Thomas & Betts LCOW-25 Switch Boxes

It's an old work box, meant to go into a wall that's already closed up rather than being nailed to a stud during framing. The welded steel body holds its shape when you work it into a cut opening, and the non-metallic cable clamp (C-1 type) grips the NM cable as you pull it in. For new construction where you can nail to studs, a bracket or nail-on box is the easier choice.

Both. There are two cable knockouts in the bottom plus one 1/2 inch conduit knockout in the bottom, and one 1/2 inch conduit knockout at each end. So you can run EMT or flex in from either side or the bottom, or bring in non-metallic sheathed cable through the bottom cable openings where the C-1 clamp catches it.

The LCOW-25 is a welded 1-gang steel box, so its sides are not removable for ganging. For a two-device opening, the Allied Moulded 2302-NKV is a fiberglass reinforced 2-gang switch box, and for a field-gangable steel approach the RACO 517 TIGER GRIP and the Steel City LXWOWC-25 Adjust-A-Box are both gangable switch boxes.

The LCOW-25 is a 10.5 cu. in. welded steel box at 2-1/4 in. deep. If the device and conductor count need more room, the Allied Moulded P-181 FlexBox is an 18 cu. in. 1-gang switch/receptacle box, and the RACO 518S gangable switch box runs 2-1/2 in. deep. The P-181 is thermoplastic rather than steel, so it is not used where a metallic box is required for bonding or where the installation calls for a metal enclosure.

It's built for non-metallic sheathed cable. The clamp inside is the C-1 non-metallic type, which is what you want for NM-B (Romex). If you're pulling armored cable or MC, that needs a box with AC/MC clamps or a connector at a knockout instead.

UL listed, and it's steel with a galvanized finish. Because it's a metal box, the equipment grounding conductor has to be bonded to the box itself, not just to the device yoke, under normal grounding practice. Spec writers who require metallic boxes in commercial or multi-family work generally won't accept a non-metallic box in its place.

Step to a larger box. The Allied Moulded P-181 FlexBox is a 1-gang residential switch/receptacle box at 18 cubic inches, which is a big jump in fill capacity. If you need to stay metal, the RACO 518S gangable switch box is 2-1/2 inches deep versus the 2-1/4 inches on the LCOW-25.

The LCOW-25 is a welded galvanized steel switch box set up for old work with non-metallic sheathed cable clamps. For a box designed specifically around steel studs, the Cantex EZ20SB EZ Box is a 1-gang non-metallic steel stud box, built to mount to the stud rather than to be retrofit into finished drywall.

The Cantex EZ20SB EZ Box is a steel stud box and the Allied Moulded P-181 FlexBox is a residential switch/receptacle box, both oriented to new construction where the stud is accessible. The LCOW-25 is specified for old work, so in a finished wall the closer swap is the RACO 517 TIGER GRIP, which is also an old work steel switch box.

The LCOW-25 is welded galvanized steel. For non-metallic equivalents in a switch opening, the Allied Moulded P-181 FlexBox is an 18 cu. in. 1-gang thermoplastic box, the Allied Moulded 2302-NKV is a fiberglass reinforced 2-gang box, and the Cantex EZ20SB EZ Box is a 1-gang non-metallic steel stud box. A non-metallic box does not serve as part of the equipment grounding path, so the wiring method has to account for that.

No. The LCOW-25 is listed as non-RoHS compliant, which matters if you're buying against a green building or sustainable-procurement spec that requires RoHS documentation on all electrical components.

The LCOW-25 has one 1/2 in. conduit knockout in the bottom and one 1/2 in. conduit knockout at each end, plus two bottom cable knockouts, and its C-1 clamps are made for non-metallic sheathed cable. For a conduit-fed run where you want a steel box with a cable connector option, the RACO 518S uses a STAB-IT series connector, and the Steel City LXWOWC-25 Adjust-A-Box is another pre-galvanized steel alternative.