What to do with a circuit that is not in use

[Joe8899]

I've been looking around on the internet but not finding answers to my specific question. I have a circuit with a 30 amp breaker using 10AWG copper wire for an electric cooktop that has not been in use since whenever a gas cooktop was installed by the previous owners on a newer 20 amp circuit. So we just have this 30 amp breaker with a note on the panel saying to leave it turned off because it's not used for anything.

I want to know if I should be removing that breaker altogether and somehow coiling and stowing the wires. Or do I need to rip the wires out of the walls entirely? What are the protocols for something like this?

Are there any rules or guidelines for what to do with a circuit that is not in use for the foreseeable future?

At first I was thinking maybe we will want this circuit in the future for an induction cooktop. But it sounds like some of those systems need 40 or 50 amps. So this circuit might not even be good for future use. That being the case, I'm especially interested in what to do to decommission this circuit so that I can make space on the panel for later upgrades.

Also, do they make breaker lockouts that are slimming up so that I can close my panel cover door over them?

 

[Dennis Alwon]

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