abandoned floor box - can it be covered up?

[malachi constant]

Hi all,

I have a situation, commercial construction if it matters, where a hardwood floor is being installed over the location of an abandoned floor box.

NEC 314.29 notes that conductors within boxes need to be accessible. If there are no devices or conductors in the box can it be covered up? The alternative is to chip up the floor to remove the box (and conduit too??). Or to find some sort of extension ring that allows access to a 50-year-old unwanted/unused floor box.

My reading of 314.29 9s we are good to cover it up, but I would appreciate the wisdom of the masses here.

Thanks!

 

[kwired]

If not even any conductors in it, so what. Worst case you maybe need to find a way to disconnect or cap raceways where they do enter something still in use, then they sort of no longer part of the electrical system.

 

[LarryFine]

Cover it up.

 

[petersonra]

Cover it up.

If it no longer has conductors in it is not part of the electrical system anymore so the electrical does not apply to it.

I would point out that the flooring might need better support than it gets from an old outlet box, but that is not an electrical code issue.

 

[480sparky]

Fill it up, cover it up.

 

[malachi constant]

Thanks all. As I suspected!

 

[jusme123]

I would mark/label the conduit at the other end for future reference for whoever 50 years from now, can’t hurt

 

[jap]

Always good to label an abandoned pipe to a covered up floor box.
Especially if its covered with a new wood floor.

That way,

If you don't know where the covered up floor box is exactly, one could drop a BB in the labeled conduit at the panel, apply about 125 pounds of air pressure and shoot a centering hole up through the wood floor so you could cut it out and use it if need be,,,,,

Just kiddin,,,


JAP>

 

[LarryFine]

Or, in case it's ever needed in the future, measure from the two nearer walls and leave a note somewhere.

 

[kwired]

Or, in case it's ever needed in the future, measure from the two nearer walls and leave a note somewhere.

You know how that goes, by time you might want to find it, those walls no longer there or some been added and is not clear where to measure from.

 

[infinity]

Fill it, cover it or just go right over it with the wood flooring.

 

[Little Bill]

I say fill it with dirt and use it as a planter to decorate the area!

 

[kwired]

I say fill it with dirt and use it as a planter to decorate the area!

connect water line to the raceway and it becomes self watering too.