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

The 806 SW is a single-gang steel box with 12.5 cubic inches of volume, which is on the smaller side for box fill. With 14 AWG that volume works out to six conductor allowances at 2.0 cu in each, and a single switch or receptacle counts as two of those, so a one-device box with a cable in and a cable out plus a ground is about the practical limit. If you need to land more conductors or a dimmer with a large body, step up to a deeper box or a higher-volume unit such as the Allied Moulded P-181 FlexBox at 18 cu in.

Yes. The 806 SW is a gangable steel box, so the side plates come off and the boxes join to build a two, three or four gang opening from single boxes. If you would rather not gang them, a factory multi-gang box such as the Allied Moulded 2302-NKV two-gang is the alternative.

It is built for non-metallic cable, with integral cable clamps in the box, so you do not add a separate NM connector at the box. For a steel box with a different cable-entry style, the RACO 518S uses STAB-IT connectors instead.

The box measures 3 inches height by 2 inches width by 2-1/2 inches depth. At 2-1/2 inches deep it sits inside a nominal 2x4 stud (3-1/2 inches actual) with room behind for the cable, so it mounts flush to standard 1/2 inch drywall without bottoming out on the back of the bay.

No. The 806 SW is a gangable steel switch box intended to be fastened to framing during rough-in. For cutting into existing drywall, use the RACO 517 TIGER GRIP, which is a gangable steel switch box built for old work and holds itself in the finished wall surface. Both end up accepting the same single-gang devices; the 517 is the one that mounts without access to a stud face.

The RACO 518S is the nearest match. Both are gangable steel switch boxes and both are 2-1/2 inches deep, so the 518S drops into the same stud bay depth as the 806 SW. The difference is the cable entry: the 806 SW uses a non-metallic cable clamp arrangement, while the 518S carries STAB-IT connectors. If your rough-in calls for a 2-1/2 inch deep gangable steel box, either will take the same single-gang device and plaster ring.

The 806 SW is a 12.5 cubic inch box. If your conductor count, device, and grounds push past that fill allowance, the Allied Moulded P-181 FlexBox is a 1-gang residential switch/receptacle box rated 18 cubic inches, which gives you more room in the same single-gang opening. Note the trade-off in material: the 806 SW is steel, the P-181 is thermoplastic, so if your job spec requires a metallic box the extra volume is not available to you.

The Steel City 806 SW is the steel option, UL listed under E2969, and the RACO 517 and RACO 518S are also steel gangable switch boxes. The Allied Moulded P-181 and 2302-NKV and the Cantex EZ20SB are non-metallic bodies - thermoplastic, fiberglass reinforced, and non-metallic respectively - so they do not serve as part of a metal raceway grounding system. For a metallic specification, stay with the 806 SW or a steel RACO box.

Yes, it carries UL file E2969.

The 806 SW is a nail/screw side-bracket steel box intended for wood framing. On steel studs a box made for that application is the better fit, like the Cantex EZ20SB EZ Box non-metallic steel stud box, which mounts to the stud flange directly.

Yes. Because the 806 SW body is steel, it is a conductive enclosure and has to be bonded, so the equipment grounding conductor lands on the box ground screw as well as the device. Non-metallic boxes such as the Allied Moulded P-181 do not require that bond.

The 806 SW is a gangable steel box fastened to framing, and nothing in its design is specific to steel studs. For a metal stud partition where you want a box made for that framing, the Cantex EZ20SB EZ Box is a 1-gang non-metallic box built as a steel stud box. Choosing between them comes down to whether your spec calls for a metallic box and ganging capability, which the 806 SW provides, or a stud-specific non-metallic box.

No. One 806 SW is a single-device switch box at 3 inches high by 2 inches wide by 2-1/2 inches deep, sold each. Because it is gangable, you can remove the side plate and join a second 806 SW to build a two-device opening. If you would rather have a single molded two-gang body, the Allied Moulded 2302-NKV is a fiberglass reinforced 2-gang switch box, though it is a non-metallic box rather than steel.

Pricing and ordering are per each, so you can buy the exact count the job needs rather than a full carton.

Country of origin is Canada, which matters if you are tracking origin documentation on a government or institutional procurement.