Steel City CY 3/4 Switch Boxes

Box body measures 3 inches high by 2 inches wide by 3-1/2 inches deep, with the device opening 50.8mm (2 inches) wide. It is a single-gang, one-device box and mounts vertically, so plan the stud bay or surface location for a 3-1/2 inch depth behind the finished face.

Steel, finished silver, and carried under UL file E2969. If your job spec or inspector calls for a metallic box (grounded raceway, EMT or MC runs, or a commercial spec that disallows non-metallic), the steel body is what you want. For a non-metallic alternative, the Allied Moulded P-181 FlexBox is a 1-gang thermoplastic box at the same 18 cubic inches.

The CY 3/4 is a one-device box and is not described as gangable, so it will not open up to take a second device. For a two-device opening use the Allied Moulded 2302-NKV fiberglass reinforced 2-gang box, or for gangable steel the RACO 517 or RACO 518S.

For cut-in work in an existing wall, the RACO 517 TIGER GRIP gangable steel switch box is built for old work, meaning it secures to the drywall after the wall is closed rather than being fastened to a stud during rough-in. It is steel like the CY 3/4, so the same metallic wiring methods apply. Choose the CY 3/4 where you are mounting the housing to a surface or structure during new construction.

The Allied Moulded P-181 FlexBox is a 1-gang thermoplastic switch/receptacle box rated 18 cubic inches, the same cubic capacity the Steel City CY 3/4 carries. The difference is material and circuit practice: the CY 3/4 is a steel box, so the metal enclosure itself can serve as part of the equipment grounding path when wired with metallic raceway or armored cable, while the P-181 is non-metallic and requires an equipment grounding conductor carried to the device. Both hold a single gang of devices.

The CY 3/4 is a single-outlet switch box, so it will not take two devices. For a two-device opening, the Allied Moulded 2302-NKV is a fiberglass reinforced 2-gang electrical switch box. Note the material change: the 2302-NKV is a fiberglass reinforced box rather than a steel one, so plan the equipment grounding conductor accordingly.

Yes, the CY 3/4 is supplied with knockouts, so you can bring conduit or cable in without drilling the box. It is a surface mounted housing, which means it sits on the wall or structure face rather than being nailed inside a stud bay.

If the box needs to clip directly to a steel stud, look at the Cantex EZ20SB EZ Box, a 1-gang non-metallic box made specifically for steel stud framing. The Steel City CY 3/4 is a surface mounted housing, so it is the choice when the box is being fastened to a finished surface or structural member rather than captured in a steel stud cavity. The EZ20SB is non-metallic, so it needs an equipment grounding conductor run to the device.

The RACO 517 TIGER GRIP and the RACO 518S are both gangable steel switch boxes, meaning a side can be removed so boxes join into a multi-device assembly. The Steel City CY 3/4 is a surface mounted single-outlet housing, so plan on one device per box with it. If the device count at an opening may grow, the gangable RACO boxes give you that path.

They come 25 to a carton, and the weight runs 71.5 lbs per 100 boxes, so a full carton is roughly 18 lbs of product. Order in multiples of 25 if you are standardizing boxes across a building or a punch list of units.

Order it as Steel City CY 3/4, which is the manufacturer part number as well as the model designation. Manufacturer specification data for the box is published on the Steel City CY 3/4 spec sheet.