How to hide the extra gang

[al hildenbrand]

What are the two new 14/2's going to do?

Norb, let's just say I have to have a 2-gang box with no real purpose for the second gang (except getting cubes).

How do I hide the second gang in plain sight? So far we have:

1. Blank
2. Night light device
3. 3 way connected to first switch
4. Dummy switch
5. Receptacle

What other creative (fun?) possibilities exist?

 

[ceknight]

What other creative (fun?) possibilities exist?

A motion switch for a Big Mouth Billy Bass that's mounted in another room?

 

[Jljohnson]

How about an X-10 Switch to control any other load in the house, dealer's choice?

 

[1793]

A motion switch for a Big Mouth Billy Bass that's mounted in another room?

That is the best idea I've heard. LMAO

 

[monkey]

How about an X-10 Switch to control any other load in the house, dealer's choice?

That's the best idea. Insteon makes a switch that looks just like a decora and can control other devices like another half hot or a relay at the porch light etc.

 

[tallgirl]

What about ... a switched outlet?

What about ... a switched outlet?

Where does the 14/2 go to? I recall that it goes to outlets on the bed wall. How about running a 14/3 out of the box and switching half the duplex outlet so it's a switched lighting outlet?

(Then we could combine this thread with the other one and go for a new record on the forum )

 

[LarryFine]

carlon has a old work box, new on the market that has a side compartment and a rounded back. It is about 4x4 and retrofits in a single gang space. I saw one at Lowes. Guessing I would say it might be 30cu in

I just bought some of those. Remind me tomorrow and I'll look inside for its capacity, but I'm sure it's nowhere near that large.

 

[bjp_ne_elec]

Not quite following what's in the box, but is there any way the funtionc of the location in question can be moved? What's above and below this room? Can things be pulled back and put - say in the attic above, or in the basement below?

You say the back of this wall is not accessible - can you elaborate as to why?

How about a dimmer in the 2nd gang?


Brett

 

[Brady Electric]

how to hide the extra gang

how to hide the extra gang

I use a sw blank in other words put the sw in that you need in the two gang box and a sw blank in the other slot and use a 2 gang sw plate. results leaving you only one sw to use. Semper Fi.

 

[hillbilly]

How about a dimmer in the 2nd gang?
Brett[/QUOTE]


That's the best idea that I've heard. On-off control for the light and the ability to dim it, side by side.
steve

 

[monkey]

How about a dimmer in the 2nd gang?
Brett

That's the best idea that I've heard. On-off control for the light and the ability to dim it, side by side.
steve[/QUOTE]

except I thought he said the switch was for a half hot, which would be in violation if dimmed.

 

[al hildenbrand]

Where does the 14/2 go to? I recall that it goes to outlets on the bed wall. How about running a 14/3 out of the box and switching half the duplex outlet so it's a switched lighting outlet?

One original 14/2 is the feed, the 14/3 goes to a half switched duplex receptacle remote from the switch, the other original 14/2 and the two new 14/2 go to downstream load.

The question is, not how to get rid of the second gang. . .but how to "hide it" in plain sight, either whimsically or with a real purpose, while avoiding additional wiring changes.

 

[al hildenbrand]

I just bought some of those. Remind me tomorrow and I'll look inside for its capacity, but I'm sure it's nowhere near that large.

I'm real curious about that box. . .Big Vic's comment is the first I've heard of it.

 

[al hildenbrand]

How about a dimmer in the 2nd gang?

Like Monkey said: runs afoul of 2005 NEC 404.14(E)

 

[plate]

I believe the Carlon box big_vic is talking about is model B117RSW and it is 17 in^3. It is shown on page 6 of the master catalog.

http://www.carlon.com/Master Catalog/Zip Boxes_2B1.pdf

Ooops, If I had read post#17 by 1793 I would not have posted this.

 

[al hildenbrand]

So, to recap:

I have to have a single bedroom switch in a 2 gang box (for cubes, and no way to mount a plaster ring) but no "required" purpose for a device in the second gang. How do I hide the second gang in plain sight? So far we have:

1. Blank plate
2. Switch blank insert
3. Night light device
4. 3 way connected to first switch
5. Dummy switch
6. Receptacle
7. Motion sensor controlling novelty load in (another) room
8. X-10 controller for any load

What other creative (fun? or not) possibilities exist, without changing the wiring substantially, if at all? (This is about "hiding" the extra gang - that has to be there - rather than doing more, or different wiring.)

 

[hillbilly]

That's the best idea that I've heard. On-off control for the light and the ability to dim it, side by side.
steve

except I thought he said the switch was for a half hot, which would be in violation if dimmed.[/QUOTE]

You're right, I missed that point.
steve

 

[LarryFine]

Yes, 17 cu.in.

 

[al hildenbrand]

Interesting Larry,

I note that the box is only 2" deep. So it might go in walls with the studs on edge. Have you had a chance to play with it yet?

Does it work only with ?" rock.

Or will it work with other depths, 5/8", plaster and lathe, etc.?

 

[allenwayne]

Allen,

You're an outside the box kind of a thinker, what, besides a blank, would be novel to do with this extra gang. . .?

So far we have:

1. Blank
2. Night light device
3. 3 way connected to first switch
4. Dummy switch
5. Receptacle

What else. . . anyone?

Well youi could put a strobe in the extra gang that would look really cool !!!!!!Or a dummy switch that would rattle the brains of people in the future,that had no idea what it was there for in the first place.Or hook up a timer switch that turned the light the switch or in this case the receptacle off at a predetermined time,that would surely be an eye opener.OOOOO.Or just install a 2 gang with one blank and a device so the cu. in. capacity of the box is not exceeded.But as you said that is thinking outside the box.