Steel City CY 1/2 Switch Box

Listed size is 3 inches height x 2 inches width x 3-1/2 inches depth, with the device width given as 50.8mm. That 3-1/2 inch depth equals the actual depth of a nominal 2x4 stud, so the box consumes the full stud bay depth with nothing to spare behind it. Use it where you have a clear 2x4 cavity and no insulation board or obstruction behind the box; for a shallower cavity you want a shallower box such as the RACO 518S, which is a 2-1/2 inch deep gangable switch box.

It is a single-device box: one outlet opening, 2 inches wide, mounted vertically. It is not described as gangable. For two devices in one opening you need a 2-gang box such as the Allied Moulded 2302-NKV, or a gangable steel box like the RACO 517 that can be bolted side by side.

The assembly arrangement is a surface mounted housing, mounted vertically. That suits exposed work on masonry, block, or finished walls where you are not cutting into a cavity. If you need a box set into an existing finished wall, an old-work box like the RACO 517 is the retrofit style to look at.

The Allied Moulded P-181 FlexBox is a 1-gang thermoplastic switch/receptacle box rated 18 cubic inches, matching the 18 cubic inch capacity of the Steel City CY 1/2. The difference is material: the CY 1/2 is a steel box, while the P-181 is thermoplastic, so the P-181 does not provide a metal enclosure for bonding and is used where non-metallic cable and plastic boxes are the accepted method.

The CY 1/2 is a surface mounted steel housing, so it sits on the wall surface rather than clamping into cut drywall. For a retrofit into an existing finished wall, the RACO 517 TIGER GRIP gangable steel switch box is built for old work and mounts into the cut opening. Both are steel boxes; the choice is whether the box is going on the surface or inside the wall.

The CY 1/2 has one outlet opening, so it carries a single device. For a two-device opening, the Allied Moulded 2302-NKV is a fiberglass reinforced 2-gang switch box. Alternatively, the RACO 517 and RACO 518S are gangable steel switch boxes, which are designed to be ganged together to build a multi-device assembly from single boxes.

Two box styles are offered: the standard CY 1/2 and the CN version, MPN CY 1/2CN. Both are the same 18 cubic inch steel single-gang switch box; the CN suffix designates the variation, and each has its own manufacturer spec sheet. Order by the exact MPN so you get the style your drawing calls out.

Yes, knockouts are provided. It is a steel box, so cable or conduit is landed through the knockouts with the appropriate connector, which you buy separately. Non-metallic boxes such as the Cantex EZ20SB or the Allied Moulded P-181 FlexBox use integral clamps or card-type entries instead, which is the practical difference when you are pricing out the connectors for a job.

Being a steel box, it is conductive and bonding is handled through the metal raceway or cable armor landed at its knockouts, which is why metal boxes are used where the box itself is part of the grounding system. Non-metallic boxes like the Cantex EZ20SB cannot serve that function and require a separate equipment grounding conductor brought to the device.

The CY 1/2 is a surface mounted steel housing, so it is not a stud-mounted box. For steel stud framing, the Cantex EZ20SB EZ Box is a 1-gang non-metallic box built specifically for steel studs. Use the EZ20SB where the box has to attach to metal framing inside the wall and the CY 1/2 where the box is going on the finished surface.

Outer quantity is 25 boxes, which is the carton count to plan around when you are ordering for a multi-unit or tenant-improvement rough-in.