I have a double gang box that I'm trying to make a Zen21 fit into. It definitely doesn't fit with the tabs. The directions say the tabs can be removed and to use pliers to break them off. How the heck am I supposed to do that? The metal is fairly thick and there's no "perforation" of sorts... the whole piece of metal around the switch just starts to bend if I bend the tabs.
I feel like I'm going to break the switch if I continue. Can anyone offer some advice? Been trying to find a video demonstration, but no luck.
The tabs break off very easily. Just use a pair of pliers (regular, not needle nose) in the center of each tab and go up and down gently about a dozen times. It'll break off. Note - you only need to remove the inner tabs, and not the ones that face the outside wall of each gangbox (assuming it isn't a middle switch).
Edit:
Look up YouTube videos on how to "de-rate" a dimmer or switch. This is an example:
This was my mistake. I tried using needle nose pliers and approached from the bottom so I could grip the entire tab. My thinking was that more surface area grabbed would be better, but apparently not. Got the switch installed, with proper grounding.
