outlet fixture itself (i.e. with child-proof caps), I was thinking of plugging gaps in the back of the box with electrician "putty."

Regarding light fixtures upstairs, I have taken to caulking all of the holes and gaps from the outside so there is no air exchange; I hope this is acceptable. They are then insulated by the blanket insulation in the attic.

[labman]

If you are over a crawl space or unfinished basement, take your caulking gun down there too. Warm, moist air can follow the pipes to the attic.