Steel City 521511234EWGB Welded Steel Outlet Box, 4x4x1-1/2 In

The Steel City 521511234EWGB has a 21 cubic inch volume. Under the NEC box fill table, that works out to ten 14 AWG conductors (2.0 cu in each) or nine 12 AWG conductors (2.25 cu in each) before deductions. Remember to subtract one conductor volume for all grounds combined, one for cable clamps if used, and two per device yoke, so a single 12 AWG duplex receptacle circuit typically leaves room for the two circuit conductors plus a pigtail with margin.

Yes. The Steel City 521511234EWGB carries UL file E2969, so it satisfies inspection on commercial, healthcare, education, and multi-family work where a listed steel outlet box is specified. It is also made in the United States, which matters on federal and other domestic-preference jobs.

The 521511234EWGB is sold as a bare box, each, with no cover or plaster ring included. A 4-square box needs either a flat blank cover for a junction box or a single or two-gang mud ring sized to your wall finish depth to mount devices. Order the ring and cover as separate line items.

No. The 521511234EWGB is a welded steel indoor outlet box with open knockouts and no gasketing. For an exterior wall or other wet location use a weatherproof box such as the Mulberry Royal Mountie die-cast aluminum weatherproof box (1-gang) or a Thomas and Betts Red-Dot conduit outlet box with threaded hubs, like the 2IH3-1 two-gang with three 1/2 inch hubs. For a hazardous classified area neither of those applies and you want an explosionproof box such as the Appleton GRJ or GRJS series malleable iron outlet boxes.

The Steel City 521511234EWGB is a UL-listed welded steel outlet box for general-purpose use, not a classified-location enclosure. For hazardous areas, the Appleton GRJ series and the GRJS universal series are explosionproof malleable iron conduit outlet boxes, and the Appleton GRT75 is a malleable iron round conduit outlet box. Those are threaded conduit bodies rather than knockout boxes, so the wiring method and device mounting differ from the Steel City box.

They serve different wiring methods. The Steel City 521511234EWGB is welded steel with 16 knockouts and 21 cubic inches of volume, which suits metal raceway and armored cable where a metallic box and bonding path are wanted; it includes a ground bump for the bonding screw. The Cantex EZ Box is a PVC multi-gang residential outlet box, non-metallic and typically used with nonmetallic cable in wood-frame residential work. If the drawing calls for a metallic box, the PVC box will not satisfy it.

The ground bump is a raised, pre-tapped boss in the back of the box that takes a 10-32 grounding screw so the equipment ground can be bonded directly to the steel enclosure rather than only to the device. The box is welded steel, so the bump gives you a solid bonding point without hunting for a usable knockout. The screw itself is not part of the box, so order 10-32 green grounding screws separately if your crew does not carry them.

Welded construction means the box body is formed and welded rather than drawn from a single piece, which keeps the corners closed and the box square under abuse like concrete pours and block walls. At 1-1/2 inches deep with 21 cubic inches, the 521511234EWGB is the shallow 4-square used where stud or block depth is tight. If you need more wire room in the same 4x4 footprint, step up to a 2-1/8 inch deep square box instead of trying to make this one work.

Sixteen knockouts total, spread across the sides and back of the 4x4 box, so you can bring EMT or cable connectors in from either side, top, bottom, or from behind without repositioning the box in the wall. That count is what makes the 4-square the standard junction point when several homeruns land in one spot.

For residential new work in wood studs with nonmetallic cable, a PVC box like the Cantex EZ Series multi-gang residential outlet box is the usual choice because it needs no bonding to the enclosure and gangs easily. The Steel City 521511234EWGB is the choice where the spec calls for metallic raceway, where the box has to serve as part of the ground path (it has a tapped ground bump for that), or where a 21 cubic inch junction point is needed with sixteen knockout entries. Steel is also what commercial and institutional specs generally require.

Not a good match. At 21 cubic inches the shallow 4-square does not give you working room for 10 AWG or larger range and dryer conductors. For that application use a purpose-built device box such as the Pass and Seymour P242RRD range and dryer box.

The Steel City 521511234EWGB is a 4 x 4 x 1-1/2 inch box with 21 cubic inches of volume, which is sized for standard device and splice work rather than large-conductor appliance feeds. For a dedicated range or dryer outlet, the Pass and Seymour P242RRD is a thermoplastic range and dryer box built for that application.

The Steel City 521511234EWGB is a welded steel 4 x 4 x 1-1/2 inch box with 16 knockouts, so you punch out only the openings you need and terminate with connectors. The Thomas and Betts 2IH3-1 Red-Dot is a 2-gang conduit outlet box with three fixed 1/2 inch threaded hubs, which commits you to three 1/2 inch conduit entries in set positions and is supplied in a pack of 100.

The Steel City 521511234EWGB is a single 4 x 4 x 1-1/2 inch welded steel box, so multi-gang device layouts are handled with a mud ring or by ganging separate boxes. Where a one-piece multi-gang shell is preferred, the Cantex EZ Box is a PVC multi-gang residential outlet box and the Thomas and Betts 2IH3-1 Red-Dot is a 2-gang conduit outlet box.