Expanding a 2 gang box to 3

[sidwelle]

I have 2 gang box and I need to expand it to 3 gang. Looked at several videos on U-tube and others, but they all suggest removing the existing box and replacing it with 3 gang plastic. Don't like to use plastic because the threads strip to easily. I thought the industry made it simple to add another gang to the existing older gang-able romex style steel boxes ?

The existing boxes are probably something close to this:

The building is 40 years old. The boxes are gang-able, but how do gang and extra w/o removing the old ?

Thanks

[dpb]

I can't recall the last time stripped out the threads on a plastic box...must be WAY over-tightening to do so routinely enough to worry about...

...

Got to open up the wall enough to remove the screw from top/bottom of end plate to put the new box in its place -- but, not all are absolutely identical so may/may not find one that will match up with what you have. Odds aren't terrible, but not guaranteed...

In the end, it may be simpler/easier/less hassle to just pull the existing box to get access...that depends on how easily they left it to remove and whether can feed wires back thru...you never know until you try and see just what run into.

Sheet rock or lath and plaster???

[gfretwell]

You are probably going to end up with a drywall patch, just to get to the screw on top of the box (or bottom, depending on how it was mounted). One of those ratchet right angle screwdrivers with the removable 1/4" hex shank bit might be your best bet. With luck it might not be that big a patch. Don't take that screw all the way out, just far enough to get the end plate off. Enlarge the hole and put in the extension box with end plate attached. It is a wiggle and pray trick to get the ear aligned and run the screw back down. Do yourself a favor and tie a string on the extension box so when you drop it inside the wall, you can get it back. Loop the string through the holes in back, cut it off when you are done.

At the end of the day you may be asking why you didn't just cut the ears off the old box, pull it out and install a new "old work" box unless you have a lot of luck and great dexterity.

[micky]

Why not just put another single box above or beside the box that is there now?

[dpb]

On 7/7/2020 1:49 PM, micky wrote: ...

UGLEEE... :(

[Hawk]

It's easier to just remove the old box, cut the drywall and extend the opening to fit a new box and reinstall everything.

[sidwelle]

Existing wall: Drywall Starting to think its best just to pull the old stuff out. Almost sure its nailed to the king-stud by the door, may take a saws-all to get it out.

Thanks

Thank

[gfretwell]

That is the tool. Usually you put something on the wall like thin plywood or heavy cardboard to protect the wall and cut the box off the bracket. Then you can usually pry the bracket out with a flat bar. Arlington is making some pretty cool old work boxes that screw in from the inside of the box and you can adjust the depth if you get it crooked or not the right depth. The next issue is getting the wire into the box and having enough slack to work but I might not actually be stapled that tight. Once the drywall is up, you can remove the staples if you can get to them.

[dpb]

On 7/7/2020 3:56 PM, [e-mail] wrote: ...

In that case, there's no point in not just opening the wall cavity from stud center to stud center so have the room to work and be done with it.

Patching a larger section is actually easier than smaller.

[hah]

Some people have ridiculous ideas of "Ugly".

[invalid unparseable]

On Tue, 07 Jul 2020 19:46:05 -0400, [e-mail] posted for all of us to digest...

+1 for Arlington, also there is another company called Orbit that is innovating products.

[invalid unparseable]

On Tue, 07 Jul 2020 13:10:02 -0400, [e-mail] posted for all of us to digest...

Great idea, never thought of that. ;(

+1

[invalid unparseable]

On Tue, 07 Jul 2020 14:49:07 -0400, micky posted for all of us to digest...

Do they make a wallplate for that? IDK

[sidwelle]

I looked at the Arlington stuff, what I saw was plastic or vinyl. Its a pain when the threads strip out of the plastic stuff. This switch will see a lot of use (cycles), so I wanted to make as sturdy as possible.

I was in the big boxes the other day and was looking at ganging 3 Raco(s) together and screwing them in the wall/King-stud. The other end could be the version with the clamps that tighten up ? Already has the NM clamps. Looks like it would solve a lot of the problems ?

Thanks

[Jim Joyce]

I've never seen stripped threads on a plastic box. Are you improperly using an impact driver?

[gfretwell]

You may be over thinking the strip out in plastic boxes. It is a pretty mature technology but use what you like. If you can live with a drywall patch, I would cut out a strip from stud to stud about 6-8 inches high across the top of the box. If you are careful getting it out, you should be able to put that back but the big boxes usually have small pieces of drywall for patches like this. Then you only have a couple of lines to tape and mud. With that much of a hole, you have plenty of room to work. I would still try to cut the box out, nondestructively and replace it first.

[gfretwell]

When I see them stripped, guys usually just tap them out to a #8 (or a drywall screw)

[Kelly Todd]

If the receptical is hard to push into place because of 12 gauge wire or too much wire, I just grab a drywall screw and it pulls it right in. I’ve had the regular screws strip due to the pressure from the heavy wires pushing on the receptical but never had a problem using 1 1/4” drywall screws