4-gang switch boxes

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don_resqcapt19

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Staff member
Location
Illinois
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retired electrician
Just my 2 cents, a 4 or 5 or 6 gang box will look infinitely better than stacking multiple 2 or 3 gang boxes. Now if you cannot fit it that's a different story.
I agree, and for that in my house, I used 3 1/2" deep gangable switch boxes...no premium cost and plenty of room with a 3 1/2" deep box....the only issue is lead time for the cover plates as I refuse to use the gangable cover plates.
 

hillbilly1

Senior Member
Location
North Georgia mountains
Occupation
Owner/electrical contractor
I had one house where the homeowner had three exit doors to the back porch, and wanted three ways and four ways to control everything out there. Fans, light kits, wall lights and the room light at each location. Had to use super deep gangable cut-in boxes because I couldn’t find a deep enough four gang plastic box. This was in North Carolina, and yes, the inspector counted every wire! All #12!
 

SceneryDriver

Senior Member
Location
NJ
Occupation
Electrical and Automation Designer
I've noticed that boxes start getting incredibly expensive after you go to 5-gang and beyond.
It looks like they make a nice margin on 9-gangs:


Granted, they probably don't sell too many of those and so the fixed costs may be high. Also, the customers that need a nine-gang can probably afford it. :rolleyes:

How do you actually mount devices in the box? 9-gang mud ring?


ScenreyDriver
 

sameguy

Senior Member
Location
New York
Occupation
Master Elec./JW retired
1st switch out side lights
2nd entry light
3rd light into ? hallway, stairs, room, depends, progress of coming from work or grocery store.
4th left over
 

Fred B

Senior Member
Location
Upstate, NY
Occupation
Electrician
Yes.
The 3/4" raised mud rung is expensive enough, but sit down before you check out what the 1/2" one costs:

Wow, that might be enough for customer to say "go ahead an stack three sets of 3G instead. Biggest I've done is 6G and that was a bear to get a cover plate, even well before covid, couldn't imagine the lead time for one now.
 

junkhound

Senior Member
Location
Renton, WA
Occupation
EE, power electronics specialty
The 3/4" raised mud rung is expensive enough, but sit down before you check out what the 1/2" one costs:

sit down is right - about that time, take yer metal chop saw to 3 triples and tack'em together with wire feed. They are listed, right?
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Wow, that might be enough for customer to say "go ahead an stack three sets of 3G instead. Biggest I've done is 6G and that was a bear to get a cover plate, even well before covid, couldn't imagine the lead time for one now.


How about a custom box and plate I know of that is in a church built in mid 60's. Don't remember exactly how many switches but lets say there were 12, but it was two rows of six switches. On top of that the cover plate is brass with engraving telling what each switch is for.
 

Frank DuVal

Senior Member
Location
Fredericksburg, VA 21 Hours from Winged Horses wi
Occupation
Electrical Contractor, Electrical Engineer
1st switch out side lights
2nd entry light
3rd light into ? hallway, stairs, room, depends, progress of coming from work or grocery store.
4th left over

Typical:
1. Porch light
2. Pole light
3. Hall light
4. Stairway light

or

1. Porch light
2. Carriage lights by door
3. Hall light
4. Stairway light

or

1. Carriage lights by door
2. Porch light
3. Porch Fan
4. Hall light

You get the idea, lots of lights on new houses.....

I agree, automation control should eliminate these larger boes, but not yet in my work....
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
By exterior entrance doors, my opinion is the inside light switch should be the first one you reach. Here's my reasoning:

When coming in, if it's dark, the first switch should be the one that lights where you're going, not where you're leaving.

For inside rooms like dens, living rooms, and bedrooms, main lights, then switched receptacles, then fan light, then fan.

Elsewhere, larger rooms, and commercial spaces, I try to match the switch positions to coincide with the light positions.
 

McLintock

Senior Member
Location
USA
Occupation
Electrician
By exterior entrance doors, my opinion is the inside light switch should be the first one you reach. Here's my reasoning:

When coming in, if it's dark, the first switch should be the one that lights where you're going, not where you're leaving.

For inside rooms like dens, living rooms, and bedrooms, main lights, then switched receptacles, then fan light, then fan.

Elsewhere, larger rooms, and commercial spaces, I try to match the switch positions to coincide with the light positions.

I do the same thing


“ shoot low boys their riding shetland ponies”
 

James L

Senior Member
Location
Kansas Cty, Mo, USA
Occupation
Electrician
By exterior entrance doors, my opinion is the inside light switch should be the first one you reach. Here's my reasoning:

When coming in, if it's dark, the first switch should be the one that lights where you're going, not where you're leaving.
I think opposite, but for different reason.

The switch position coincides with the light position if the switch closest to the door controls what's on the other side of the door.

Suppose switches are on the right side ofvthe entry door, left switch would be outside lights.

If you were to move those switches around the jamb, into the door opening, outside is to the left. So the left switch should be for those outside lights
 

Little Bill

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Tennessee NEC:2017
Occupation
Semi-Retired Electrician
I think opposite, but for different reason.

The switch position coincides with the light position if the switch closest to the door controls what's on the other side of the door.

Suppose switches are on the right side ofvthe entry door, left switch would be outside lights.

If you were to move those switches around the jamb, into the door opening, outside is to the left. So the left switch should be for those outside lights
You should have turned those outside lights on before you left!;)
 
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