Steel City CWV 1/2 Switch Boxes

Surface mounted. The CWV 1/2 is a surface mounted housing, so it fastens to the face of the wall, masonry, or structure rather than being recessed into a stud cavity. If you need a box that drops into a finished wall or mounts to a steel stud behind the drywall, look at an old-work or stud box instead, such as the RACO 517 gangable steel old work switch box or the Cantex EZ20SB non-metallic steel stud box.

No. The CWV 1/2 is a single-outlet box, so it takes one device. For a two-device opening, the Allied Moulded 2302-NKV is a fiberglass reinforced 2-gang switch box. If you want to stay in steel for a multi-gang bank, the RACO 517 and RACO 518S are gangable steel switch boxes that can be assembled side by side.

The Steel City CWV 1/2 is a steel single-gang switch box measuring 3 inches high by 2 inches wide by 2-3/4 inches deep with a 14 cubic inch capacity. The closest steel equivalents are the RACO 517, a gangable steel switch box intended for old work, and the RACO 518S, a gangable switch box 2-1/2 inches deep with a STAB-IT connector. The RACO boxes are gangable, so they can be ganged together for multi-device openings, while the CWV 1/2 is a surface mounted single-outlet housing.

The Steel City CWV 1/2 holds 14 cubic inches. If your conductor and device fill calculation needs more room in a one-gang opening, the Allied Moulded P-181 FlexBox is a 1-gang thermoplastic switch/receptacle box rated 18 cubic inches. The trade-off is material: the CWV 1/2 is steel, while the P-181 is thermoplastic, so it is not used where a metallic box is required for raceway or bonding continuity.

The RACO 517 TIGER GRIP is specified as an old work gangable steel switch box, which is the configuration intended for cutting into existing finished wall. The Steel City CWV 1/2 is a surface mounted steel housing with knockouts, which suits exposed surface runs on block, concrete, or where conduit is run on the wall face rather than concealed in the cavity.

The box body measures 3 inches high by 2 inches wide by 2-3/4 inches deep, with a device width of 50.8mm (2 inches). That is the standard single gang device footprint, so a normal one gang switch or receptacle plate covers it. Because it is surface mounted you are not cutting an opening, you need 2-3/4 inches of clearance off the wall face for the depth.

Yes, the box is supplied with knockouts, so you punch out what you need for your raceway or cable connectors. The box is steel, which means it can serve as part of the equipment grounding path when connected with metallic conduit or armored cable.

The Steel City CWV 1/2 is steel, which is what you want where the box is exposed to physical abuse, where you are running EMT or MC and need the box in the ground path, and where a spec calls for metallic boxes. Non-metallic is the pick for residential NM cable work and wet or corrosive areas: the Allied Moulded P-181 FlexBox is a 1-gang thermoplastic residential switch/receptacle box at 18 cubic inches, and the Allied Moulded 2302-NKV is a fiberglass reinforced 2-gang. Note the P-181 offers 18 cubic inches against 14 on the CWV 1/2, so it gives you more fill room.

The CWV 1/2 is a surface mounted steel housing with knockouts, mounted vertically. For a box designed specifically to attach to steel studs in new construction, the Cantex EZ20SB EZ Box is a 1-gang non-metallic steel stud box. The EZ20SB is non-metallic, so a separate equipment grounding path must be carried through to the device, whereas the CWV 1/2 is steel.

Steel: the Steel City CWV 1/2 and the RACO 517 and RACO 518S gangable switch boxes. Non-metallic: the Cantex EZ20SB EZ Box, a 1-gang non-metallic steel stud box, the Allied Moulded P-181 FlexBox in thermoplastic, and the Allied Moulded 2302-NKV in fiberglass reinforced construction. Steel boxes are the ones to specify where the box itself serves as part of the grounding and raceway system.

No. The RACO 518S is a gangable switch box 2-1/2 inches deep supplied with a STAB-IT connector for cable entry. The CWV 1/2 is a 2-3/4 inch deep steel box with knockouts, so cable or conduit fittings are selected and added separately to suit the wiring method.

Mounting direction is vertical, so the box is intended to sit with the 3 inch dimension running up and down and the device straps top and bottom, the normal orientation for a toggle switch. The 2 inch width is the horizontal face.

Order it as Steel City CWV 1/2. It is a steel single gang switch box in a silver finish, which is the standard galvanized steel appearance rather than a painted color.