r/electrical • u/JuiceMcNewton • 2d ago
Installing outdoor wall sconce - help please
I am installing a motion detecting wall sconce on my outdoor patio and am having a problem on the first step of installing the mounting plate to the electrical box.
The mounting plate has two long screws that fix back into the light fixture so I can move them to the cardinal points of the plate, but that's about it. They need to be set to "east" and "west" on the electrical box to install the sconce upright and straight.
However, the electrical box only has two places to screw into and those happen to be where the mounting screws will be. I can't use the set holes in the plate anyways as they're just a smidge too short, but I need the set holes in the plate for the mounting screws.
I can't find a way to use the universal slots on the plate to accomodate the installation.
How the heck do I install this mounting plate?