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Switch box too small for all those wires and wirenuts and our new HA light switc

Switch box too small for all those wires and wirenuts and our new HA light switc


  #1  
Old 10-14-17, 04:29 PM
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Switch box too small for all those wires and wirenuts and our new HA light switc

I just tried installing a new Leviton Z-Wave light switch and it works perfectly - but I cannot for the life of me stuff it back in the box with all those wires and wire nuts. Is there some magic trick that I am missing to get this all to fit or is this a common occurrence with home automation switches and thus I have to look for a different solution? Like replacing the box with a bigger one? Or admitting defeat and calling in an electrician?

Any tips or advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

I installed this switch on our back wall that is an outside wall. The new switch controls our outdoor lights for use with our Wink Home Automation system.

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Last edited by PJmax; 10-15-17 at 02:54 PM. Reason: cropped/expanded picture
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Old 10-14-17, 04:40 PM
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Scotch makes a nice little wire nut. I use them when I'm in a jam like that.
 
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Old 10-14-17, 05:43 PM
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Replace the box with a deep old work box.
 
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Old 10-15-17, 02:57 PM
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I enlarged the picture. That looks like a shallow metal slap on box. A bit tricky to replace as it looks to be in plaster. The wiring looks to be NM-b as I see a ground wire.

That Z switch has a place for two wires per screw terminal. You may be able to make use of those too.
 
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Old 10-15-17, 07:37 PM
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It's going to be tricky as you know. Here's a link to a shallow old work box with more room for connections:

Carlon 1-Gang 17 cu. in. Shallow Old Work Box-B117RSWR - The Home Depot

You could also try push in connectors, or eliminate the wire nuts and use crimp sleeves with electrical tape. Both the sleeves and the push in's are permanent connections.
 
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Old 10-15-17, 08:16 PM
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Oh wow, this is all great information! Man am I learning stuff from this forum! I am determined to make this work. I will try the suggestions to see I can make it fit within the existing box but if I can't, I am going to try the work box solution.
 
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Old 10-21-17, 07:41 PM
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All stuffed in and working!

So I did finally get the switch all stuffed in and it still works. I used the dual connections on the switch terminals where possible and used push-in connectors instead of wire nuts. Then I just tried to bend the wires as efficiently as I could and stuffed the connectors as far back as I could. Even then, the switch was bulging out but after I screwed in the switch the bulge was minimal. Regardless, I have a new appreciation for what electricians must face on a regular basis.
 
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