How do I properly terminate a dead electrical line
pizza
| Posted in General Discussion on
Hi.
I I found a dead electrical line in the ceiling of our basement. It is not hot and I can only follow it so far before it goes up into the ceiling ((which is the floor of the first floor) headed somewhere. It is a dead line, I’ve tested it with a volt meter. I’ve tried all switches in the house to see if it gets activated somehow by them and it doesn’t. The bare ends were taped over by someone prior to me buying this house and they are just hanging in mid air.
How do I deal with this “by the books”? Can I simply install a utility box there, put the wires into it, cap the ends with wire nuts and then close the box with it’s cover?
Thanks
Replies
Your utility box solution is not the "simple" one. But it is the responsible and safe way. Most people would simply cut the wire off short and push it up into the hole. Go for the box, wire nuts, and maybe an explanatory note written on the inside of the cover. A future owner will thank you for that.
Yep, the "legal" way is to
Yep, the "legal" way is to stick it in a box. In theory, the box needs to remain "accessible", though there's no practical problem (other than nit-picky inspectors) if it doesn't, assuming you've doubly guaranteed that the wires can't come into contact with each other..