Putting a blank cover over an existing wall outlet and installing crown moulding
by
Mary Insana
I have a wall outlet high on one wall in my kitchen, it was probably put there for a wall clock when the house was built. I am putting crown moulding in and this will be in the way. I bought a flat blank cover for the outlet and will trim a little under the crown moulding so it lays nice over the small amount of crown that will overlap. My question is this, should I remove the plug from the wall and put the blank over the empty spot? Right now the blank plate doesn't cover the plug flush. Could I remove the plug completely and dry wall over it? And electrician once told me I wouldn't do it.
3 answers
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Yes Mary, The single outlet can be removed, the wires capped and a new flat cover installed. If you can find the wire at the other end and cut it off so no power goes to the outlet box at all, you can then remove or push in the box into the wall and plaster over it. However you cannot do that if at all there is a chance that the wires in the box can be made hot again. So you need to be sure that the wire that goes to that one outlet is removed. If there is an outlet below this clock outlet, open that up and check to see if the clock outlet wire is being fed from it. If so, disconnect the wires from that outlet that runs up the wall to the clock outlet, then cut them off short so they cannot be reconnected ever again. If you do this you can simply push the box back into the wall and plaster over it. If you cannot find where the clock outlet is wired from, you can only remove the clock outlet itself, put wire nuts on wires and install a flat cover over the existing box, you cannot bury it into the wall. Your only issue you have to remove the outlet from the wall and cap the wires is if the outlet has two sets of wires going to it. If this is the case, the wires will need to be reconnected together as the outlet is working as a splice to allow the feed to go to another outlet somewhere else in the house. If this is he case, connect the wires that are on the same side of the outlet together using a wire nut and if the wires are old, perhaps some tape to assure a tight connection. Then install the cover plate over the box. The code is you cannot cover over a electrical box that is being used and prevent access to it. Meaning if the wires are hot, you cannot spice them, and push the box into the wall and cover over it with plaster etc. But if the wires can never be made hot again, you can plaster over and hide it completely. Hope this helps.
Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com
on Oct 26, 2012
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Thanks
Mary Insana
on Oct 26, 2012
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Woodbridge is correct I second that.
Pinnacle Lighting Group
on Oct 30, 2012
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