Switch in metal door frame with side lite

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sparkyguy545

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I've got a metal door frame 2" wide with glass side lite (window). What are the restrictions (if any) for mounting a toggle switch directly in the frame? Although the switch alone can physically fit in the width of the metal frame, I don't believe I can get a back-box in the 2" metal frame. If the frame is adequately grounded, can the switch just be cut into the frame? If the switch isn't installed in the frame, the owners will need to reach over two feet in the dark to find it on the other side of the side lite. This won't go over well with them.
 
iwire said:
What is that and where can I get them?
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I've been looking. It's just like a beveled corner box, but only 1-9/16" wide. After you hack out a rectangle in the mullion, you drill and tap #4 holes to screw the box ears to the mullion with #4 machine screws. I've used them in the past, but can't find one at the moment. The one's I've used were Appleton, but it seems like they might be out of the stamped device box market now? There's even a special series of 1-3/4" wide cover plates, such as the Pass and Seymour SSTK-42-4.

A Wiremold V57240 surface switch is exactly 2" wide.

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The box you've described would work, if a part number & mfr was available. I've been digging on the Internet with no success. The owner hates surface-mount (Wiremold).
 
sparkyguy545 said:
The box you've described would work, if a part number & mfr was available. I've been digging on the Internet with no success. The owner hates surface-mount (Wiremold).
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I'm still digging. The only instances I've come across one is where I mentioned it in the past. Nothing like Googling yourself.
 
Might have to . . . but it adds complexity, etc.
I've searched just about everyone's on-line catalogs with no success.
Yet, it certainly seems like I've seen installations put into narrow mullions.
 
sparkyguy545 said:
Yet, it certainly seems like I've seen installations put into narrow mullions.
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What's worse, is I've done a few, and can't find that box. Maybe they're not UL listed anymore? I'm waiting for the person who inevidebly chimes in and says, "Yeah, they're an ABC123, and we use them all the time". Just let it stew a bit more. :wink:
 
OK, I've got a thought (that alone is frightening). Rather than add a lot of external components for L.V. control, I can use a "packaged" power controller (such as a Watt Stopper B120). This little guy mounts on the side of a j-box and includes a 24 V xfmr for L.V. control and switched 20A power contact. My toggle switch is now power-limited and all of the restrictions on 120 VAC wiring go away. I should be able to just cut this switch in the mullion (assuming I can find a narrow switch cover). Make sense to anybody? By the way, thanks for the input.
 
What have I started ?!?!
OK, back to my original issue . . . (and I apologize in advance since this is no longer an NEC question) . . . If I consider using low-voltage switching, I can mount the toggle switch directly in the mullion since it is power-limited wiring. But this leaves me with another problem. The hollow door frame is 2" wide and a standard cover plate is approximately 2-3/4" wide. Everybody makes "jumbo" plates (to cover all our mistakes), but I can't find a standard (not a special order item) coverplate that is narrower than 2-3/4" wide. Any suggestions for a wiring device cover plate for the narrow door frame? Cutting the edges off of it will look like crap since they aren't really flat.
 
sparkyguy545 said:
If I consider using low-voltage switching, I can mount the toggle switch directly in the mullion since it is power-limited wiring. .
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Only if that portion of the circuit to the switch is served by a class 2 power supply, then you can forgo chapter 3 wiring methods.

sparkyguy545 said:
But this leaves me with another problem. The hollow door frame is 2" wide and a standard cover plate is approximately 2-3/4" wide. Everybody makes "jumbo" plates (to cover all our mistakes), but I can't find a standard (not a special order item) coverplate that is narrower than 2-3/4" wide. Any suggestions for a wiring device cover plate for the narrow door frame? Cutting the edges off of it will look like crap since they aren't really flat.
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Did you follow the link to the P&S 1-3/4" wide cover plates in my earlier post?
 
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