How to terminate circuit inside already finished wall ?

There's an outlet above my stove inside a cabinet that provides electricity for my microwave. Unfortunately, the circuit it is on is overloaded with other items at times so I am in the process of running a dedicated line from my circuit breaker box to the microwave outlet.

Ideally, I could just remove the overloaded circuit wires from outlet and connect the wires from the new dedicated circuit to the outlet. However, what do I do with the leftover hot wires from the old overloaded circuit? I can get to the ends of the wire (obviously because they were attached to the outlet) but I can't get to the rest of the wire because it's inside the wall...

Note: the wires from the overloaded circuit outlet are at the end of the run (no outlets after it so just terminating it is OK).

Thanks for any feedback... Kevin

Reply to
kevharper
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Disconnect the circuit at the next-to-last box in the run.

Bob

Reply to
Bob

  1. If you can find the next outlet, light fixture, or junction box upstream, disconnect it there, loosen the clamps, and push the abandoned run back into the wall. As long as the wire is disconnected on both ends, abandoning it in place is perfectly legal. Clipping off the stripped ends will be a good clue to the guy finding it 20 years from now. Do the same thing in the outlet above the stove. Fish the 12-3 for the dedicated run, and you are good to go.
  2. (probably easier) just cap the end of the wires, and put a blank cover on the outlet, and use an old-work box for the new outlet. Or just leave existing outlet as is, add the dedicated outlet, and label both with a Sharpie so the next owner knows not to use the overloaded outlet for the micro. Overloaded outlet would probably still be okay for powering a transformer to run low-voltage puck lights for under-cabinet accent lights or something.

aem sends...

Reply to
ameijers

Thanks for your feedback guys. My plan was/is to terminate the circuit inside an upstream outlet box just before the outlet in question if at all possible. That seems like the cleanest solution. However, I have a sinking feeling that the outlet in question may be branched off from a breakout box I can't access.

I guess option two is to install ANOTHER outlet next to the existing one and label accordingly but I kind of didn't want to do that.

What if I cap the wires off inside the outlet box with wirenuts & electrical tape, put a cover on the box, and just push it back inside the wall. Is that a big no-no? I guess if I have to ask it probably is, but any additional feedback would be appreciated. :-)

Thanks, Kevin

Reply to
kevharper

No, don't push into wall. I understand you don't like the appearance of this unused thing, but it is, as you say, a big no -no. Are you sure you can't access upstream box?

Reply to
Sev

No I'm not sure yet...I will have to check when I get home. Will follow up later tonight.

Thanks, Kevin

Reply to
kevharper

Put up another box for the new outlet, terminate the unused one in the current box and just put a blank coverplate over it.

Reply to
twstanley

I must be missing something here. Why can't you just disconnect and cap the existing wires in the old box, fish the new cable into the old box, and connect the new wires to the outlet?

Don Young

Reply to
Don Young

That's what I did.

I was just concerned about leaving the wires capped off inside the wall to do whatever they may or to suprise some future owner. I've decided that, since this outlet is inside unused cabinet space above my stove, I will take the old unused wires and terminate them inside a surface mounting electrical/junction box.

Thanks for the feedback.. Kevin

Reply to
kevharper

I'm no code expert (one will be along shortly), but I was always taught 2 hots in one box was a no-no, other than for a split outlet, even if one was capped. Sure, OP would know what is going on, but the next guy in there 20 years later might not. And split outlets were supposed to be fed by a 3-wire drop.

aem sends...

Reply to
ameijers

This is exactly what I did when I needed to disconnect an outlet that was not needed. I took it one step further and tied a small tag on each end of the wire with a small note explaining where the OTHER end was so if someone ever comes across them 100 years from now they'll have a clue where the other end is.

Reply to
Mark

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