# What to do with an empty electrical box **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 26, 2016, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-an-empty-electrical-box/769810 "2016-10-26T22:19:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![carlb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carlb/32/5930_2.png) [@carlb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlb)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2016, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-an-empty-electrical-box/769810/1 "2016-10-26T22:19:08Z")
We’ve recently purchased a house, so it’s time to start fixing things, painting, and making it our own. There’s a 3-gang electrical box in the garage near the door to the house that is, essentially, useless. It holds three push-button switches that were apparently for old garage door openers. The wiring for the current openers runs through the conduit that supplies the 3-gang box, and then out the side of the box through a knock-out, and then to the door opener controls on the wall. So, while not completely empty, there’s just a couple of small wires passing through the box. There’s no other reason for this box to exist. The obvious solution is to just buy a blank faceplate and call it a day. But that feels like a waste. Anyone have any creative ideas? At the very least, I feel like it might be a good place to hide a spare key, but even that seems mundane. The more outlandish, the better. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2016, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-an-empty-electrical-box/769810/2 "2016-10-26T22:24:06Z")
Get a great, big knife switch and rig it to make a nasty buzzing noise if somebody touches it, maybe have it spark a little bit. Amuse your friends! ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2016, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-an-empty-electrical-box/769810/3 "2016-10-26T22:29:34Z")
“Daddy Only” liquor cabinet ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2016, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-an-empty-electrical-box/769810/4 "2016-10-26T22:39:31Z")
Find antique telephone maybe? Assuming you still have a land line. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2016, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-an-empty-electrical-box/769810/5 "2016-10-26T22:46:25Z")
Since there’s still live wiring in the box, code requires that it remain accessible, which means you can’t just cover it up or remove it. So I recommend: 1. Blank three-gang faceplate. 2. Three switches that do nothing, placed there to torture future occupants of the house. ---
**Author:** ![carlb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carlb/32/5930_2.png) [@carlb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlb)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2016, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-an-empty-electrical-box/769810/6 "2016-10-26T22:54:02Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Since there’s still live wiring in the box, code requires that it remain accessible, which means you can’t just cover it up or remove it. > > So I recommend: > > 1. Blank three-gang faceplate. > 2. Three switches that do nothing, placed there to torture future occupants of the house. In other words: 1. My original plan, or, 2. What the previous owners did to me. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![carlb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carlb/32/5930_2.png) [@carlb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlb)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2016, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-an-empty-electrical-box/769810/7 "2016-10-26T22:56:13Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Get a great, big knife switch and rig it to make a nasty buzzing noise if somebody touches it, maybe have it spark a little bit. Amuse your friends! Ooh…I have a better idea. Big knife switch rigged to set off a loud scream _from inside the house_ whenever anyone throws it. See, this is more like what I had in mind. ---
**Author:** ![LC\_Strawhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LC\_Strawhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LC_Strawhouse)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2016, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-an-empty-electrical-box/769810/8 "2016-10-26T23:02:17Z")
Just keep Prince Philip away from it - he holds fuse boxes [to a high standard](https://www.theguardian.com/uk/1999/aug/11/monarchy.gerardseenan). ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2016, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-an-empty-electrical-box/769810/9 "2016-10-27T02:11:07Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Since there’s still live wiring in the box, code requires that it remain accessible, which means you can’t just cover it up or remove it. > > So I recommend: > > 1. Blank three-gang faceplate. > 2. Three switches that do nothing, placed there to torture future occupants of the house. Make sure to label one of the switches WHITE HOUSE CHRISTMAS TREE and when questioned about it go stone serious in the face. ‘National Security,’ you’ll say when pressed. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2016, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-an-empty-electrical-box/769810/10 "2016-10-27T12:08:46Z")
Three red or orange switches, carefully labeled. We could have a whole thread on what to label them… ELECTRIC FENCE RAISE TURRETS SILO ACCESS BUNKER DOOR ARMORY HATCH AUTOGUN PODS ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2016, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-an-empty-electrical-box/769810/11 "2016-10-27T13:56:09Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Get a great, big knife switch and rig it to make a nasty buzzing noise if somebody touches it, maybe have it spark a little bit. Amuse your friends! Not the third switch, Master! ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2016, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-an-empty-electrical-box/769810/12 "2016-10-27T13:58:26Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Three red or orange switches, carefully labeled. We could have a whole thread on what to label them… > > ELECTRIC FENCE > RAISE TURRETS > SILO ACCESS > BUNKER DOOR > ARMORY HATCH > AUTOGUN PODS I’ll second this. Maybe scrawl a few numbers on the wall next to under a heading that says “Launch codes”. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2016, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-an-empty-electrical-box/769810/13 "2016-10-27T14:24:16Z")
Personally, I’d just make sure the wires in it were securely wire-nutted off so there would be no shorts, and then probably just put a blank faceplate on it. If I was feeling froggy, I might remount the box in the wall, or just push it up in the wall, and patch the hole in the wall. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2016, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-an-empty-electrical-box/769810/14 "2016-10-27T14:25:30Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Personally, I’d just make sure the wires in it were securely wire-nutted off so there would be no shorts, and then probably just put a blank faceplate on it. > > If I was feeling froggy, I might remount the box in the wall, or just push it up in the wall, and patch the hole in the wall. Or trace the wires to the next junction boxes, wire off the connections there, and then get rid of the box. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2016, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-an-empty-electrical-box/769810/15 "2016-10-27T15:06:41Z")
Throw one of these in there… [retinal scanner](https://dribbble.com/shots/895928-Retina-Scanner). A funky looking lense and a low powered blue LED and you’re golden. \Also, launch codes ---
**Author:** ![Me\_Billy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Me\_Billy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Me_Billy)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2016, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-an-empty-electrical-box/769810/16 "2016-10-27T17:11:55Z")
So far as what is best for maintenance and being able to access that wire in the future, install a blank cover plate. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2016, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-an-empty-electrical-box/769810/17 "2016-10-27T17:35:23Z")
Can anything useful be run through them that you don’t already have? Motion sensor lights maybe? OK, that’s reaching. As for useless switches, I still remember the story told when I was a kid about how a new homeowner found out that the prior owner had sunk heat coils into the cement of his front walk (so he could melt ice/snow off without shoveling). “Holy Hell, how is our electric bill $300 this month???” ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2016, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-an-empty-electrical-box/769810/18 "2016-10-27T17:42:02Z")
> [@Count\_Blucher](#): > > As for useless switches, I still remember the story told when I was a kid about how a new homeowner found out that the prior owner had sunk heat coils into the cement of his front walk (so he could melt ice/snow off without shoveling). > > “Holy Hell, how is our electric bill $300 this month???” Which is why you always install such things with either key-controlled switches or something else that takes a positive double action. And label it permanently. ---
**Author:** ![FluffyBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecb155/32.png) [@FluffyBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FluffyBob)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2016, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-an-empty-electrical-box/769810/19 "2016-10-27T21:55:20Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Since there’s still live wiring in the box, code requires that it remain accessible, which means you can’t just cover it up or remove it. > > So I recommend: > > 1. Blank three-gang faceplate. > 2. Three switches that do nothing, placed there to torture future occupants of the house. If these wires are for the garage door opener switches, they are low voltage wires and not only do not have to be in an accessible box by code, but absolutely cannot share a box with line voltage wire. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2016, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-an-empty-electrical-box/769810/20 "2016-10-30T02:13:06Z")
**What to do with an empty electrical box?** Shave its belly with a rusty razor. mmm