Thomas & Betts CWX-25 Switch Boxes

Yes. The CWX-25 comes with integral C-3 armored cable clamps, so you land MC or armored cable straight into the box with no separate connector. The description calls out use with armored and metal clad cable specifically. If you are pulling NM (Romex), this is not the clamp style you want.

The box body measures 3 inches long by 2 inches wide by 2-3/4 inches deep, which is the standard single gang footprint. It is an old work box, meant to go into finished walls rather than being nailed to a stud before drywall.

The CWX-25 is a 14 cubic inch box. Under the NEC box fill table, a 14 AWG conductor counts 2.00 cubic inches and a 12 AWG counts 2.25, so 14 cu in works out to seven 14 AWG or six 12 AWG conductor allowances, including the deductions for the device, clamps and grounds. On a single switch with MC cable the clamp and device deductions eat into that fast, so if you are joining more than one cable run plus a device, step up to a deeper box.

No. The CWX-25 is a welded single-gang steel box, so the sides do not come off and it cannot be ganged. For a ganged steel assembly, the RACO 517 TIGER GRIP and the RACO 518S are both gangable switch boxes, and the Steel City Adjust-A-Box LXWOWC-25 is a gangable 1-gang box in pre-galvanized steel. If you want a factory 2-gang box, the Allied Moulded 2302-NKV is a fiberglass reinforced 2-gang switch box.

The CWX-25 clamp is an armored cable (C-3) clamp, matched to armored and metal clad cable. For residential nonmetallic work, the Allied Moulded P-181 FlexBox is a 1-gang thermoplastic switch/receptacle box with 18 cubic inches of volume, against the 14 cubic inches of the CWX-25. The RACO 518S is a steel gangable box 2-1/2 inches deep with a STAB-IT connector, compared with the 2-3/4 inch depth of the CWX-25.

The RACO 517 TIGER GRIP gangable steel switch box is also built for old work, the same application the CWX-25 is designated for. The difference is construction and gangability: the CWX-25 is a welded steel box, while the RACO 517 is gangable, so its sides can be removed to join boxes into a multi-gang assembly. The CWX-25 carries an armored cable (C-3) clamp, so it is the one to specify when the feed is armored or metal clad cable.

Two cable knockouts in the bottom plus one 1/2 inch conduit knockout in the bottom, and one 1/2 inch conduit knockout on each side. That gives you a through run side to side in 1/2 inch EMT or two cables up from below.

UL listed, per the manufacturer data. It is galvanized steel, so with MC or armored cable landed in the C-3 clamps the box itself is part of the equipment grounding path. Note it is not RoHS compliant if your spec requires that.

Go steel when you are running MC or armored cable and want the box in the grounding path, or where the box takes physical abuse. The CWX-25 is welded galvanized steel with armored cable clamps. If you are running NM cable on a residential remodel, a non-metallic box is usually the faster call, such as the Allied Moulded P-181 FlexBox 1-gang at 18 cubic inches, or the Cantex EZ20SB EZ Box 1-gang for steel stud walls.

The CWX-25 is a galvanized steel old work box, which is set into an existing finished wall rather than fastened to framing. For new work on steel studs, the Cantex EZ20SB EZ Box is a 1-gang non-metallic box made specifically for steel stud mounting. Choose by the stage of the job: existing wall with armored cable points to the CWX-25, open steel stud framing points to the EZ20SB.

Both are 1-gang steel switch boxes. The CWX-25 is welded, measures 3 inches long by 2 inches wide by 2-3/4 inches deep with 14 cubic inches of volume, and includes an armored cable (C-3) clamp. The LXWOWC-25 is a Steel City Adjust-A-Box gangable switch box in pre-galvanized steel, so it accepts side removal for ganging. Pick the CWX-25 when you want a sealed welded body with MC clamps already in it.

The CWX-25 body is steel with a galvanized finish, so in locations where you want to avoid metal entirely the nonmetallic options are the better match. The Allied Moulded 2302-NKV is a fiberglass reinforced 2-gang switch box, the Allied Moulded P-181 FlexBox is a 1-gang thermoplastic box, and the Cantex EZ20SB EZ Box is non-metallic as well. Note that those boxes are not set up for the armored cable clamp arrangement the CWX-25 provides.