[Spencer]

Was wondering if any of you guys had any tricks/best approach for eliminating a 6" can light? I'll be re-texturing the ceiling...

 

[Inner10]

Replace it with a speaker.

 

[RangoWA]

I would cap the wires off and cut out a panel from stud to stud and replace the drywall.

 

[PCI]

The ceiling can easily be patched and then sprayed when you re-texture.

Are you questioning the wiring?

 

[fugsly]

I am sure you dont mean to leave live wiring in the ceiling with no jbox access :whistling

 

[Tinstaafl]

I am sure you dont mean to leave live wiring in the ceiling with no jbox access :whistling

Absolutely nothing wrong with that. Junction boxes are required to be accessible so that if anything ever goes wrong with the junction, it can be repaired.

The NEC doesn't address abandoned live ends at all. Why would you need to access it?

 

[jb4211]

It is my understanding that you can't bury junction boxes behind drywall. They need to be accessible

 

[Tinstaafl]

Uh... why would you use a junction box when you have no junction? Again, nothing like that is required by code. Or common sense.

 

[jb4211]

I think I'm missing something.

So, you're saying you would just put wire nuts on live wires and conceal them behind drywall?

I've never heard of such a thing.

 

[Tinstaafl]

So, you're saying you would just put wire nuts on live wires and conceal them behind drywall?

Certainly. Live wires are concealed behind drywall everywhere. What is the safety concern with a properly capped wire that just happens to stop dead between a couple of studs?

I'm honestly interested in hearing if you can come up with one.

 

[VinylHanger]

Certainly. Live wires are concealed behind drywall everywhere. What is the safety concern with a properly capped wire that just happens to stop dead between a couple of studs?

I'm honestly interested in hearing if you can come up with one.

My OCD could give you lots of reasons. :whistling Whether they make sense or not, well it is OCD after all.

 

[avenge]

Certainly. Live wires are concealed behind drywall everywhere. What is the safety concern with a properly capped wire that just happens to stop dead between a couple of studs?

I'm honestly interested in hearing if you can come up with one.

I don't think the OP stated if the wires would be dead or if it powered other lights. Live or powering other lights would require a box and must be accessible.

 

[Xtrememtnbiker]

Certainly. Live wires are concealed behind drywall everywhere. What is the safety concern with a properly capped wire that just happens to stop dead between a couple of studs?

I'm honestly interested in hearing if you can come up with one.

Tin... you are making me rethink life...

No seriously... I've always thought it was wrong to leave wires in the wall, cause I'm not an electrician and don't know all the codes. But what you're saying makes so much sense.

 

[Tinstaafl]

I get the OCD bit; I suffer from that as well. But sometimes an exposed j-box is just plain unacceptable in that location, and it's economically unfeasible to spend the time and mayhem chasing down the other end of the wire to disconnect it there.

Again, where's the safety hazard?

 

[jb4211]

I'm sure I could think of plenty of I was less tired and it was earlier. But, I would never do it. I would trace the wire and disconnect it at the source first. That is not as hard as it may seem because all of the junction boxes are exposed: process of elimination.

Also, I would hate to leave the live wire in there and have the next guy come upon it by a shocking surprise. Screw that.

If a conspicuous cover is unacceptable, I would trace and disconnect. Or, not do the job at all.

I couldn't just leave lives wires sitting behind drywall. And frankly, I didn't think you could or would either until now.

 

[Tinstaafl]

I couldn't just leave lives wires sitting behind drywall.

Then you would have to surface-mount conduit everywhere you work. All modern houses have live wires sitting behind drywall.

 

[avenge]

Then you would have to surface-mount conduit everywhere you work. All modern houses have live wires sitting behind drywall.

But those are all connected inside boxes, you can't have live wires just terminated inside a wall without being within a box. And if it's in a box it has to accessible. At least that's the way I know it to be.

 

[MarkJames]

I get the OCD bit; I suffer from that as well. But sometimes an exposed j-box is just plain unacceptable in that location, and it's economically unfeasible to spend the time and mayhem chasing down the other end of the wire to disconnect it there.

Again, where's the safety hazard?

If I'm opening a wall, etc. and I find that, I know the previous guy didn't give a chit about anybody but himself. It's unsafe. I can imagine it laying against the backside of the ceiling to be found by the next plumber, electrician, whoever, with his tool in hand. Also, I don't need to "find" a live wire, capped or not, with an exposed ground close at hand. Dangerous. And that box offers a little bit of protection from the dopes that think they know how to cap a wire...but really don't.

 

[jb4211]

Now you're just playing with semantics.

Different people do different things. As I said, if this was my job I would trace the eyes and disconnect at their source so the wires are no longer live.

I don't think it would take that long.

 

[Inner10]

I'm sure I could think of plenty of I was less tired and it was earlier. But, I would never do it. I would trace the wire and disconnect it at the source first. That is not as hard as it may seem because all of the junction boxes are exposed: process of elimination.

Also, I would hate to leave the live wire in there and have the next guy come upon it by a shocking surprise. Screw that.

If a conspicuous cover is unacceptable, I would trace and disconnect. Or, not do the job at all.

I couldn't just leave lives wires sitting behind drywall. And frankly, I didn't think you could or would either until now.

You can sleep all you want but you won't come up with a good answer.

The only bad thing that can come of a capped wire buried in the ceiling is when the next guy cuts the ceiling open and wonders what the heck that wire is doing there.