Is this against common practice?

[roosh725]

Let me preface this- I understand what the code is in my area. But I’m asking in the sense of general electrical safety.

I am in the process of finishing my basement and I plan on putting drywall on my ceiling. I have about 10 of these junction boxes with lights on them. The boxes are too deep 1-1/2 for my drywall plans so I found these from Garvin which are 1-1/4 deep and would work. So w plus it be ok to removed the lights, replace the boxes with the thinner ones, cap off or remove the unused wires that went to the lights, and placed a cover on them. Then Drywall right over. I don’t plan on needing to access these ever. They just go to outlets on the main floor.

Thank you in advance.





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[sberry]

If its got a junction in it cant be covered. Here is something to consider. It dont gotta be the way it was. You can reroute the other wire etc? Even go so far as to pull a new longer wire if I had to and get rid of it all if you dont need it.

 

[Shiftless]

So could the O.P. pull all of the wires out of the conduit and replace with continuous runs serving only the receptacles on the main floor. Then put covers on the 4x4 boxes and drywall over them?

I wouldn’t do it that way, but since there would not be any wire connections in those 10 boxes, wouldn’t it be “legal” to cover them?

That sounds like more work than simply ripping all of that out and starting over again.
If it’s gonna be finished, just run NM cable through holes drilled in the joists and be done with it.


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[sberry]

That sounds like more work than simply ripping all of that out and starting over again.
If it’s gonna be finished, just run NM cable through holes drilled in the joists and be done with it.

This is what I am saying to do, re route/replace some wire and tear that out.

 

[sberry]

I would tend to think it would be a sleeve for protection if the wire was continuous, the steel would need to be grounded. If I was doing the wall or ceiling and the finish removal of all I could might be worth it.

 

[grounded-b]

No, It would not be legal and would not be "common practice" to cover any electrical box with drywall, or any other "non-removable" surface.

NEC 314.29 Boxes, conduit bodies and handhole enclosures to be accessible

Even if the wire is pull through the box, without splices, it needs to be accessible. Think how hard it would be, if someone in the future, pulled out those wires, not knowing there was a J-Box in the run, and tried to push a fishtape back into the conduit. It would be nearly impossible to get the fishtape to hit the other conduit, once it got to the box.

Here's an idea - replace the boxes with your 1 1/4" deep, 4" squares. Install a square to round plaster ring, matching the thickness of your drywall, and then once the ceiling is finsished, install round blank covers. I believe Arlington makes a nice plastic one, which has no exposed screws and can be painted to match. it's number CP-3540

http://www.aifittings.com/catalog/miscellaneous/ceiling-box-cover/CP3540

Steve

 

[grounded-b]

So could the O.P. pull all of the wires out of the conduit and replace with continuous runs serving only the receptacles on the main floor. Then put covers on the 4x4 boxes and drywall over them?

I wouldn’t do it that way, but since there would not be any wire connections in those 10 boxes, wouldn’t it be “legal” to cover them?

.

No, even if there are no splices, it is still a box, and can not be buried behind drywall, or other non-removable surface

Steve

 

[Shiftless]

No, even if there are no splices, it is still a box, and can not be buried behind drywall, or other non-removable surface

Steve

Thanks
Then definitely tear it all out.
The extra work of swapping for thinner boxes, untwisting and retwisting a hundred connections, cutting holes in the drywall for all of those rings and then just capping them off with blank covers, even good looking ones, seems like a losing proposition.

 

[nadogail]

IMHO, Concealed boxes with wire in them should not exist.

 

[roosh725]

Thank you all for the suggestions! A great help!


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[mcbane]

I like doing things the hard way so if I wanted the lights I would just remove the screws that hold up the conduit and boxes. Do only one portion at a time and use a sheet rock lift the slide the Sheetrock between the conduit and the joists. Reinstall the mounting straps and box screws and proceed to next section. Not really as hard as it sounds.


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[roosh725]

I like doing things the hard way so if I wanted the lights I would just remove the screws that hold up the conduit and boxes. Do only one portion at a time and use a sheet rock lift the slide the Sheetrock between the conduit and the joists. Reinstall the mounting straps and box screws and proceed to next section. Not really as hard as it sounds.


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My whole idea is to hide all the above behind the Sheetrock. I want the basement to feel like any other room in the house as much as possible.


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[wyliesdiesels]

My whole idea is to hide all the above behind the Sheetrock. I want the basement to feel like any other room in the house as much as possible.


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might as well run NM-b then, unless youre in chicago...

 

[teamextreme]

Every basement finish I do involves demoing all the existing wiring. As Wylies mentioned, not sure why there's EMT there, rip it out and run romex, unless you're in Chicago.

 

[roosh725]

might as well run NM-b then, unless youre in chicago...

That’s what I’m doing for all the new runs


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[MrSurly]

The so-far unmentioned option: remove the boxes, replace with EMT and two couplings, pull the (continuous) wire back in, cover it up with drywall, no issues.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

The so-far unmentioned option: remove the boxes, replace with EMT and two couplings, pull the (continuous) wire back in, cover it up with drywall, no issues.

He would have to rerun all the EMT as well since it is surface mounted on the joists and he wants to put up sheetrock.