Re: how to fit x10 switches in a gangbox

["BruceR" <brNOSPAM@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Moral of the story: Whenever building or remodeling specify the deepest
boxes available and a neutral in each one. It will add virtually nothing
to the electrician's bill.

From:Armond Perretta
newsgroupreader@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

> Bill Kearney wrote:
>> random735 wrote:
>>> Has anyone else had this problem?  is there a reasonable solution?
>>> is there a line of x10 switches that aren't so bulky?
>>
>> Yes, either rearrange the wires or replace the box with a deeper one.
>> Neither proposition is easy.
>>
>> If there's a lot of 'extra' wire in the back of the box it's possible
>> you could trim it a bit.  But most likely there's not enough to make
>> it worthwhile.
>
> I have 2 3-gang boxes, 1 4-gang box, and many 2-gang boxes in my home.
> Almost all of  the switches in these boxes are X10 (SmartHome).  I
> spent many a boring hour cutting back and re-arranging the wires in
> these boxes, which are pretty much standard depth boxes with little
> room for extra wire However in all cases including the 4-gang box
> everything fit in.  The 4-gang box is referred to around here as my
> "masterpiece." I saved _it_ for last.
> In several cases the common wires and some of the hot leads were cut
> way back, twisted together, and connected to a separate piece of 14
> wire that was run out of the box.  Most of the leads from the X10
> switches are stranded wire, and I was able to connect many switch
> leads to the single 14 gauge wire.  This was a big help.
>
> This is not something I would want to do more than once, and I doubt
> that a professional installer would bother doing it this way
> considering the time required.  There would probably be little
> payback for such a job.
> --
> Good luck and good sailing.
> s/v Kerry Deare of Barnegat
> http://home.comcast.net/~kerrydeare