Old Work Electrical Boxes, Retrofit Boxes, or Remodel Boxes

Old work electrical box
Retrofit electrical box
Remodel electrical box
-Box Brands
Raco
Crouse-Hinds
Carlon
Cantex
Southwire Smartbox
Gardner Bender
Legrand Slater
-Screwdrivers
Ideal
Greenlee
Klein
Southwire
-Tools
Porter Cable (Power Tools)
Lenox (Jab Saw)
Zircon (Stud Finder)
Tool Bench Hardware (Torpedo Level)
Fluke (Combination Pliers)
-Extras
Southwire Romex (14/2 and Copper Wire)
Raco (Grip-Lok Straps)
Gardner Bender (Ground Screw)
Office Max (Pencil)

[@gregm.857]

Absolutely EXCELLENT video! You showed me several box types I've never seen before (because the big box stores don't carry them). These are real problem-solvers. VERY informational content. (And no meaningless music, no ego-driven blather, just the exact content I needed.) Thank you again for posting this! You're a real champion!

[@toollookchannel]

Thanks for sharing your excellent feedback; so much gets edited out from these takes in favor of timing and which parts don’t feel like they go with the pace of the the content.

[@demontekdigital1704]

HO-LEEEEE CRAP, you just saved my butt! I have a 2-gang light switch box and a 1-gang light switch box about 2 inches apart from each other because the original owner of my house bought a fridge so big for the space it's in that he had to not only cut the trim from the doorway to the kitchen out, but he also had to remove the kitchen light switch. His solution was to put it on the other side of the wall so it's now in the hallway. It's a sore spot for me because he used an old work box, which normally would be fine, but he cut the hole too big and the box didn't want to stay secured to the wall. That Southwire smart box is exactly what I need, but in a 3-gang, and Lowe's carries them. Now I can remove the original 2-gang new work box from 1980, and replace it so all 3 light switches will be in one box. THANK YOU for sharing this!!

[@toollookchannel]

Thanks, I’m glad this helped. Those Southwire hybrid boxes are a life saver. I would do the same and then try to repair the drywall. Good luck.

[@demontekdigital1704]

@@toollookchannel The operative word being "try" for me, lol. Definitely outside my comfort zone, but if I don't get past that nothing will ever get done.

[@toollookchannel]

@@demontekdigital1704 at least you have a very good solution to work with. Hybrid box ‘for the win’

[@johnnydngrs]

just what i needed to know. going with the blue box

[@toollookchannel]

No problem; blue ftw

[@vince6829]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@toollookchannel]

You’re welcome and thanks for watching

[@toddbarney4738]

When working with the plastic boxes, I've gotten into the habit of running the screw for the ears all the way down and then back out, before I install it. This loosens it up just a bit, and makes it much less likely the ear will flip over while trying to tighten it down.

[@toollookchannel]

Hehe, same here

[@knight1987]

Dude thank you so much for this video. The items towards end is what I have been looking for

[@toollookchannel]

You’re welcome. I’m glad it helped.

[@Roy-ij1wq]

You can get the same advantage of the longer screw shown in the Slater box shown at 5:43 in the video by flipping the paddles on the blue over and screwing them in from the other end. This gains about 1/4" which is enough for plaster walls and 5/8" drywall.

[@toollookchannel]

Perfect; thanks for bringing it up. This is should help those who are in that situation. Indeed, flipping the wings, or snipping them does work in most cases. I was nervous to put that in, because some plaster walls are thicker. Good one

[@andrewhoffmann2077]

Incredible explanation, thank you

[@toollookchannel]

You’re welcome. Feedback like this drives me to make more content. Thank you.

[@gregm.857]

I meant to ask you earlier, WHERE did you get this huge selection of boxes? Did you get all of them at a REAL electrical supplier in a big city? Out here in central PA the real suppliers have surrendered to the big box stores, who carry only a narrow selection, and usually half of it is out of stock at any given time. I remember when I was about ten years old, how much I enjoyed looking through my grandfather's catalog of plumbing fittings ... wow, what a selection! Your video was almost that much fun. Thanks again for your excellent work putting it together!

[@toollookchannel]

I purchased the Gardner Bender, Southwire, and Cantex boxes at my local Lowe’s, (there’s good variety there). I ordered the Legrand box and one old work steel box. Everything Carlon was from Home Depot.

[@thenexthobby]

Very nice overview! The Legrand "Slater" is also findable by the parent company name (Pass & Seymour, same P1-16-W part). It's metal ears are much nicer to work with than the plastic ones on the Carlons that sorta squish. My old house has 3/4" tongue-and-groove walls, and that's before any cardboard wallpaper backing or 1/4" drywall, so the P1-16-W is what I'll use. I'd like to try the Southwire (Arlington's another brand) that screws into a stud, but I don't know that I can find a stud finder that'll work on my walls.

[@toollookchannel]

If you have a wiring device on the wall you’re working on, remove the wall plate, find the stud, and using a measuring tape might work as your guide. Your next stud is very likely 16 inches away “on center”. The Zircon MetalliScanner M40 might help finding nails that would go on a the stud, it’s a bit pricey, but it might help get you closer to the best judgment of where the stud might be. Another way is to work low around the trim by removing it and drilling a small hole through the “tongue and groove wall” just a little more than 1 1/2 up from the floor and attempt to drive a small nail to see if it’s still feels like it’s going through wood. If so…then that’s your stud. Good luck

[@thenexthobby]

@@toollookchannel Thanks for that. Yesterday I bought a Franklin Sensors M150 at Lowe's and it seems to find the studs. It'll be another week before I go into the walls to confirm. I thought I'd located the Legrand "Slater" online at Home Depot and drove 40 miles to my nearest store. H-D shares the same SKU for it with the blue Carlon. The clerk told me it's the same thing. Such a waste of time, but I'll some pick some up online from a reputable seller instead. Finding the studs seems to me irrelevant for mounting, however. My studs are recessed 3/4" and I'd need 3/4" worth of extenders, which wouldn't likely be legit even they worked. Also, with my luck, I'd insert the box and it would fall down into the wall before I could screw it into the stud. I think I'll stick with the ears instead. Even with the cover plates off I can't yet determine how the original receptacles are mounted, but I know it's not to the studs ... they didn't need to do that since the wall is 3/4" hardwood.

[@toollookchannel]

Try an ebay seller for the box, because usually what you see is what you get with those private pictures from those private sellers. You do want to find your studs to avoid the big mistake of cutting over where the stud is, not sure if a jumbo wallplate would save you at that point. And about the box…if you hold the Southwire box with pliers, try to hold it, or use tape that sticks inside the box and out to the wall, that should hold it for a few minutes.

[@thenexthobby]

@@toollookchannel Agreed. I'd still need to overcome the depth deficit if I attached back to a stud. I can use the box type with ears even if it's up next to a stud.

[@blockhead3654]

Awsome thanks

[@toollookchannel]

You’re welcome

[@ramonnavarro2457]

MUY BUENO

[@stevend984]

Just reaching out... I am approaching a dilemma and I cannot find any info on my next task so I thought I would reach out and see if I can get some feedback. I have and am sound proofing my middle bedroom to be my new home recording studio. The walls are secure with triple insulation including 1-1/2 rigid foam insulation sealed with insulation spray foam. This room is not only dead silent now it is completely air tight...except for my ceiling. The only thing left is the ceiling. My plan is to also apply the 1-1/2 rigid insulation sheets to the ceiling. Once done the entire room will be completely covered in 2-inch acoustic foam panels. Here's my issue. I need to drop my ceiling light fixtures down about four inches. Wiring is not a concern, but I'm not sure how to securely drop & mount the box to remount my lights to clear the double foam. Your thoughts?

[@toollookchannel]

Using an adjustable bar hanger with a ceiling box that has a 1/2 KO flat cover, attached to a conduit which extends to another box below, might work. (all metal is best). Ceiling box extenders will may help. They’re mostly metal, so if you’re attaching them to plastic, be sure you ground them with a grounding clip, or tap a new hole for a ground screw. Since this is a (retrofit) old work boxes video, the Southwire “Shark Tooth” should reach in 2 inches if you cheat with longer screws and a bit of patience. 4 inches is quite a stretch for a retrofit box.

[@stevend984]

Thanks for the assist.

[@AltruisticWarrior]

The Cantex box is just... dumb. Blue one is a far better design. Thank you for demonstrating both common options.

[@toollookchannel]

You’re welcome. The earlier Carlon boxes had the same template system as the Cantex. I believe at one point Carlon was selling more and Cantex may still be going through their old stock.

[@nmende00]

This is like Legos for adults.

[@toollookchannel]

Haha maybe

[@PowerfulElectricalLLC]

Legos for DIYers😅

[@atreyuduke5607]

Uoi

[@Funkyourdauter]

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