I recently removed a built-in media cabinet from my house, which was built twenty-five years ago, and I'm trying to mount a 77" flat-screen TV in its place. Murphy's Law strikes again, as there is an outlet exactly where the TV bracket should go. This outlet is part of a traditional 15A circuit that powers other outlets downstream. I'm considering leaving the outlet box in the wall but removing the outlet itself and splicing the wires to maintain power to the downstream outlets. My plan is to have the wires connected with wire nuts or Wagos and let the steel TV mount partially cover the box. Is this approach allowed? Will it meet code requirements? Are there any potential issues I should know about?
6 Answers
Are you up for moving the outlet instead? If there's enough slack in the wire, relocating it down a bit or even just getting rid of it might save you some headaches. If you can get into the attic above the wall, that could help too.
Splicing the wires is pretty common and usually okay. However, covering it with a steel TV bracket isn’t code-compliant. If a wire fits loose and touches the bracket, you could end up with a very dangerous situation. Better to use a proper cover plate instead.
If you go the route of leaving it open, just make sure to have a blank cover on it. That way, it won’t be dangling out there and is still accessible if someone needs to get to it later.
The safest bet is to put a blank plate on the box. You could also create a small spacer out of plywood to help the mount sit flush. Though I’d suggest relocating it if you can; it’s usually easier in the long run!
Honestly, I’d probably do exactly what you want to do. It might not be the most code-friendly choice, but you're unlikely to cause a disaster with how you're planning it. I had to do something similar and made a custom cover too, which worked out great for me!
If you're going to leave it accessible, you definitely need to cover it with a blank faceplate. That said, if you don’t drill through the Romex while mounting the TV, you should be fine. You might also think about using a 2x2 support to move the TV up or down for better placement.