scotw
Well-known member
My current project is converting my existing garage into living space and add a new garage. The electrician installed a new subpanel for the new living space and garage and wired them both, including all lights, outlet, compressor circuits, etc.
In the existing construction adjacent to the converted garage, the was a 3 gang box.
first switch was a 3way for a circuit in the old garage which went away. Second switch was a 4 way for the lighting in the existing construction. Third switch was a 2 way for a circuit in the old garage which went away.
The wall with this existing 3 gang box is sheetrocked. The instructions to the electrician was to replace it with a 2 gang, retaining the 4way lighting in existing construction and a new 3 way to control lighting in the new living space.
He was able to reuse the existing 3way wiring out of the 3 gang box for the new 3 way switch. The 4 way remained as is. No problem so far. He did not replace the 3 gang box with a 2 gang. He said he would take care of it during final wiring.
After paying him for rough-in, he went out of business so I am taking care of this box now.
Opening up sheetrock arount the box shows the wires I expected for the 3way and 4 way switches, which are wired properly. Then there is the extra stuff. There is a 14/2+G wire labeled "hot feed" not connected to anything and three 14/2+G wires, with all blacks wire nutted togeter and all whites wire nutted together and labeled "remove".
I removed the "hot feed" from the box and installed a new single gang box for a duplex receptacle. For the wires labeled "remove", I gave them a stiff pull and two of them came right out. They were 4 foot long and apparently the electrician had cut them at the top of the wall where he had easy access to them. So far so good.
The problem is the third wire. I cannot pull it out. I don't know where it goes or how long it is. The remodeled garage has been sheetrocked so I don't want to tear that out finding out where it goes.
What is the proper procedure for handling a wire I THINK no longer has any use that I can't remove?
In the existing construction adjacent to the converted garage, the was a 3 gang box.
first switch was a 3way for a circuit in the old garage which went away. Second switch was a 4 way for the lighting in the existing construction. Third switch was a 2 way for a circuit in the old garage which went away.
The wall with this existing 3 gang box is sheetrocked. The instructions to the electrician was to replace it with a 2 gang, retaining the 4way lighting in existing construction and a new 3 way to control lighting in the new living space.
He was able to reuse the existing 3way wiring out of the 3 gang box for the new 3 way switch. The 4 way remained as is. No problem so far. He did not replace the 3 gang box with a 2 gang. He said he would take care of it during final wiring.
After paying him for rough-in, he went out of business so I am taking care of this box now.
Opening up sheetrock arount the box shows the wires I expected for the 3way and 4 way switches, which are wired properly. Then there is the extra stuff. There is a 14/2+G wire labeled "hot feed" not connected to anything and three 14/2+G wires, with all blacks wire nutted togeter and all whites wire nutted together and labeled "remove".
I removed the "hot feed" from the box and installed a new single gang box for a duplex receptacle. For the wires labeled "remove", I gave them a stiff pull and two of them came right out. They were 4 foot long and apparently the electrician had cut them at the top of the wall where he had easy access to them. So far so good.
The problem is the third wire. I cannot pull it out. I don't know where it goes or how long it is. The remodeled garage has been sheetrocked so I don't want to tear that out finding out where it goes.
What is the proper procedure for handling a wire I THINK no longer has any use that I can't remove?