Remove faceplate and leave box open

[rossi.tek]

Hello,

In one of my room there is a drywall box with a switch and fuse I have been told is spare. I want to put a library on that side of the room. But the faceplate prevents the library from touching the wall.
Since the box will be behind the library, can I just remove it and leave the box open? Am I breaking any regulation?

 

[deadshort]

Hi, you must make the wiring safe, you cannot leave it exposed. Have it removed by an electrician .

Regards,

DS

 

[JohnW2]

In one of my room there is a drywall box with a switch and fuse I have been told is spare. I want to put a library on that side of the room. But the faceplate prevents the library from touching the wall. Since the box will be behind the library, can I just remove it and leave the box open? Am I breaking any regulation?

Do you mean just leaving exposed bare (probably live) wires in the box. If so, that would be breaking a good few regulations, not to mention being dangerous. Someone would need to find what that fused connection unit is fed from, and disconnect the feeding cable from its source.

Kind Regards, John

 

[rossi.tek]

In one of my room there is a drywall box with a switch and fuse I have been told is spare. I want to put a library on that side of the room. But the faceplate prevents the library from touching the wall. Since the box will be behind the library, can I just remove it and leave the box open? Am I breaking any regulation?

Do you mean just leaving exposed bare (probably live) wires in the box. If so, that would be breaking a good few regulations, not to mention being dangerous. Someone would need to find what that fused connection unit is fed from, and disconnect the feeding cable from its source.

Kind Regards, John

Of course I don't want to leave exposed bare wires in the box. I was wondering if there is a solution like caps for the wires or a way to covert the box with something flat.

 

[deadshort]

As i have advised get an electrician to remove the box and terminate the cable(s) into a maintenance free join box which can be put into the cavity, to allow your flush wall.

Regards,

DS

 

[JohnW2]

Do you mean just leaving exposed bare (probably live) wires in the box. If so, that would be breaking a good few regulations, not to mention being dangerous. Someone would need to find what that fused connection unit is fed from, and disconnect the feeding cable from its source.

Of course I don't want to leave exposed bare wires in the box. I was wondering if there is a solution like caps for the wires or a way to covert the box with something flat.

Sorry for misunderstanding - I obviously took your "...can I just remove it and leave the box open..." too literally! Provided that there is only one cable (see below), the wires could be terminated into a connector block, or something like that, but you would still need a cover over the box. I'm not sure that you'll find a 'flat' blank plate available for purchase (standard ones are about quarter of an inch deep), but I imagine that you could fairly easily fabricate one out of a piece of suitable material with a couple of appropriate holes drilled in it. If you used metal for the cover, it would have to be somehow connected to the earth wire within.

Some may quibble about having 'screwed connections' which are not accessible for inspection and testing but, provided there is only one cable going to the box, I personally think that would be silly. If there were two or more cables, then you would have more of a problem, but not an insuperable one.

Kind Regards, John

 

[rossi.tek]

As i have advised get an electrician to remove the box and terminate the cable(s) into a maintenance free join box which can be put into the cavity, to allow your flush wall.

Regards,

DS

Why I need an electrician? It doesn't seem something complicated to do, maybe I'm missing something.

 

[plugwash]

Just how flat does it need to be?

http://www.screwfix.com/p/lap-1-gan...odPa8HXg#product_additional_details_container claims to be 3mm thick.

 

[rossi.tek]

Do you mean just leaving exposed bare (probably live) wires in the box. If so, that would be breaking a good few regulations, not to mention being dangerous. Someone would need to find what that fused connection unit is fed from, and disconnect the feeding cable from its source.

Of course I don't want to leave exposed bare wires in the box. I was wondering if there is a solution like caps for the wires or a way to covert the box with something flat.

Sorry for misunderstanding - I obviously took your "...can I just remove it and leave the box open..." too literally! The wires could be terminated into a connector block, or something like that, but you would still need a cover over the box. I'm not sure that you'll find a 'flat' blank plate available for purchase (standard ones are about quarter of an inch deep), but I imagine that you could fairly easily fabricate one out of a piece of suitable material with a couple of appropriate holes drilled in it. If you used metal for the cover, it would have to be somehow connected to the earth wire within.

Kind Regards, John

Thanks, I'll try to find something to cover the box.

 

[JohnW2]

Thanks, I'll try to find something to cover the box.

You replied before I edited (added to) my post. Can you confirm that there is only one cable going into the box? As I said (in my edit), if there is more than one, things get a bit more complicated.

Kind Regards, John