Steel City 58371 3/4 Utility Boxes

The 58371 3/4 handy box has 14.5 cubic inches of capacity. Under NEC box fill rules each 12 AWG conductor counts 2.25 cubic inches and each 14 AWG counts 2.00, with the device itself counting as two conductors of the largest size present, so a single-device box of this volume supports a modest circuit, not a splice-heavy junction. Work your fill from the 14.5 figure before you pull.

It is a surface mounted housing, so it sits on the face of the wall rather than inside it. That makes it the normal choice for exposed EMT or MC runs in basements, garages, mechanical rooms and warehouse walls where you are not cutting into finished surfaces. For in-wall work you want a nail-on or old-work device box.

Eight knockouts, which gives you entry options on the ends, back and sides for feed-through wiring rather than forcing a dead end. The 3/4 in the model designation is the knockout trade size, so size your connectors accordingly, or use a reducing washer to step down to 1/2 inch EMT or MC fittings.

The Steel City 58371 3/4 is a drawn steel surface-mounted utility box, which suits dry interior surface work. For an exposed exterior location, the Mulberry Royal Mountie weatherproof outlet box is a die-cast aluminum 1-gang weatherproof box, and the Thomas & Betts 2IH3-1 Red-Dot is a 2-gang conduit outlet box with three 1/2 inch hubs for threaded conduit runs.

Steel, and drawn rather than welded, so the body is formed from a single piece with no seams at the corners. The finish is silver. Drawn steel is what you want where the box takes mechanical abuse or where an exposed run needs metallic continuity for grounding.

The Steel City 58371 3/4 is a single-outlet utility box with 14.5 cubic inches of capacity, so it covers one device. For a residential opening needing more than one device, the Cantex EZ Box series is a PVC multi-gang residential outlet box.

The 58371 3/4 is a 14.5 cubic inch single-outlet steel utility box intended for general device work. For a range or dryer connection, the Pass and Seymour P242RRD is a thermoplastic range and dryer box built for that application.

The Steel City 58371 3/4 is a drawn steel utility box with eight knockouts, so conduit or cable connectors are added at the knockout locations you choose. The Thomas and Betts 2IH3-1 Red-Dot is a 2-gang conduit outlet box with three 1/2 inch hubs already formed into the body for threaded conduit, and it is supplied in packs of 100.

The box is designed for vertical mounting, which puts the single device upright in the box, the usual orientation for a switch on an exposed conduit run. Plan your conduit entries around that orientation so the knockouts you need land top and bottom rather than fighting the strap.