Brickeyee, Apparently there was some mis-communication about the use of plastic boxes with metallic clad cable. I knew that the clamps were rated for NM and presumed you were talking about the entire box. Spencer, Interesting question regarding bonding. Obviously we're talking about cable like type MC with a separate grounding wire or flex with a separate grounding wire. AC couldn't be used because there would be no way to ground the device ruling AC out immediately. If there was a fault and the jacket became energized the current would have to travel down the jacket until it reached a metallic box. I don't understand your comment about 100 ft up and 100 ft back. Seems like it would be a straight shot to me but maybe I'm not seeing something. If the code requires both ends to be bonded (I don't know) then a bonding lock nut seems to be the only way to accomplish that.

That was probably your best option. Electricians, plumbers, alarm and media installers do that and worse to ductwork all the time. For future reference, they do make a surface mount electrical box for these cases - it's only just over half an inch deep so it can be mounted directly on a ceiling joist. In a retro application, you'd be cutting the drywall carefully away to expose it, repairing/installing a vapour box over it up in the ceiling. The downside to these thin boxes is they don't have a lot of space for wires, so you wouldn't want to use it in an instance where you have a bunch of wires entering unless you had room in the fixture to allow them to fit inside, assuming that's permissible by code.

bigbird_1: In the USA (NEC territory) the circuits need to have a 20 amp capacity, and there needs to be at least 2 such circuits. However, the individual receptacles can all be the NEMA 5-15R configuration (e.g. won't accept a 20 amp plug). Split receptacles are not required, but they are allowed. The ability to plug in an appliance that needs a 20 amp circuit really should be done on a dedicated circuit. Plugging in such an appliance on the regular multi-outlet circuits means you are pushing that circuit to its maximum capacity immediately, which means you can have overload problems using the same circuit elsewhere in the kitchen. Where there might be an issue is people who use a split receptacle and put each receptacle on a separate circuit. Since the code requires the circuit be a 20 amp circuit, and also requires that a circuit with a single outlet be protected at the rating of the outlet, this may require the NEMA 5-20R configuration. This comes down to the interpretation the rule regarding the rating. A duplex NEMA 5-15R receptacle is really rated at 20 amps. But whether that rating is usable when the receptacle is split to still protect it with a 20 amp breaker is the issue. My own kitchen receptacle plan avoids that issue. Each point where receptacles will be located will have 2 duplexes (4 outlets total). The left duplex will be on one circuit and the right duplex will be on the other circuit. For my own reasons (not required by code) these will be wired with split neutrals (not shared) and use a 2-pole breaker so that if the breaker is opened (intentionally or tripped) everything in the same box will be de-energized. I can then wire this arrangement with a separate breaker for each outlet box (a lot of circuits) or parallel everything (2 120 volt circuits) or something in between (say, maybe 4 120 volt circuits). One reason for putting 4 outlets this way is I want to have the ability to have 2 plugs in without one being above the other. They will all be 5-15R (not 5-20R), which is fine on a 20 amp circuit because it is at least 2 outlets per circuit. I may also have additional outlets with 5-20R, 6-15R, or larger, if I identify specific appliances that need them. Personally, I think the "at least 2 circuits of 20 amps each" rule is a bit silly. I think instead, it should be "at least 2 circuits of 15 or 20 amps each with at least a total capacity of 40 amps in these circuits". With the latter rule, 3 circuits of 15 amps would be allowed, and satisfy all the intentions I can see for a kitchen. Personally, I prefer an even higher total capacity in the kitchen, since peak demands in rare instances could be very high, such as when "the family is all here" and you end up with half a dozen cooks in the kitchen, each having brought along their favorite monster cooking appliance. Though rare, the 5-20R and maybe even the 6-15R might be needed (along with some big A/C BTUs).

Okay, hang in there with me please. I've found Pass & Seymor's "TradeMaster" decorator switches and this is what they say: # External screw-pressure-plate back and side wired. Accepts #12 and #14 AWG. # Push wire #14 AWG. Does that mean that you have the option of doing a "push-wire" (same as "back stab?) installation? If so, that's what I'll have to get for the illuminated-when-off switches I want in certain places. (P&S does not offer them in their Specification Grade.) But, for the rest of the regular decorator (rocker panel) switches, I don't have to get their Tradesman. They are available in Specification Grade Decorator Switches. And for those it says: "Internal screw-pressure-plate back and side wire capability for easy installation with #14-#10 stranded or solid copper/copper clad wire. Terminals made of high conductivity brass and serrated for maximum wire gripping." That's all it says. Is this Spec. Grade Decorator Switch from P&S one that would give me a no-push-wire switch?? Because it seems like that feature is what makes the switch a more reliable product. (Same for receptacles.) Thanks for your patience. This seems complicated, at least to me.