Ugly...

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Looks like a single gang switch box mounted on top of 3 6-gang boxes. The electrician may not have had the option to use 8 gang boxes, which iirc wont fit inbetween studs on 16" centers. and the boxes, mudrings, and cover plates cost a lot more. and he'd still have 3 rows.

Better question is why someone needs 19 switches in one location... seems like massive overkill to me... certainly some of those lights could have been combined.

As ugly as it looks from the front, if it is what I think it is, I bet it's 10x uglier from the back/inside, especially if it's wired with MC.

eta: I've seen nearly as ugly in a hotel ballroom, it had like 12 single gang boxes for fluorescent, can, sconce, and chandelier lighting in one area like that. Someone built a locking plywood cover/cabinet over it all so it was hidden from general view.
 
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There are doing it wrong, you need a custom cover.
 

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Well i think it's art, why not? Why can't we be artistic? Switch art .....Device art....Lectric art.....help me out here guys....you just know some hot shot Leviton rep can run with this.....~RJ~
 
There are doing it wrong, you need a custom cover.
I know of a church that has something about like that. Installed in mid 1960's, brass plate, not quite as many switches as in your picture but at least two rows of switches in it. Primarily does the main sanctuary lighting.
 
I know of a church that has something about like that. Installed in mid 1960's, brass plate, not quite as many switches as in your picture but at least two rows of switches in it. Primarily does the main sanctuary lighting.



Pics ;)
 
mstrlucky74, you should have seen the one at the hotel I worked at. it peaked the ugly meter, due in part to 5 of the switches being 2000W rated dimmers with huge, double gang finned aluminum heatsink coverplates to control the enormous 3 tier brass chandeliers with around 50 bulbs each.

I remember it well as I got zapped hard trying to change out a melting dimmer switch, a poor 600W standard dimmer tasked with dimming a bank of 12 can lights with 100W bulbs installed. Couldnt find the breaker so I decided to work it live..made a(nother) mistake..got hit hand to hand. Was the most unpleasant experience I've ever had with 120V.

I'd like to see the wiring behind the wall... I'd be willing to bet that a 19 or 24 gang box has either fill issues or problems with bundling or securing the wire, especially in the middle set of switches. I doubt 24+ runs of 14/2 NM or MC will even go thru one top plate, wouldnt surprise me if a good chunk of that wiring goes horizontal thru the studs, into the next bays, and thru those top plates as well.

eta: how do you think the electrician who did that 24 switch setup wired his ungrounded and grounding conductors? I'm picturing someone leaving about 10' extra on the feed and stripping the insulation off the center and hitting every switch, x3 for the hot, and daisy chaining the ground too. Unless Wago makes a 30 port connector haha
 
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