Building a can before installing it

[felixrosbergen]

HI All,

I am planning an ELK install in my new house using probably 2 42" Leviton cans. The contractor will be installing all recessed door/window sensors and pre-wiring for motion, siren, etc.

I was thinking about getting all the components and start putting them all in the can and then somehow mounting the cans into the house when i move in. I want to get the alarm system up and running as soon as possible since i travel a lot and my wife feels more secure with it.

I noticed that when mounting a can in a studbay you are supposed to put screw into the side of the can. Is this possible after installing the components? I suppose I could leave out or temporarilly remove the cable conduit along the edges of the panel to screw it in or alternatively push the cables slightly out of the way and screw through the conduit and the can into the stud.

Any words of wisdom woudl be appreciated. What i am trying to prevent i my wife and myself moving into a new house and me spending the next 2 weeks in the basement at night getting the alarm system to work. That would lower the WAF right away...

I do plan to purchase the componenta a month or so before we move in to benchtest...but though i would take it to the next step.

 

[WayneW]

IMHO, as a non-pro, it takes a lot longer to figure out where & how to mount things than to actually mount them. Especially if you won't be able to do any of the actual wiring before you hang the cans. I would plan everything out and maybe pre-cut your Elk databus & expander cables, but most of it will probably have to be done after the cans are hung.

 

[felixrosbergen]

From the instruction on the leviton 42" can it seems like it's only 4 screws or so that attach the side of this thing to the stud? Is that really sturdy enough? The can itself seems plenty heavy to start with and i haven't even mention the ELK batteries and such...

 

[DavidL]

Four good screws into studs and it won't go anywhere...no matter how many batterys you put in it

 

[electron]

If you have never wired a can before, I would recommend against it. You will be surprised how much you will change because some wire doesn't flex as well, or connections need more room. With that said, you could look at existing examples to get an idea of how much space each component usually requires, so you can at least practice and increase your 'installation speed'.

As for the screws, that's all that is needed indeed, but keep in mind that components might block access to those holes if you use a screw gun (not enough room for the screw gun itself).

 

[aehusted]

I just hung one of those 42" Leviton cans using the 4 screws and it feels quite solid. You can still screw in from the side as well if you are worried, but I don't really think it is necessary. Then again, I will probably add some screws in the sides because I tend to go overboard

Four good screws into studs and it won't go anywhere...no matter how many batterys you put in it

 

[opie]

I would be concerned about the equipment being in the way while you pull the premise wiring through the can as well. It wouldn't really hurt to place items in the can and get an idea of how the layout will work but I would want them out of the way when installing the can. I usually do a scale drawing in Visio of my panels just to plan how things will fit but I frequently find I need more room for wire than I thought (like Dan said).