A handy box is a one-piece drawn steel box about 4 by 2-1/8 inches and 1-1/2 to 2-1/8 inches deep, with rounded edges and conduit knockouts. It is made for surface mounting on masonry, steel or unfinished walls in garages, basements, warehouses and mechanical rooms, usually fed with EMT, and closed with a matching raised handy box cover. Being one piece, it cannot be ganged like a gem box.
Mechanical room is all block, surface mount everything, handy box and half-inch EMT down from the ceiling.
Also heard as
- utility box
- handi-box
Do not mix it up with
- Gem box: A gem box has removable sides for ganging and is set in a wall; a handy box is one piece and made for surface mounting.
Related terms
Gem box
Single-gang metal device box with removable sides, so several can be ganged together for a row of switches.
EMT
Electrical metallic tubing: thin-wall, unthreaded steel conduit joined with set-screw or compression fittings.
Four-square box
Square steel box, 4 inches on a side, that takes a mud ring or cover and serves as the workhorse junction and device box.