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Electrical Wiring

EXPERTS! - Can you cover junction boxes?

16 years ago

I bought a house about 3 years ago. First time homeowner, and I know I did some things incorrectly. First off, I had 2 boxes in my wall, one above the other which controlled the old ceiling fan. That fan was removed, and a new one installed. The bottom switch was unnecessary, so it was removed, and since the box was not being used, I capped off all of the exposed wire ends and patched over the box. Looking at some other posts I realized that this is probably not appropriate. Is that correct?

Also, I have a 2-gang box in a separate location as there was another light on the wall. Well, that light was removed, and its switch. So now I am only using 1 switch in a two gang box, with the remaining wire from the old switch still in there (wire nutted off--yes it needs to stay there since the electrical was daisy chained to another light switch in another room). My problem is, I havent been able to find a switch cover that covers a 2-gang box but with only 1 hole in it for a single switch off to one side. Can I use a single gang switch plate and just patch over the one side to make the opening smaller for the single plate? Or, I am a forced to use a 2 switch plate with an extra hole in it?(looks horrible!)

Thanks

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Comments (7)

cobraguy
16 years ago
(1) My understanding is you cannot cover the box as you've done since it contains live connections. If the wires inside the covered box were totally retired, you may have a different situation. You would need someone here to give a more informed opinion of the code.

(2) Why not just remove the double gang box, do your patchwork, and install a single box. Keep box fill requirements in mind.
border411
Original Author
16 years ago
1) I actually just got done exposing that one box I had hidden, and installed a blank plate on it.

2) I would remove that double box and replace it, but literally all the wires that are running into it take up all the extra room. I wouldnt be able to fit it all into a single gang box. I thought I read somewhere as long as the wire are accessible without having to remove any permanent part of the wall, than the box can be covered. Well, it is accessible, only partially covered over.
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normel
16 years ago
You can find sectional cover plates at L* or HD that you can configure with a switch and blank, or visit an electrical supplier to special order a plate with a blank and switch opening.
hendricus
16 years ago
Another post was talking about a mud ring to use a double box for fill and bring the dimensions at the opening to one cover. Probably have to recess the existing box slightly to accomodate the mud ring.
itsunclebill
16 years ago
A mud ring will only work if using a single gang mud ring to replace a double. If the box is a 2 gang rather than 4 square a mud ring won't fit. An electrical supply house should have either a 2 gang cover plate with a single switch opening (got one from mine last week) or a filler that blanks off the second switch hole in a standard 2 switch plate. The big box stores stock the sectional plates as normel pointed out but they look terrible
andy0225
16 years ago
what about just putting in a dummy switch?
hendricus
16 years ago
For 39 cents that is the easiest and cheapest solution.

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