Can I ever cover up an outlet box containing wires?

[RossS]

I have an interesting challenge. I have a college classroom that is being converted to auditorium style tiered seating. Currently there are many receptacles along the side walls at standard height (~18" AFF). They are installing 5 tiers of seating, each one 4" higher than the preceding tier, so the fifth tier is going to be +20" AFF, and is going to conflict with the existing receptacles. The existing walls are old plaster and the administration doesn't want to demo any more than they absolutely have to.

If I remove any receptacle, I have to restore power to any downstream devices. Is there any scenario, any renovation technique that will allow me to remove the existing receptacle, cover up the outlet box and render it inaccessible? If I pull out the conductors from both ends, and replace with continuous conductors passing straight through without splicing, does the outlet box still have to be accessible? I was thinking there was an exception along those lines, but I can't seem to find it now.

 

[tom baker]

No that box has to be accessible. Your answer to the college should be it won't pass inspection, so have them pull the permit

 

[LarryFine]

I'd suggest seeing if you can dead-end the circuit(s) at the last accessible outlet (depends on the direction of power), or de-energize and abandon the circuit(s) completely, and blank all of the outlets if the remaining receptacles aren't needed.

 

[GoldDigger]

Can you design in a covered hand hole to access each old receptacle box? Would that satisfy Code?

 

[Hv&Lv]

If I pull out the conductors from both ends, and replace with continuous conductors passing straight through without splicing

if you can do that why can’t you remove the box and make the conduit run continuous? then it would be okay to cover the hole. Sure, it’s a little demo, but really not much more than plastering two holes instead of one.
no more that 360 degrees between boxes

 

[RossS]

if you can do that why can’t you remove the box and make the conduit run continuous? then it would be okay to cover the hole. Sure, it’s a little demo, but really not much more than plastering two holes instead of one.
no more that 360 degrees between boxes

Because they didn't want to have to do plaster repair. However, we went with the first response, and as a result, did as suggested here.

 

[RossS]

I'd suggest seeing if you can dead-end the circuit(s) at the last accessible outlet (depends on the direction of power), or de-energize and abandon the circuit(s) completely, and blank all of the outlets if the remaining receptacles aren't needed.

Suspected and later confirmed the receptacles to be demo'd are upstream of the receptacles to remain.

 

[RossS]

Can you design in a covered hand hole to access each old receptacle box? Would that satisfy Code?

We could, and done properly, it would be code compliant, but it defeats the objective of avoiding plaster repair. But in the end we told them it wouldn't pass, and the receptacles and related wiring had to be removed, which then made the hand hole unnecessary.

 

[RossS]

if you can do that why can’t you remove the box and make the conduit run continuous? then it would be okay to cover the hole. Sure, it’s a little demo, but really not much more than plastering two holes instead of one.
no more that 360 degrees between boxes

They wanted to avoid plaster repair.

 

[RossS]

Thanks for all the responses. They helped confirm what I had suspected all along. But I told the client I'd try to find a way to avoid plaster demo, and I did. Try, that is.

 

[480sparky]

I'd suggest seeing if you can dead-end the circuit(s) at the last accessible outlet (depends on the direction of power), or de-energize and abandon the circuit(s) completely, and blank all of the outlets if the remaining receptacles aren't needed.

That's my line of thinking. See if those outlets are the last section of the run. If so, the circuit feeding them can be disconnected and abandoned.

 

[RossS]

That's my line of thinking. See if those outlets are the last section of the run. If so, the circuit feeding them can be disconnected and abandoned.

Answered above.

 

[Srv52761]

334.40 Boxes and Fittings.
(A) Boxes of Insulating Material. Nonmetallic outlet boxes
shall be permitted as provided by 314.3.
(B) Devices of Insulating Material. Self-contained switches,
self-contained receptacles, and nonmetallic-sheathed cable
interconnector devices of insulating material that are listed
shall be permitted to be used without boxes in exposed cable
wiring and for repair wiring in existing buildings where the
cable is concealed. Openings in such devices shall form a close
fit around the outer covering of the cable, and the device shall
fully enclose the part of the cable from which any part of the
covering has been removed. Where connections to conductors
are by binding-screw terminals, there shall be available as many
terminals as conductors.

Tyco makes a splice that is listed for concealed work. Home Depot carries it for $8.


Old plaster walls, you might have romex. Question would be if you have enough sheathed cable to connect anything downstream.
You will be repairing plaster at that fifth tier anyway, Open it up enough to get to the sheathed cable. Use two splices to gain the length.

If in conduit, you could find the adjacent boxes and switch out the thhn with romex.