Electrical question.

[old salvage]

I'm putting a new medicine cabinet in the bathroom.
I took the old one out easily enough but it had a light on top. Can I just cap the old wires and stuff them in the wall or do I have to install a box for them ?
Thanks for any help.

 

[HoosierBuddy]

The correct thing to do would be to find where the power comes from and disconnect the wires there. The other ends of those wires hook up somewhere. Likely to a nearby recepticle or light.

Phil

 

[64merc]

The correct thing to do would be to find where the power comes from and disconnect the wires there. The other ends of those wires hook up somewhere. Likely to a nearby recepticle or light.

Phil

Good advice here.

You certainly don't want to just stuff it in the wall, and you can install a box and cover but that would be ugly. If you don't mind the coverplate exposed, then this would probably be the easiest thing to do.

 

[old salvage]

Okay, theres a light and fan in the ceiling. I'll check there.
Thanks greatly.

 

[jamm]

THe best thing to do would be to find the power source and disconnect the wires there as stated previously. Do yourself one better and either pull the wiring out or label both ends so someone else in the future doesn't get excited.

If you do not do that and decide to use a junction box, code requires that it not be buried in the wall. In other words, you have to be able to access the box without it being obstructed.

 

[logical]

The correct thing to do would be to find where the power comes from and disconnect the wires there. The other ends of those wires hook up somewhere. Likely to a nearby recepticle or light.

Phil

More likely at the switch that used to turn the lights on.

 

[ddawg16]

All the above....good advice.

The only thing I can add is that how the wires are run will depend a lot on when the house was built.

In my 50 year old house, ALL of the light switches go up the wall and into the attic. Makes it a lot easier to change things....but you are not going to pull that romex cable out....on every switch, the romex is anchord to a stud near the box.

But I have seen on newer houses where the path is less predictable....with the typical path being the shortest distance.......or least number of studs to be drilled through....

We assume you have located identified the circuit breaker for every single device in your house and noted that information at your breaker box?

 

[old salvage]

ddawg
House was originally (1940) nice but was gutted and re-done in 1980. Whoever did the renovation turned it into 'the house that jack built'.
Anyway I actually traced the wire back to exhaust fan and just disconnected it.
Given the hack nature of everything else I was surprised it wasn't some sort of rat maze.
Thanks to all for the help.