Terminating old wiring

[Zippercat]

In doing a bathroom remodel I took the drywall off most of the walls. I discovered some wiring issues in the wall that backs the home’s former kitchen. The prior owner had an addition installed in 2008 and the kitchen was moved to the addition. Two wiring issues:

1) There are three 14 ga. romex cables that are sticking out of the old kitchen soffit (most likely above prior cabinets) and down a couple feet into the wall cavity. Just cut ends. Right now they’re not hot. Cannot see where they come from. Maybe they previously powered under cabinet lights?

2) There’s another 14 ga. romex cable in the same spot that’s a couple feet longer than the others. It’s spliced (no box) with taped wire nuts to a piece of 12 ga. romex that powers an outlet by the bathroom sink.

I can power this hillbilly wired sink outlet from another outlet on the other side of the sink. That other outlet appears to be properly wired and has a GFCI outlet. But I want to properly terminate the orphaned 14 ga. cables, including the hot one.

I understand that the general rule is that junction boxes need to be accessible. Does that apply to a box that merely terminates cables and does not connect them? If it’s ok, I’d like to install a double box with cover in that soffit space and feed these 4 cables to it, putting wire nuts on each wire. Then drywall it in.

Thoughts and recommendations? Thanks!

 

[tyme2par4]

Have you checked to see if they are truly abandoned? i.e. turned on all switched and breakers? If they are, I would just wire not the hot & neutral together to ensure no one tries to connect the other ends in the future. I don't think there's any reason abandoned wires need to terminate in a box.
The one that's hot: Just disconnect it where the other end is connected and do the same.

 

[Zippercat]

Have you checked to see if they are truly abandoned? i.e. turned on all switched and breakers? If they are, I would just wire not the hot & neutral together to ensure no one tries to connect the other ends in the future. I don't think there's any reason abandoned wires need to terminate in a box.
The one that's hot: Just disconnect it where the other end is connected and do the same.

I can’t see where the other end of the hot cable goes; it disappears into the old kitchen soffit. The end I can see is spliced to a short cable going to an outlet. Any problem with eliminating the splice and terminating the hot cable in a hidden (after drywall) box?

 

[rlitman]

...Any problem with eliminating the splice and terminating the hot cable in a hidden (after drywall) box?

Yes. Don't hide a box. At the minimum, just get a romex splice that is rated to be hidden. This is all on a 15A breaker, right?

Total agreement with the above idea of wirenutting everything together (hot, neutral and ground if you've got it), on the abandoned wires.

 

[Milton Shaw]

I would suggest getting a wire toner and toning out the wires to see where they go and disconnecting them at the next step up the line. Turn off the power before you do this of course. Home depot carries several different ones the last time I was in there. Northern Tool also carries one that works for phone, electrical, Cat5 and coax cable etc. It's a tool you can use again in similar situations so splurge and be safe with all wires traced and disconnected.

 

[tyme2par4]

I can’t see where the other end of the hot cable goes; it disappears into the old kitchen soffit. The end I can see is spliced to a short cable going to an outlet. Any problem with eliminating the splice and terminating the hot cable in a hidden (after drywall) box?

Any guesses where it could come from? Is there another light or outlet somewhere in that location you can pull and see if it's feeding it?
Or as Milton said, a wire toner will tell you exactly where it goes.

Don't hide it in the wall. Is there any way you can feed it to another outlet box, and cap it off in there?

 

[Zippercat]

I would suggest getting a wire toner and toning out the wires to see where they go and disconnecting them at the next step up the line. Turn off the power before you do this of course. Home depot carries several different ones the last time I was in there. Northern Tool also carries one that works for phone, electrical, Cat5 and coax cable etc. It's a tool you can use again in similar situations so splurge and be safe with all wires traced and disconnected.

Thanks for the great suggestion. Glad I posted here.

I’ve seen those toner kits but, based on a friend’s experience years ago, thought they didn’t work. I see lots of different brands and price points. Any suggestions on what to look for or avoid?

I have to temporarily stop work (travel) for a couple weeks so I won’t be able to get back to this until mid-August.