makes positioning easy!

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wyreman

wyreman

Senior Member
Location
SF CA USA
Occupation
electrical contractor
I struggled for more than 1/2 hr to line up a three gang decora plate that had these positioning rings on.
CADDY? Device Leveler And Retainer No Load Rating - Positioning Only
http://www.erico.com/products/CADDYcfcDvcLvlrRetnr.asp

Couldn't get the spacers to line up the standard modules.
Finally gave up and put them in like always:D

Is there a secret or... is it me!:angel:
 
I'm not sure, but those look pretty neat, to me. So do the other things in that catalog.

I'm not sure they are really made for multiple gang openings. Maybe they should make them in 2 and 3 gang versions.
 
wyreman said:
I struggled for more than 1/2 hr to line up a three gang decora plate that had these positioning rings on.
CADDY? Device Leveler And Retainer No Load Rating - Positioning Only
http://www.erico.com/products/CADDYcfcDvcLvlrRetnr.asp

Couldn't get the spacers to line up the standard modules.
Finally gave up and put them in like always:D

Is there a secret or... is it me!:angel:
Click to expand...

Secret is to get the box set correctly at rough in. :happyyes:

If cut out is not tight around box that is a violation, and likely not your fault, but can be fixed with some non combustible caulk, or drywall compound. You can still use oversized wall plate if necessary to make it look better, or make drywall/painters fix it.
 
1 place the plate on switches.
2 start from one side and work your way to the other

I look at the spacing on the strap screws and see if they are evenly spaced on the devices across the box.
Don't deform the strap when putting the device in the box it will tilt the plate hole and cross thread.
Square and level will get the job done.

Righty tighty... lefty loosey.:thumbsup:
 
Siri =)

Siri =)

I was there a service call I've never seen those plates before

Figure there is supposed to help the yokes
shoulders straight on to the box

the boxes cut I nice and Titus
can be on this nice new work

Think why the earlier posters stated at best and that
These were three chopped up
single gang plates
and it would've been better as a
three gang plates
I just gave up and put them in normal
 
Switches should never cause a broken plate anyway, you dont have that push motion like a receptacle has, but... here is my two cents, I just bend the ears of the device back into the box so the device is against something, or I will use 6-32 nuts behind the device to prevent the device being pushed beyond the finished surface and breaking the plate...
 
Another little trick is a piece of 14 or 12 solid, wrap it around your phillips a few times, cut it to lenght and it's like a little spring, will kinda self adjust itself.
 
wyreman said:
I struggled for more than 1/2 hr to line up a three gang decora plate that had these positioning rings on.
CADDY? Device Leveler And Retainer No Load Rating - Positioning Only
http://www.erico.com/products/CADDYcfcDvcLvlrRetnr.asp

Couldn't get the spacers to line up the standard modules.
Finally gave up and put them in like always:D

Is there a secret or... is it me!:angel:
Click to expand...

It is you.:p.....JK:)
 
wyreman said:
Is there a secret or... is it me!:angel:
Click to expand...

Try this.....

Put your RLCs on...snug - but do NOT tighten devices....take your multi-gang plate...flip it over....place the FACE over your devices [yup, backwards].....the devices will "float into position"...remove plate...tighen up devices....check again w/invereted MG plate....smile...mount plate.

It took longer to type this then it actually takes to install the MG plate.
 
iwire said:
I try like hell to avoid all those things. :cool:
Click to expand...
In new construction, one has the control. . . but coming in decades, even a century after original installation can require some means of support when one is not rebuilding the entire opening.

I've still got a partially used box of these Erico levelers. After the first fascination with the idea, that induced me to buy them, I have found they just don't lend themselves to the task like a simple tight coil of #12 solid.
 
If you need a spacer use what you have handy. A coiled up piece of 12 awg. Other times the

mood strikes to cut the end off a Ideal tan wire nut & run your screw thru the wire nut.
 
If you need more than 1/4 inch of spacer or need spacing at all with a combustible finished wall you have violation of 314.20. If using Arlingtons non metallic box extenders (BE1 specifically) to correct this violation, often the flange of the extender is big enough to seat against the finished wall and the extender is also the needed spacer.
 
kwired said:
If you need more than 1/4 inch of spacer or need spacing at all with a combustible finished wall you have violation of 314.20. If using Arlington's non metallic box extenders (BE1 specifically) to correct this violation, often the flange of the extender is big enough to seat against the finished wall and the extender is also the needed spacer.
Click to expand...

I use these also where you have a receptacle in a cabinet like the micro-mate over the range, almost everyone one installs the receptacle flush with the drywall and never realizes that code requires the box to be flush with the back of the cabinet, but for the cost I been using those green spacers that you zigzag together how many needed to space the receptacle when you get plaster of wall board over cut and the box is back a little, I don't think plaster is considered combustible? wall board, such as dry wall, I have heard it said it was combustible, but well I have never seen any that you could get to burn, the paper glued right against the rock just will not burn as the rock takes the heat right out of the paper, loose ends will burn but it will go right out as soon as it gets to the gypsum.

I have used the Arlington extenders for box's set way to far back like where someone just installed new wall board right over the existing and they work great for that.

But what gets me is the code has never really address ceiling lights, that the open back of the canopy is right against the ceiling combustible or not, even though the box is flush with the ceiling, why doesn't UL require ceiling light to be enclosed with only an opening as large as the box?
 
hurk27 said:
But what gets me is the code has never really address ceiling lights, that the open back of the canopy is right against the ceiling combustible or not, even though the box is flush with the ceiling, why doesn't UL require ceiling light to be enclosed with only an opening as large as the box?
Click to expand...

I have questioned that one myself for a long time now - never actually thought of it while visiting this forum or when talking to others that may have something to say about it that actually means something to me anyway. Some of them have a pretty large canopy exposing quite a bit of ceiling to the interior of the canopy.
 
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