Thomas & Betts LXMWOW-25 Switch Boxes

Yes, the LXMWOW-25 is an old work box, meaning it goes into finished drywall or plaster rather than being nailed to a stud before the wall closes up. The welded steel body measures 3 x 2 inches with a 2 inch depth and gives you 10.5 cubic inches of volume.

Clamps are already in the box. The LXMWOW-25 ships with built-in non-metallic cable clamps (C-5 style) and is intended for non-metallic sheathed cable such as Romex, so no separate connectors are needed for NM runs. There are two cable knockouts at each end.

Box fill is driven by the 10.5 cubic inch volume of this box. Using NEC volume allowances, 12 AWG conductors count 2.25 cu in each and 14 AWG count 2.00 cu in each, with additional deductions for the clamps and the device. That realistically makes the LXMWOW-25 a one-device box for a single 14/2 or 12/2 switch leg, not a box for a feed-through with several cables. If you are landing two or more cables plus a device, step up to a deeper or larger-volume box.

At 2 inches deep and 10.5 cubic inches, this box is tight for bulky devices like dimmers, timers, or smart switches that have a large body and pigtails. If that is the device going in, look at a deeper box such as the RACO 518S gangable switch box, which is 2-1/2 inches deep.

No. The LXMWOW-25 is a single-gang box, 3 inches long by 2 inches wide, and its welded construction means it cannot be ganged with a second body. For a two-device opening, the Allied Moulded 2302-NKV is a 2-gang fiberglass reinforced switch box, or the RACO 517 and RACO 518S gangable steel switch boxes can be ganged to build out the opening in steel.

The LXMWOW-25 holds 10.5 cubic inches in a 2 inch deep body, which gets tight once you are stacking several 12 AWG conductors, a device and grounds. For more fill in a one-gang opening, the Allied Moulded P-181 FlexBox is a 1-gang thermoplastic switch/receptacle box rated at 18 cubic inches, and the RACO 518S gangable switch box runs 2-1/2 inches deep. Deeper boxes need the stud bay or wall cavity to accept them, so check the depth available behind the drywall before you commit.

The LXMWOW-25 is a steel box with a galvanized finish. If the job calls for a non-metallic body instead, the Cantex EZ20SB EZ Box is a 1-gang non-metallic box and the Allied Moulded P-181 FlexBox is a 1-gang thermoplastic switch/receptacle box. A non-metallic box does not carry an equipment ground through the box itself, so the ground path has to be handled at the device, which is the main change in how you wire it versus the steel LXMWOW-25.

There is one 1/2 inch knockout in the bottom of the box for conduit, so a single 1/2 inch run can be brought in. Everything else about the box is set up for non-metallic sheathed cable, with two cable knockouts at each end and non-metallic clamps installed. For an all-conduit installation a box with multiple conduit knockouts and no NM clamps is the better choice.

Yes, the LXMWOW-25 carries UL certification. That is usually what an inspector or a facility spec is asking for on a metal device box.

The LXMWOW-25 is galvanized steel, which is what you want where the box needs mechanical strength, where a metal raceway or armored cable will land on it, or where a facility spec calls for metal boxes. If you only need a cheap, deeper, non-conductive box for residential NM work, the Allied Moulded P-181 FlexBox is a one-gang thermoplastic box rated 18 cu. in., noticeably more volume than the 10.5 cu. in. of the steel box. The Cantex EZ20SB is the non-metallic choice specifically for steel stud walls.

They are not interchangeable. The LXMWOW-25 is a welded old-work switch box with non-metallic (C-5) cable clamps, two cable knockouts at each end and one 1/2 inch conduit knockout in the bottom. The Thomas & Betts LXWOWC-25 is a Steel City Adjust-A-Box 1-gang gangable switch box in pre-galvanized steel - gangable rather than welded, so it builds into multi-device openings. Pick the LXMWOW-25 when the opening is a single device and you are pulling NM cable into an existing wall.

The LXMWOW-25 is configured for old work, meaning it goes into an existing finished wall rather than being fastened to a stud during framing. For new construction on steel studs, the Cantex EZ20SB EZ Box is a 1-gang non-metallic steel stud box designed to mount to the stud itself. Reserve the LXMWOW-25 for retrofit cut-ins where the drywall is already up.

No. The LXMWOW-25 uses non-metallic (C-5) clamps inside the box for securing NM cable, with two cable knockouts at each end. The RACO 518S is supplied with a STAB-IT Series connector instead, which is a different cable entry method. If a crew is standardized on push-in cable entry, the 518S matches that workflow; the LXMWOW-25 clamps the cable at the knockout.

The LXMWOW-25 is galvanized steel, UL listed, and welded, which gives a rigid metal body that bonds to the grounding system. In damp or chemically aggressive spaces, non-metal bodies are often specified instead: the Allied Moulded 2302-NKV is fiberglass reinforced and the Allied Moulded P-181 FlexBox is thermoplastic. Note that the LXMWOW-25 is not RoHS compliant, which matters if your procurement standard requires it across the facility.

It is sold each, though the manufacturer's outer carton holds 25 boxes. Shipping weight works out to 51.4 lbs per 100 pieces, and the carton itself measures 16.4 x 6.7 x 5 inches.

No. The LXMWOW-25 is not RoHS compliant, which matters if you are buying against a green building or sustainable-procurement spec that requires RoHS documentation on electrical components.