Thomas & Betts SE-48 Device Boxes, Covers & Accessories

The SE-48 is a die cast aluminum outlet box that becomes rain tight when paired with the appropriate Red Dot covers. The box itself is not weatherproof on its own, so the cover selection is what makes the installation rain tight. Clean cover edges on the casting are what let the gasket seat properly.

The SE-48 holds 18.3 cubic inches, and that figure is cast into the box along with the UL marking so an inspector can read it on the wall. Run your box fill calculation against 18.3 cubic inches for the conductor sizes, devices, clamps and grounds you are landing in it.

No - the SE-48 is a UL listed die cast aluminum outlet box that is rain tight when used with appropriate Red Dot covers, which is a wet-location rating, not a hazardous-location rating. For classified areas you need an explosionproof box such as the Appleton GRJ series or the GRJS universal series, both explosionproof malleable iron conduit outlet boxes. Those are not interchangeable with the SE-48; the box, the cover, and the sealing method all change when the area is classified.

The Mulberry Royal Mountie weatherproof outlet box is the nearest material match - it is a 1-gang die-cast aluminum weatherproof box, the same casting material as the SE-48, which is die cast aluminum with an aluminum lacquer finish. The difference is form factor: the SE-48 is a round box 4-1/8 inches in diameter with 18.3 cubic inches of volume, while the Royal Mountie is a rectangular 1-gang device box. If you are feeding a surface-mounted device plate, the Mulberry is the one to look at; if you are landing a round cover or a fixture on a round box pattern, stay with the SE-48.

The SE-48 body is die cast aluminum with an aluminum lacquer finish in a silver color, which is the usual choice for exterior branch circuit work because it does not rust the way a painted steel box does. Aluminum is still the wrong pick for heavy chemical or coastal splash exposure, where a malleable iron box like the Appleton GRT75 round conduit outlet box is the heavier-duty route.

The SE-48 is a cast metal box: precision cast and machined inside so wire pulls do not snag, threaded for conduit, and rain tight with the right Red Dot cover. Nonmetallic boxes serve a different job. The Cantex EZ Series is a PVC multi-gang residential outlet box for nonmetallic wiring, and the Pass & Seymour P242RRD is a thermoplastic range and dryer box. Use the cast box where you are running conduit or mounting on an exposed surface.

The SE-48 is a 4-1/8 inch round die cast box. If the opening calls for a rectangular 1-gang device, the Mulberry Royal Mountie weatherproof outlet box in die-cast aluminum is the 1-gang alternative in the same material family.

Both are round conduit outlet boxes, but they are built from different metals for different environments. The SE-48 is die cast aluminum with an aluminum lacquer finish, 4-1/8 inches in diameter and 18.3 cubic inches, rain tight when paired with appropriate Red Dot covers. The Appleton GRT75 is a malleable iron round conduit outlet box. Specifiers who want iron in the raceway run, or who are matching an existing malleable iron system, go to the GRT75; the aluminum SE-48 is the lighter casting, at 60 lbs. per 100 pieces.

Yes. The SE-48 is a cast aluminum round box intended for surface conduit work and is rain tight with appropriate Red Dot covers - more box than a dry interior stud wall needs. For new residential interior rough-in, the Cantex EZ Box series is a PVC multi-gang residential outlet box, which handles multi-gang device rough-in in a nonmetallic body. Choose the Cantex where you are ganging switches and receptacles inside finished walls, and the SE-48 where the box is exposed and fed by conduit.

It is not the right box for that. The SE-48 is a 4-1/8 inch round die cast aluminum outlet box with 18.3 cubic inches of volume, sized for general device and fixture outlets on conduit. A range or dryer outlet needs a dedicated large-appliance box such as the Pass & Seymour P242RRD range and dryer box, a thermoplastic unit built for that connection. Use the P242RRD for the appliance circuit and keep the SE-48 for standard outlet locations.

The SE-48 is sold each, though the manufacturer's outer carton holds 5. Weight runs 60 lbs per 100 pieces, which is worth knowing if you are palletizing a job's worth for a multi-family or campus rough-in.

Yes, the SE-48 is RoHS compliant and UL listed. Both the UL mark and the cubic content are cast into the box, which is what inspectors look for on an institutional or public-works walkthrough.

The SE-48 uses deep slotted stainless steel cover screws, which speed up install and hold up outdoors where plated steel screws seize. Stainless matters on an exterior box you will have to reopen later for service.

The SE-48 is a fixed-configuration round die cast aluminum box, 4-1/8 inches in diameter, with clear UL and cubic content markings that speed inspector approval. If you want one body that covers multiple entry arrangements from stock, the Appleton GRJS universal conduit outlet box is the explosionproof malleable iron part built around that idea. Note that moving to the GRJS also moves you into malleable iron and an explosionproof construction, so it is a different specification, not just a more flexible version of the same box.