I need opinions on a situation I have. Several years ago I built a pair of closets with a window seat in between in one of my kids rooms. Between the closets and over the window seat I built a soffit into which I installed a couple cans. In order to electrify this I tapped into an existing wall sconce where one of the closets went and ran new wire (romex) to a GFI receptacle and on to a switch and finally the cans. 1920s house with K+N. I covered the junction from old to new at the rear of one of the closets with a blank plate. I put the GFI receptacle in thinking that it at least protected everything downstream of it even though the circuit had no ground back to the panel. I recently rewired my entire second floor with a couple trunk lines fished to the attic and subsequent drops to all the rooms. This window seat setup however involves a tricky situation because the aforementioned junction of K+T to romex is on the outside wall of a gambrel roof. Try as i may I can’t fish to that box. I could try and hit the right spot to drop a line down to the receptacle but this could be hit or miss. On the other hand I could easily drill down into the void of the soffit pull the cans down which gives access to the void, put a box in and splice to the existing set-up. I know code says that no junctions should be covered but since I can pull the cans down to gain access to the soffit void would this pass muster. I think I would be following the letter of the law but probably not the spirit. Someone in the future could obviously gain access to this new junction but they wouldn’t necessarly know it was there because of the presence of the cans back in their operable positions. Your thoughts?
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Replies
If you hit return every once and a while paragraphing your post it is really a lot easier to read. About five lines between breaks helps. Do not have to follow your english teachers guidelines.
I believe some of the resident elect. directors (not to be confused with spark chasers) have stated that if it is accessable in this manner it is ok. A note in the can with a sharpie would help someone find it.
Edited 2/3/2005 1:15 pm ET by RASCONC
paragraphing noted. Writing habits hard to break. Thanks for the input.
Maybe I am getting old and blink more often but it sure makes it easier to follow. You are welcome.
Splice it in the junction box provided for the cans.
What you're proposing is fine, from both a practical and a Code standpoint. Make the splices in a box with a blank cover plate, then tuck it up above the the can hole. I use a box with a side-nailing flange, so I can use a single screw on a long driver extension to fasten it to a part of the framing. You might even want to use a steel box and cover plate.
Just make the splices bomb-proof--pre-twist with lineman's pliers, trim, twist on the wirenut, then tape. For this sort of thing, I use the Ideal/Buchanan C-24 crimp tool and copper compression connectors (Buchanan 1006 copper sleeves) w/snap-on insulator caps. The insulator caps can be hard to find, and the pliers cost $50 or so, but it sure is a solid connection.
The retrofit cans aren't part of the finished surface of the building, they can be removed, so the box is accessible.
The suggestion of making note of the j-box inside the can housing is a good one.
Cliff
Edited 2/3/2005 6:00 pm ET by CAP