Moved some receptacles . Can I lose the old boxes?

[spongerich]

We took out some countertop. The old receptacles were chest high, so I moved them down by the base boards. My wife wants to wallpaper that wall and she's not too happy with the covers on the old boxes where the outlets were.

Is there an option to splice the wires and stuff them inside the wall without a junction box? The wall is plaster and lath, so there's not really enough room to put the whole box inside the wall.

Is it OK to take out the box, re-slice, tape up the wire nuts with some rubber or vinyl tape? Is there some sort of **** splice I can use that's OK for inside the wall or am I stuck with the old boxes and covers?

I'm in NY if that matters code-wise, although I'm worried about safety rather than the code... the house is 200 years old and what I'm thinking of would hardly be the scariest thing we've got.

TIA for any words of wisdom.

 

[mrb]

you absolutely 100% cannot do that. Nor can you bury a box in the wall -the cover has to be accessable. Is there attic above or basement below? You could put junction box there and run new wiring down to the receptacles.

 

[Conor]

my suggestion would be to leave the boxes, let your wife wallpaper the wall and you can use scraps of the wallpaper to wallpaper the covers to match/blend in. all while making them disappear on the wall and staying within code/being safe.

 

[spongerich]

Thanks!

There is attic space above and the wiring does go through there from the service panel. I'm about 99% sure that there's no blocking in the wall, so pulling new cable down isn't terrible.

you absolutely 100% cannot do that. Nor can you bury a box in the wall -the cover has to be accessable. Is there attic above or basement below? You could put junction box there and run new wiring down to the receptacles.

 

[rodm1]

Thanks!

There is attic space above and the wiring does go through there from the service panel. I'm about 99% sure that there's no blocking in the wall, so pulling new cable down isn't terrible.

Thats the only safe way to eliminate the box.