Well today, I decided to run a screw right thru a wire in the wall. Found the problem when things didn't work. Once I removed the offending screw, the breaker no longer tripped, and that's how I figured out where to make a hole in the wall for repairs. This wire runs horizontally thru holes in all the upright studs, and I was lucky enough to land my screw right in the center of one of those dang holes!

So I have the hole installed in the wall and I'll have to repair the section of wire with the hole in it. I didn't think it would be 'right' to just leave wire nuts hanging loose in the wall when I spliced in a new section of wire, so I'm thinking I'll need to put a junction box where the splices need to be. Am I correct in this line of thinking? Replacing the whole line isn't an option without ripping out the entire wall and starting over.

Thank goodness I don't have as much trouble makin' the coffee!



chaikwa.

 

What kind of line is it?

 

Didn't you ever wonder why I have so many receptacles around the cabin? Last I knew it should be a junction box instead of burying a splice, unless there has been something approved lately for in-the-wall splices. You can just put a blank plate over it if you don't want to put a duplex there, but it might be easier to wire one than to get enuff slack to splice them. Be carefully of stripping the sheath downstrean when you pull on it.

 

I would put a duplex receptal there, just so you dont look like an id10t that run a screw thru the wall and messed up your wires or that you were too cheap to buy enough wire the first time.

 

I wasn't going to try and pull any slack, just cut out the bad section at the 2 studs on either side of the one I drilled thru, then put junction boxes on those 2 studs to hide the splices/wire nuts. Do the HAVE to stick out thru the wall? This is a dedicated computer line, so I didn't really want to go tapping into it with outlets. I was figuring if it's just gonna be a junction, why stick it thru the wall? Not a good thing? I'm going to cover the BIG hole in the wall with an access panel rather than try to splice in a section of paneling.

chaikwa.

 

Thank you for the confirmation of my idiocy!

Gawd I feel like such a dope!

chaikwa.

 

pour a bit of that "coffee" on there, it should weld itself, but be ready with water, to quench it !


I like the duplex idea best.

 

Normally, the code calls for some slck at each outlet, if you have some outlets in the area, you may get enuff slack to only need to put a box on one stud, just pull it to the closest of the two. I'm not exactly in the loop these days, but last I knew, the code said it had to be accessable, with a cover plate. I'm not sure if it's more for "awareness" of a connection there, as opposed to being a fire hazzard covering it up. Unfortunately, my handy-dandy, resident fire-marshall isn't in tonight.

 

Have YOU been to the cabin?

 

In my neck of the woods, everything is ran thru metal conduit to avoid such situations in the first place...

 

Wow, metal conduit IN the walls? Good idea I guess, but I've never heard of that.

chaikwa.

 

You run every wire in your house through metal conduit? That's why they make those metal plates that attach to the studs to protect the wires from screws and nails. A lot easier (and cheaper) than running 1000' of Romex through conduit.
The best thing to do is install a junction box and put a cover plate on it. That way you are definitely up to code.

 

get the truck of the month guy on here , he's a electrician!

 

Yes, I think that's what I'm gonna do. Tomorrow. I've had enough for today!

Thanks for all the replies!

chaikwa.

 

If Im going thru the trouble of running everything thru conduit, im using stranded wires.

no, but Ive been to my house...