# Electrical Question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electrical-question/517247>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 12, 2009, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electrical-question/517247 "2009-11-12T00:58:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electrical-question/517247/21 "2009-11-12T23:04:36Z")

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> [@InvisibleWombat](#):
>
> I strongly recommend using small wire nuts…

I concur - easy, cheap and good practice.

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**Author:** ![Pulp\_Friction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2acd7d/32.png) [@Pulp\_Friction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pulp_Friction)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electrical-question/517247/22 "2009-11-13T00:47:16Z")

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Ready for a 78th opinion?

Slap a plastic electrical box (39 cents?) in the temporary drywall. Wire-nut the ends of the wires (7 cents?). Slap a cover (59 cents?) over the box.

Rest easy.

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**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electrical-question/517247/23 "2009-11-13T03:57:24Z")

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> [@Joey\_P](#):
>
> But the problem is, there’s certain places contractors/demo guys/electricians/plumbers/etc expect wires to show up. For example, if there’s an outlet or switch, they expect wires to be in that stud bay. And yeah, even if they don’t expect wires to be there, they’ll still be careful knowing that there could be wires back there, the problem is, no one expects to find a wire in a stud bay that goes nowhere.

My experience with houses is that the wires are always where you least expect them. You can’t judge by outside appearances as to where the wires _should_ be. And anyway, we don’t really know anything about the stud bay in this particular case. There’s no reason why wires shouldn’t run through it to get to the second floor, for example (if there is one). I contend that anybody opening any wall should use due caution, on the presumption that there might be wires there (or pipes, or heck, gas lines – old houses are riddled with them).

But this is a bit far afield as to the OP. He/she is reasonably safe in following any of the options suggested here – temporary box of whatever description, or capped wires behind drywall. And I’d have to think that when the kitchen gets renovated, the wires, wherever they end up, will get mentioned to the contractor.

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