New wall switch box & aluminum wire

In a bathroom remodel I'd like to add another, separately switched, light fixture. Now there is a 3-gang wall box (or there was till I ripped out), controlling the existing ceiling light fixture, a heat lamp, and an exhaust fan. The box currently has 6 cables:

1 each for ceiling light, heat lamp, and fan 1 incoming power 2 going to downstream lighting fixtures (presumably)

I know from having done this in another bathroom (same house) that I have to install a new deeper box, both to get a place for the new switch, and to get more volume to meet code requirements for wire count. I plan to use the Carlon blue plastic, deep old-work boxes.

Now to the questions:

  1. Should I replace the 3-gang with a 4-gang, two 2-gangs, or a 3-gang and a 1-gang?

  1. What is the best way to deal with the aluminum copper issue? The question is complicated because I'm using two dimmers and a timer that are not available in the CO/ALR form. Last time I wound up pigtailing practically every wire in and out of the boxes.

TIA

Ed

Reply to
Jag Man
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Thanks. Tomorrow I will go up in the attic and see how difficult it would be to drop new wire for the three existing loads. Due to the way the existing wire is routed it will be impossible to pull it out. I assume I can just leave it there. What I won't be able to do is change the aluminum wire that is going to two downstream loads.

Ed

switched,

old-work

Reply to
Jag Man

Thanks. I'll get up in the attic and see if I can drop new copper wire cables down for the three existing switched loads. I assume leaving the old cables in place, as it would be nearly impossible to remove them. Won't be able to eliminate the aluminum line cable or the two going to downstream loads. Ed

old-work

Reply to
Jag Man

Nice reply, pig tailing with proper wirenuts imho sounds like the way to go.

later,

tom @

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Reply to
The Real Tom

I find the Ideal In-Sure connectors a lot easier to use and take up less space in the box. Any problems with these? One thing I notice is that sometimes I'm faced with different wire sizes, and wonder how the the little spring strip in the connector can grip, say, a 14 gauge wire very well when there is a 12 gauge on both sides.

The problem I have with the wirenuts is getting all the wires into them at once and holding them while getting the nut started. I'm sure professional electricians do it well, but weekend warriors like me can have a hard time.

Ed

Reply to
Jag Man

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