"46erjoe" wrote in message
...
I just bought a new home in NE Pa. It's about 4 years old. Just inside
the kitchen coming in from the door of the attached garage is an
on/off switch with a bright red cover plate. I'm assuming it's the
safety switch for the furnace to turn it off in an emergency. The
furnace is gas/ho****er.

When the furnace is running and I flip the switch, nothing happens.
The furnace keeps running. I checked in the basement and just below
where the switchplate is located, exiting from the corner of the base
stud plate is about 10 feet of coiled 14/2 wire just hanging there. On
it in ink is written "furn safety". But it's not connected to
anything.

Was this an oversight on the part of the builder/electrician? Or did
it suddenly become a non-code item? I find it hard to believe than an
inspector would miss it.

If this must be hooked up, how do I go about doing it? Just finish the
run to the power near the furnace and splice it in so that power runs
to the furnace only when the switch is turned on and the circuit is
complete?

Or just forget the whole thing?

Thanks.

You said 4 years old, so I presume there was a previous owner.

I find it hard to believe the previous owner would have missed that.
Assuming that is what the switch is for, there's no way of knowing that by
the way, unless you could get the previous owner to confirm that.

If it were my furnace, I'd have it inspected thoroughly and ask about the
cost to have the switch installed assuming there isn't another one already
hooked up elsewhere. 14/2 is pretty thin gauge wire, so it sounds right for
a shutoff switch. The builder may have just changed his/her/it mind while
locating the switch and put the functioning one elsewhere.

Mine's right next to the furnace, probably not the best place for it if
there was an emergency.