I recently removed a baseboard heater from my basement and turned off the dedicated breaker for it. I've secured the wires with wire nuts and wrapped them in electrical tape to ensure there are no exposed wires. I'm wondering if it's safe to just push these wires into the wall and cover the hole with a wall plate, or if I need to use an electrical box instead. I also assume that this might not be up to code, so I'd appreciate any advice!
3 Answers
Have you thought about installing a receptacle instead? If you don't need one for your basement, you can really just keep it as is, but make sure it’s safe and compliant.
It's great that you've turned off the breaker and secured the wires! However, it’s really important to disconnect the wires from the panel and at a minimum, use a junction box. It’s not just safer but also gives you a clear way to label the wires. I once found some live wires just taped up inside a wall cavity, and it was super sketchy. Trust me, you'll want to avoid that situation!
You definitely should put those wires into a junction box and clearly label it for future reference. If your wires don’t have a junction box at the old heater spots, it’s wise to stuff the old wires back into the wall cavity and seal it up securely. I once spray foamed the cavity after removing my heater; it gave me peace of mind that nothing could accidentally touch those wires.