Remove Electrical Junction Box

Use a drywall saw to enlarge the existing opening to accomodate the triple gang box. Reach through the new opening to pull the wires out of the old box. Now you can use a saw/hammer/chisel to destroy the old box, then silp the nnew one in.

Only? You couldn't put in an "old work" two gang box an inch to the side of it?

I'm not happy with that. What's on the other side of the wall?

Why not just install a single gang - three switch switch? I've seen them at Home Despot many times. Decora style I think.

I agree, although I've been able to slip a flatbar between the box and stud and just pry it off. You do have to push the non fastened side of the box back into the wall first

They make 3 and 4 Switch Switches for a Single Gang box.

I've used these, they can get tight, but better then tearing a bigger hole in the wall.

Use a Dremel with the right grinding stone to grind off the head of the nail(s). It will be slow but it will leave you with a neater result.

Charlie

Typically when I replace a box with a larger box, I first trace the new box over the existing box(faceplate removed). I then cut out the wall to fit the new box. Now I have a larger hole.

Using a flat head screwdriver, I pry and work the old box off the studd. Once it's far enough off, use needle nose pliers to remove the nails. Once the nails are lose, I feel around int eh wall and makesure all cables are anchored, I don't want cables dropping into the wall. If so, I just push the cables, gently out of the old box into the wall. Once all cables cleared, I removed the box.

I Have been known to drop a box or two in the wall, with no nails it seems to pose no problems in the future.

Now this works for me, every person seems to be different, hth, and remember only qualified people shall work on electrical systems.

later,

tom @

Sparks?

Sparks? sure, but they will be contained inside the box.

Hello,

Thanks everyone for contributing to my question about adding 2 switches to 1 existing switch. I like both ideas of either removing the existing 1 gang junction box with a 3 gang box, or add a 2-gang box next to existing 1 gang box.

For the later suggestion, I face a challenge -- existing 1 gang box does not have side knock out, and I am trying to tap the electricity from this 1 gang box for the additional 2 gang box.

FYI, my house is built in 1999, and the existing 1 gang box is non-metal (seems plastic to me).

Questions:

Thanks again! Shawn

mm wrote:

You can get triple switches (with one terminal common) that fit in single boxes.

sometimes it easier to install another box at a nearby location and feed the new box from the old one or from another location.

thinking of it needs change, and i tend to add outlets etc as needed. for me its no big deal. i enjoy fishing wires that probably makes me wierd

So go out the back - where the original wires come in to the existing box.

Light brown? It's a variety of Bakelite.

There's another option: "The Clapper."

I'm sure there's another opening or knock-out.

No, not as far as I know. I'm 99.9$ sure you couldn't get them close enough together.

My suggestion was to have two boxes, and two plates of the same style.