Plumbing supply boxes

Abstract

Plumbing supply boxes may be made of a thermoset plastic material that will not melt or permit the boxes to collapse inside a wall if subjected to flames or high temperatures resulting from a fire. If the thermoset plastic boxes have a drain opening, a thermoplastic tubular drain adaptor may be connected thereto that can be solvent welded. Relatively small intumescent pads may be installed in close proximity to the drain opening which, if subjected to flames or high temperature caused by a fire, will expand and form an insulating char that seals off the drain opening. The boxes may be slidable in opposite directions along adjustable support brackets to permit the boxes to be mounted in any desired position in stud bays having different spacings between the stud walls for ease of alignment of one or more openings in the box with in-wall plumbing.

1 . A plumbing supply box installable in a wall recess for connecting one or more water shut-off valves and/or drain openings to in-wall plumbing, the box having a bottom wall and a top wall, at least one opening in the bottom wall and/or top wall for mounting a conduit fitting for a shut-off valve inside the box or for connection of a drain line to the box, wherein the box is made of a thermoset plastic material. 
     
     
         2 . The box of  claim 1  further comprising at least one pair of adjustable support brackets along which the box is slidable to permit the box to be mounted in a stud bay between stud walls having different spacings therebetween and allow the box to be moved along the support brackets in opposite directions within the stud bay for aligning the at least one opening with in-wall plumbing. 
     
     
         3 . The box of  claim 2  wherein there are two pairs of vertically spaced adjustable support brackets on which the box is slidable in opposite directions within the stud bay. 
     
     
         4 . The box of  claim 2  which has laterally spaced oppositely facing aligned channels in which the at least one pair of support brackets is slidably received. 
     
     
         5 . The box of  claim 1  wherein the at least one opening is for mounting a conduit fitting for a shut-off valve inside the box. 
     
     
         6 . The box of  claim 1  wherein the at least one opening is a drain opening, and a tubular adaptor is connected to the drain opening, the adaptor being made of a thermoplastic material that can be solvent welded. 
     
     
         7 . The box of  claim 6  further comprising a test cap that is insertable into an inner end of the adaptor for sealing off the adaptor when connected to a drain pipe for pressure testing of a sanitary drainage system to which the drain pipe is connected. 
     
     
         8 . The box of  claim 6  further comprising intumescent material installed in close proximity to the drain opening which when exposed to enough heat to cause the adaptor to melt, expands and forms an insulating char that seals off the drain opening. 
     
     
         9 . The box of  claim 8  wherein the adaptor has a stop flange at an inner end that engages an interior surface of the bottom wall surrounding the drain opening. 
     
     
         10 . The box of  claim 9  wherein the adaptor has an external groove containing an O-ring seal for establishing a fluid seal with the drain opening. 
     
     
         11 . The box of  claim 6  wherein the intumescent material is installed in an enclosure attached to an exterior surface of the bottom wall of the box around the drain opening. 
     
     
         12 . The box of  claim 11  wherein the enclosure has an axial opening through which the adaptor extends when the enclosure is attached to the bottom wall. 
     
     
         13 . The box of  claim 1  which has a back wall to which an insulation pad is attached. 
     
     
         14 . The box of  claim 13  wherein the insulation pad has a foil backing. 
     
     
         15 . The box of  claim 13  wherein ends of the insulation pad are taped to sides of the box. 
     
     
         16 . The box of  claim 1  wherein the bottom wall has first and second openings for mounting conduit fittings for hot and cold water shut-off valves inside the box and a third opening that provides a drain opening, further comprising a tubular adaptor connected to the drain opening, the adaptor being made of a thermoplastic material that can be solvent welded. 
     
     
         17 . The box of  claim 16  further comprising an enclosure attachable to an exterior surface of the bottom wall around the drain opening, the enclosure containing intumescent material which when exposed to enough heat to cause the adaptor to melt, expands and forms an insulating char that seals off the drain opening. 
     
     
         18 . The box of  claim 16  wherein the top wall also has first and second openings for mounting conduit fittings in the top wall for hot and cold water shut-off valves inside the box, and plugs for plugging any of the first and second openings in which conduit fittings for hot and cold water shut-off valves are not mounted. 
     
     
         19 . The box of  claim 18  wherein the first and second openings in the top wall are substantially in line with the first and second openings in the bottom wall, and the top wall has a third opening substantially in line with the third opening in the bottom wall that provides a drain opening for receipt of the adaptor when the box is mounted upside down to accommodate a different drain arrangement, and another plug for plugging the third opening that is not used as the drain opening. 
     
     
         20 . The box of  claim 19  further comprising an enclosure attachable to an exterior surface of the wall having the third opening that forms the drain opening to which the adaptor is connected, the enclosure surrounding the drain opening and containing intumescent material which when exposed to enough heat to cause the adaptor to melt, expands and forms an insulating char to seal off the drain opening. 
     
     
         21 . A plumbing supply box installable in a wall recess for connecting one or more water shut-off valves and/or drain openings to in-wall plumbing, the box having a bottom wall and a top wall, at least one opening in the bottom wall and/or top wall for mounting a conduit fitting for a shut-off valve inside the box or for connection of a drain line to the box, and at least one pair of adjustable support brackets along which the box is slidable to permit the box to be mounted in a stud bay between stud walls having different spacings therebetween and allow the box to be moved along the support brackets in opposite directions within the stud bay for aligning the at least one opening with in-wall plumbing. 
     
     
         22 . The box of  claim 21  which has laterally spaced oppositely facing aligned channels in which the at least one pair of support brackets is slidably received.