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I'd like to replace the following electrical box, which runs a laundry:

enter image description here

What are good options for surface mount boxes?

  • It should hold the GFCI securely (not require funky mounting of the tabs, like some rounded covers do, and this octagon box did).
  • Be suitable for a second GFCI slave (four outlets total)
  • Look reasonably finished.
  • Allow for a firm clamp connection for the incoming armored cable sheath, which is the only ground in this case. The ground needs to "pass through" this box via the box.

I don't really like the look of a standard knockout box with metal cover. An outdoor box looks more robust and finished, but locally all I can find are in-use covers, which would look weird here.

Note the armored cable above, at least some of it, appears to have a grounding strip. Note the strip sticks out from one of the clamps. However everything is apparently so loose, the outlet tester says there is no ground here, or on the next outlet (which is three prong).

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I'd use a 4x4 box with a raised cover. You can get the cover in a dual GFI configuration. You say a "GFI slave", I assume you just mean another receptacle on the load side. If so then you can get a cover with one GFI opening and one duplex opening:

enter image description here

Just so you know, there is a near zero chance that that old AC cable can safely be used as a grounding conductor. Older AC cable does not have the required bonding strip. See here: How should I connect a grounding wire from a device to this box?

Box:

4" square box

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  • I know that @SpeedyPetey could manage it, but my fumbling fingers would appreciate extra workspace. To that end, I'd install a 4 gang outdoor box, with 2 blank inserts (Leviton Model # R52-80414-00W, for example). – Aloysius Defenestrate Aug 25 '15 at 14:02
  • If an armored cable has a resistive path to ground, is there any approved means by which it could be used for sensing purposes? By my understanding, if two devices whose exposed covers are connected to their grounding wires are plugged into an ungrounded GFCI outlet and one develops a fault which connects "hot" to the exposed cover (and grounding wire), both covers will remain electrically live until someone or something supplies a grounding path, whereupon the GFCI will trip. If a 15mA current-limited resistive path to ground were available, however, the GFCI would trip... – supercat Aug 25 '15 at 17:33
  • ...immediately, which would seem to be safer. – supercat Aug 25 '15 at 17:34
  • How are the ears of the fixture mounted for the rounded cover? – Bryce Aug 26 '15 at 7:04
  • @AloysiusDefenestrate for your solution, is there a non-wet location cover available for a 4 gang outdoor box? – Bryce Aug 26 '15 at 7:13

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