Steel City 806 S Gangable Switch Box, 12.5 in³, Steel

The 806 S is a 12.5 cubic inch steel device box. Box fill is calculated from that 12.5 cubic inch volume, so with 14 AWG (2 cubic inches per conductor) you get six conductor allowances total, and with 12 AWG (2.25 cubic inches) you get five. Remember the device itself counts as two allowances based on the largest conductor, plus one for all grounds together and one for clamps. On a typical 14/2 switch leg that fills the box quickly, so if you are stacking multiple cables step up to a deeper or larger box.

It measures 3 inches high by 2 inches wide by 2-1/2 inches deep, which is the standard single-gang device box footprint. The 2-1/2 inch depth is the part to check: you need that much clear cavity behind the finished surface, so it works in a standard 2x4 stud wall but not in a shallow furring or 2x2 strapping cavity.

Yes. The 806 S is a gangable steel box, meaning the side plates come off so you can join boxes into a 2-gang, 3-gang or wider assembly for banks of switches. Each box added brings its own 12.5 cubic inches of fill capacity. Order one box per gang, sold each.

Clamps are built in. The 806 S is the bracket version with armored cable clamps in the box, so BX or MC lands directly without separate connectors at the box. Keep in mind the internal clamps consume one conductor volume allowance out of the 12.5 cubic inches when you calculate fill.

No. The 806 S is a bracketed new-work box, meant to be nailed or screwed to a stud before the wall is closed. For a retrofit into finished drywall, look at the RACO 517 TIGER GRIP gangable steel switch box, which is the old-work version of the same type of box.

The RACO 518S is the closest match. Both are gangable steel switch boxes at 2-1/2 inches deep, so they drop into the same stud bay and gang together the same way. The Steel City 806 S is a steel box with 12.5 cubic inches of volume at 3 inches high by 2 inches wide by 2-1/2 inches deep; the RACO 518S is a gangable switch box 2-1/2 inches deep with a STAB-IT series connector. The difference to confirm before you order is the cable entry: the 806 S is set up for armored cable, while the 518S uses the STAB-IT connector style.

For a cut-in on a finished wall, look at the RACO 517 TIGER GRIP gangable steel switch box instead, which is built for old work and grips the drywall rather than fastening to a stud. The Steel City 806 S is a gangable steel switch box for new work, mounted to framing with armored cable entry. Both are steel and both gang, so either can be ganged with adjacent boxes once set.

Non-metallic boxes are the choice when you are pulling NM cable and do not want to bond the box, or when you need more volume in a single gang. The Allied Moulded P-181 FlexBox is a 1-gang thermoplastic residential switch/receptacle box at 18 cubic inches, versus 12.5 cubic inches in the steel Steel City 806 S. One tradeoff: the 806 S is gangable, so you can tie boxes together for multi-gang runs, while the P-181 is a fixed single gang.

Use the Steel City 806 S steel box when you are running armored cable or metal conduit, since the box needs to be part of the metal grounding path, and where the job spec calls for metallic boxes. Plastic is the cheaper route for NM cable in residential framing: the Allied Moulded P-181 FlexBox is a 1-gang thermoplastic box at 18 cubic inches, which gives more fill room than the 12.5 of the steel box. Cantex EZ20SB is the non-metallic choice for steel stud framing.

The RACO 518S is the nearest equivalent we carry: a gangable steel switch box at the same 2-1/2 inch depth, supplied with STAB-IT connectors rather than armored cable clamps. Match on depth first, then on how your cable lands at the box.

For steel stud framing, the Cantex EZ20SB EZ Box is purpose-built as a 1-gang non-metallic steel stud box and attaches to the stud without added brackets. The Steel City 806 S is a gangable steel box with a bracket and armored cable entry, 3 inches high by 2 inches wide by 2-1/2 inches deep, and is the pick where you are running armored cable and want the option to gang boxes together.

They get you to two gangs by different routes, so check the opening first. The Allied Moulded 2302-NKV is a fiberglass reinforced 2-gang switch box - one molded body covering both devices. The Steel City 806 S is a single gangable steel box at 12.5 cubic inches, so a two-switch opening means ganging two of them together. If the wall is already cut for a one-piece 2-gang body, the 2302-NKV is the direct fit; if you are framing new and want steel with armored cable entry, gang the 806 S.

Yes. The Steel City 806 S carries UL E2969 and is a steel gangable switch box, which is what an inspector will want to see on a metal box in a commercial wall. Among the alternatives, the RACO 517 TIGER GRIP and RACO 518S are also gangable steel switch boxes, so all three keep you in metal construction; the non-metallic options such as the Cantex EZ20SB are a different construction class and bond differently.

Yes. At 3 by 2 inches the 806 S is a standard single-gang device box, so any standard single-gang toggle, decorator or duplex wall plate covers it, and standard devices screw straight to the box ears.

Spec it as Steel City 806 S, steel gangable switch box, 12.5 cubic inches, 3 x 2 x 2-1/2 inches, with armored cable clamps and mounting bracket, UL E2969, made in Canada, sold each. That string covers everything a purchasing or inspection reviewer will ask for on a repeat order.