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I installed the first smart switch (out of 3 I want to install in my mobile home) in my bedroom, but the wall is too narrow and the box doesn't fit - it sticks out.

It's on the wall when you enter the room which also acts as the closet wall on the other side.

My question is, is it up to code if I would open the wall from the closet side to make the electrical box fit? It would protrude from the closet side - but I can make a drywall enclosure to cover it.

Since it's inside the closet it's not aesthetically offensive, but don't know if it's up to code and when I sell the house, it would be a problem. I am rereading this and it sounds crazy, but I don't know what else to do.

This is the box I was going to use. 3 5/8" Depth and the inside wall to the border of the outside wall is 3" so it's sticking out 5/8"

enter image description here

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  • Pictures always help people understand the "by how much" you're talking about.
    – FreeMan
    Commented Jan 9 at 18:57
  • upload images directly to imgur.com, then paste the links directly into your question. Someone will embed them for you.
    – FreeMan
    Commented Jan 10 at 12:39

2 Answers 2

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There's a box for that! Mobile wall box These give you enough cubic inches while fitting in the skinny walls. The side that goes behind the drywall hinges outwards to tuck wires in, then snap closed and slide in wall, tighten screws on "wings" and done. mobile box These boxes fit every device I've ever tried, except for range/dryer outlets. GFCIs, dimmers, fan speed controllers, etc, all go right in . Also, dry wall repair is not needed. They fit into the same size hole as any other single gang cut-in/old work plastic box; just push them in sideways slipping the hidden side behind the drywall. That's why it's rounded on the back. Also available in 2 gang. I live in a town with a LOT of older mobiles and have installed many hundreds of these over the years. Trust me, they work great.

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  • This does seem to be exactly what the doctor ordered! EXCEPT that a smart switch (or any Decora-style device) is deep and can't be shoved to the side where the extra room is. This might work, might not... May also take opening up the wall a little more than the OP wants to and repairing it afterward, but he seems to be willing to do drywall work around a deep box hack, so doing a little drywall repair without the hackey box sticking out of the wall seems even more reasonable. Still +1 for finding a shallow wall box with extra CIs.
    – FreeMan
    Commented Jan 10 at 12:43
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    These boxes fit every device I've ever tried, except for range/dryer outlets. GFCIs, dimmers, fan speed controllers, etc, all go right in . Also, dry wall repair is not needed. They fit into the same size hole as any other single gang cut-in/old work plastic box; just push them in sideways slipping the hidden side behind the drywall. That's why it's rounded on the back. Also available in 2 gang. I live in a town with a LOT of older mobiles and have installed many hundreds of these over the years. Trust me, they work great.
    – Keith
    Commented Jan 11 at 13:53
  • That's good info! Please edit that into your answer to help the OP and others in the future who may read the answer but not the comments. An additional +1 for you! (if only...)
    – FreeMan
    Commented Jan 11 at 13:56
  • Was gonna post this same box, good thing I read down through the responses!
    – Huesmann
    Commented Jan 11 at 13:58
  • @Keith I went to get the Mobile Wall box, but it is indeed too shallow still for the smart switch and the wiring will not fit with all the twisted wires and nuts, but it was a good try. I will use the metal box and then I will create a drywall box on the closet side to have enough space and maybe create a shelf for the closet to make that drywall enclosure useful. I have to do this in another room too so I'll test this out here to see if it works.
    – Zui King
    Commented Jan 12 at 7:45
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Often in the thin walls, the switches are boxless. If there is a proper box, the simplest way is to use a Legrand Wiremold surface conduit starter box, a tasteful box extension even if you don't attach any surface conduit to it lol.

How will you protect the wires going in and out of the box?

I would use a steel or aluminum box such as a Greenfield outdoor box, which is tough enough for direct exposure, and more importantly has wires entering the sides, instead of the back. I would not use a 99 cent steel box because the knockouts easily take damage.

Another option is a short 99 cent steel extender box (open back) with all wires coming in the side knockouts within the wall thickness. Then a steel box with no knockouts such as a Greenfield behind that, protruding into the closet.

Plastic boxes are absolutely not tough enough for direct exposure, except for some of the outdoor gray boxes.

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  • That's doable!! but with the Steel Box, would I still need to cover it with drywall? I'm just thinking that - God forbid- there's any shorts - the closet is a fair game for flammable items.
    – Zui King
    Commented Jan 9 at 18:57
  • @ZuiKing a steel box that does not have easily removed knockouts should be fine, but drywall never hurt. It's a great firestop.
    – Harper - Reinstate Monica
    Commented Jan 11 at 0:19

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