I have an exterior brick wall with a metal double gang box (why I don't know). It has a square metal cover plate (one that is made of the same material as the box itself). However, all the other switch covers around that wall are white so I am trying to find one but I searched and searched and finally concluded they don't make a single toggle swicth for a double gang box? or was I looking in the wrong place? There has to be one somewhere?
You should be able to go to any good commercial electrical supply house and have virtually any pattern of switch cover custom punched.
They will probably have all the normal ones sitting on the shelf. What worries me is your comment that the lid is the same material as the box. This is sounding a lot like a 4 square with a 4 square raised cover a bit like the top left item on this page: In order to use a conventional switch plate cover, you will need to change out the raised lid for a plaster ring like this:
And this will probably take an oversized switch plate to cover everything.
I am guessing that you currently have a 4" square surface cover on the box. Remove that and install a one gang mud ring. They come in several different depths including flat. Home Depot usually only has one or two depths, but an electrical supply company will have more choices. You can then install a regular switch plate on the switch. If you need a wide cover you can special order a double width single toggle wallplate (Not an oversize wallplate) which is a two gang wall plate with the toggle opening in the middle. Go to an electrical supply company and ask if they have a Mulberry wall plate catalog that you can look at.
Or install two three-way switches wired so that both switches control the light. That way, there's no "wrong" switch, but anyone trying to figure out what both switches control will get a surprise.
DanG you may be right. I need to take a closer look I do have a raised lid. What you mean is even if I have a double gang single switch plate it may not be deep enough for what I have.
Hi thanks. I do not have an unused hole. It is a double gang box but the switch is mounted in the middle of it. It is used to operate a commercial outdoor kitchen grill exhaust hood.
I considered that. However the wall is an exterior concrete wall with special textured stucco which is difficult to match. This is the reason I did not want to change it to a single gang box because then I have to find a way to redo the special textured stucco about an inch on both sides.
I called around a few electrical supply houses locally and they told me they don't have a double width plate with a single toggle in the middle. I will keep trying thanks!
I doubt that anyone will have the double width wallplate in stock. You will need to order it. For a white semi-gloss double width with a toggle opening in the middle it is Mulberry part #86772 (aka 1T-2G)
You're not listening well. We all think that your switch is installed on your cover, not your box. If this is so, you will need to buy an extension ring to allow you to mount the switch to the box. When you do this, the switch will be on one side, not the center.
This seems like an awful amount of discussion (almost a fixation?) to change the colour of switch cover plate?
The gist of what HAS been pointed out by a number of knowledgeable posters here, all trying to help answer the original question is that to install another style of switch plate, may require different switch to box mounting, below (inside) to install a new white finish switch plate.
That may place the switch to ones side or another. Or require a special order.
Why is it assumed the switch will, or has to stay in the middle?????
Of this particular box/plate. Has the OP had it apart (power off) and had a look at it? Or is just making the assumption it has to stay in the middle/centre?
It does rather 'sound' in this case that the switch may actually be mounted to a rather substantial metal 'cover' of an exterior style metal conduit pattern box?
Also it does appear, from the questions being asked, that the OP is not the type of person who, unlike most electricians, handy home repairers and do it your selfers etc, will not have the odd extra bits and pieces often left over from other work (where one encounters boxes of different sizes and depths and mountings etc.). Often these bits and pieces give one a good idea of what might be possible or the general construction of switch to electrical mountings; or even help to solve the question without even posting here?
BTW: If it's not a technical problem and looks safe and workmanlike why not just leave it the way it is and avoid unnecessary work?
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