Steel City CDLE-25 STEEL BOX

The CDLE-25 is a 12.5 cubic inch steel switch box. Box fill is calculated from that 12.5 in3 figure against the conductor sizes and devices you're putting in it, so it's a tighter box than the deeper plastic single-gang boxes (an 18 cubic inch box like the Allied Moulded P-181 FlexBox gives you noticeably more room). If you're stacking a device plus multiple 12 AWG circuit conductors and grounds, run the fill numbers before you commit to this one.

It measures 3 inches height by 2 inches width by 2-1/2 inches depth, which is the standard single-gang switch box footprint. The 2-1/2 inch depth is the number to watch: you need that much clear cavity behind the finished wall surface, so it won't work in a shallow furred-out wall or over a stud face.

The CDLE-25 is a steel switch box at 12.5 cubic inches, sized for new-construction stud mounting. For cutting into an existing finished wall, the RACO 517 TIGER GRIP gangable steel switch box is built for old work, so it secures to the drywall itself rather than needing a stud face. Both are steel gang boxes; the difference is how they anchor.

The RACO 518S gangable switch box is the nearest match in form. It is a gangable steel switch box at 2-1/2 inches deep, the same depth as the CDLE-25, which measures 3 inches high by 2 inches wide by 2-1/2 inches deep. The RACO box carries a STAB-IT series connector built in, so it lands with the cable clamp style already determined, where the CDLE-25 is a plain steel box.

The CDLE-25 provides 12.5 cubic inches in a 1-gang footprint. The Allied Moulded P-181 FlexBox is a 1-gang residential switch/receptacle box rated 18 cubic inches, so it holds more conductors in the same single-gang opening. It is a thermoplastic box rather than steel, which means no bonding to the box itself, so verify that suits your wiring method.

Yes. The Steel City CDLE-25 carries UL listing under file E2969, which is what an inspector or a spec-driven institutional job will ask for.

Steel is the choice when you're running metal conduit or AC/MC cable and need the box itself in the equipment grounding path, and it holds up better to abuse in commercial and MRO work. Non-metallic boxes, like the Cantex EZ20SB EZ Box or the Allied Moulded 2302-NKV fiberglass box, are for NM cable work where no metallic ground continuity through the box is needed. The CDLE-25 is the steel option.

No. The CDLE-25 is a single switch box measuring 3 inches high by 2 inches wide, which is a 1-gang footprint, and it is sold each. For a two-device opening in one box, the Allied Moulded 2302-NKV is a fiberglass reinforced 2-gang electrical switch box. Note that it is a fiberglass reinforced body, not steel like the CDLE-25.

The CDLE-25 is a steel switch box and mounts with whatever bracket or fastener your detail calls for. The Cantex EZ20SB EZ Box is a 1-gang non-metallic box purpose-built for steel stud framing, so its attachment is designed around the stud flange. The tradeoff is material: non-metallic on the Cantex versus steel on the CDLE-25, which matters if your wiring method relies on the box for bonding continuity.

They share the 2-1/2 inch depth and both are gangable steel switch boxes, so the wall cavity and device fit are comparable. The difference is cable entry: the RACO 518S includes a STAB-IT series connector, committing you to that clamp method, while the CDLE-25 is supplied as a steel box and is UL listed under E2969. Confirm the cable type your run uses before swapping one for the other.

The box is steel with a silver (galvanized-appearance) finish. That's a dry-location interior finish, not a wet or damp location enclosure, so for exterior or wash-down areas use a gasketed weatherproof box instead.

Country of origin is Canada, which matters if you're documenting origin for a government or institutional procurement submittal.