In a bedroom I have a standard 15 amp circuit that serves several outlets. I want to make the last outlet in this circuit disappear – i.e. remove the last outlet, remove the box that holds it, and patch the sheetrock.
Of course that would leave a hot wire in the wall. I can think of a couple of ways to make it safe – like going to the next box “upstream”, disconnecting that wire from the device in the box, and putting wire nuts on all loose wires – but I’d like to know what a professional electrician would do.
Thanks.
Replies
>>I'd like to know what a professional electrician would do.
IMHO
Cut the eposed wire end off right up to the romex sheathing, go to the next box "upstream", disconnecting that wire from the device in the box, cut the wire short again and push it outside the box.
SamT
Edited 10/18/2004 2:05 pm ET by SamT
Seems to me the safest (if I'm understanding you correctly) is to go to the second to the last box, and disconnect the feed to the last box entirely, hence no loose wires at all...
Cutting everything off like that makes it impossible to change your mind and re-connect things later. Simply disconnecting it at the next box upstream would leave everything dead from there on down. I'm not sure what code says about that, but I think it would be safe to bury the dead box in that case. Of course leave all the ends wire nutted.
The other consideration is whether abandoning this outlet puts you in violation of the 6 foot rule.
-- J.S.
I finally got hold of an electrical inspector and he said that I would be OK to go with my original idea - wire-nutting the loose ends in the upstream box. Your idea sounds good though and I appreciate you taking the time.
Thanks also to everyone else in this discussion.
did U tell him you were going to bury that end and the box behind drywall?
I have no idea if that's legal ... but .... I do know a live wire hidden in a wall that goes no where isn't a good idea when it's so easy to just snip both ends and be done with it.
If you are patching with drywall .... you have no plans to ever go back.
So why chance it?
Did you also give the layour of the room? I'm thinking if a receptical was there in the first place ... code probably dictates it be there.
I'd not go the simply route you are planning.
I'd either snip it al both ends ... making sure it's now dead and gone ...
Or ... most likely ... I'd just cut and nut the far end wires and install a blank cover plate ... so when the next electrical instection happens ... while the guy is saying you have to have a receptical there to meet code ... it'll all be ready.
Jeff
The best way to hide an outlet is to have someone come in and install new drywall. ;)
Yeah, I was going to say I know some rockers who are really good at making electrical boxes disappear.
But seriously, I'd disconnect the Romex upstream and LABEL both ends. "Disconnected at upstream box 4 feet to the right" and "Disconnected feed to box 4 feet to left"
So that anyone in future can kow what happened, not unknowingly reconnect it, or reconnect it properly if they choose.
And then put a blank plate over the de-energenized box.David Thomas Overlooking Cook Inlet in Kenai, Alaska
The way I figure it, if you're going to bury it, it's lost forever. If you are gonna lose it forever, might as well lose it all the way.
If you are gonna cap it, might as well leave the outlet there, who knows it may be useful.
SamT