I’m finally getting around to installing my blue series 2 in 1 switches. These are from the first batch last fall. Everything seems fine except I can’t get the switch aligned vertically high enough to match the other switches in a 3 gang. The problem is the ground screw is too high and pushed the hole off centre on an angle.
Based on this I don’t see how I can possibly install these in the current gang box without possibly completely removing the ground screw (and ground wire).
Some suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I feel like this is a design defect as the gang box I’m using is pretty standard.
What is this? You’re using a plastic box but there is a metal(?) tab in front of it that appears to be keeping the switch from be positioned as high as it should. I’ve not seen that in a plastic box, with the exception perhaps of clips that help when you’ve stripped out the plastic. But the clips I’ve seen don’t look like that.
Maybe bend that tab upward if it’s needed? But what is it, exactly??
@Bry - In the picture I posted, the switch is pushed as high as possible and you can see the screw hole does not line up.
@stu1811 - Yes, I live in Canada. Your picture is very close, if not exactly the style we have. This type of gang box is pretty common these days here and available at all major box stores. We just did a renovation and this style was used throughout the house by our electrician.
I’ll try pushing the Lutron switch to the side, but I’m skeptical this will help without bending something severely.
Yes, I can see that. Which is why I asked the purpose of the metal tab. If it’s like the picture that @stu1811 Stu posted, then it appears to be grounding via the switch’s screw. But unless you scrape the paint off of the straps on the Inovelli, they don’t necessarily ground well via the screw anyway.
So I’ll ask again . . what is the purpose of the strap? You have the switch grounded via the bare conductor, so isn’t that strap redundant? If you were in the US I’d say to cut that thing out with a Dremel because it’s getting in the way . . but I don’t know the Canadian code so . . .
TLDR, that strap is preventing the switch from mounting high enough and it seems to be redundant with the bare ground connected to the switch.
To be honest, I’m not sure it’s purpose or if it’s required by code here. Other similar plastic gang boxes I’ve seen also have the metal tab, so I would assume it’s there for a reason. I don’t feel like removing the metal makes sense in this case. The Lutron switch, which is also quite large and bulky don’t have any issues. If the ground was on the side it wouldn’t be an issue.
I suppose I could try and widen the screw holes on the switch a bit, but not really a fan of that either. I’m surprised this has not been raised by anyone else? I can’t be the only one that has this style of box.
Appears to be a Canada only thing so many of us Southerners (from you) May not know. However there’s plenty of Canadians using them, so may have to wait until they respond.
If you remove the metal strap the box would no longer meet code. Here in Canada the grounding screw needs to be bonded with the receptical. Not an issue with the standard metal boxes, and this strap satisfies that requirement with the plastic ones.
I agree it’s silly since you’re running a ground wire from the screw to the switch, but removing it could cause a denial of insurance if you ever had to make a claim.
That won’t work. When I have the switch pushed in, the strap is already pushed all the way up so there is no more movement. It’s only shown this way because there is nothing underneath and it sags. I would have to elongate the hole in the actual switch itself. Possibly risking the screw not holding as well afterwards. This is also 1 of multiple switches with the same style gang boxes used for the others
Have you looked at flipping the strap? It should just be held in place by the grounding screw. Flip it so it bonds with the bottom screw of the switch instead of the top. I’m not an electrician but I would assume that would still meet code.
I see. So it is the grounding screw in the box, not the grounding screw on the switch, that needs to be bonded. If that’s the case, flipping it does seem to make sense.
Unfortunately it appears the grounding strap is designed to only work one way. So, I don’t see any alternatives other then widening the hole on the switch, which seems quite unfortunate and potentially problematic. I checked and the other gang boxes also are oriented this way.
It might be hard to see in this picture but I’m comparing a Lutron Caseta switch (in front) to the Inovelli (behind). Lining up the screw holes shows the size is almost the exact same. The bottom lines up pretty much exact, but the Inovelli is a few mm higher on top. It’s hard to say for sure but I’m not even sure removing the switch grounding screw would help.
