My master bathroom and walk-in closet share a wall, the wall behind
the vanity. I don't know what the original owner was thinking but
above the 36", single-bowl vanity there are 3(!) double outlets. One
is in a 2-gang box with the switch for the light above the sink. The
other two are at the other end of the vanity in their own 2-gang box.
It's overkill and it's ugly.

I know I can't take out the extra outlets and bury the box but I'm
contemplating cutting into the closet wall and just flipping the box
around so that the outlets (or a blank plate) face into the closet
then patching the plaster in the bathroom. Is there any code or
safety issue with this plan? (I know code varies slightly from place
to place. I'm looking for a general answer.) TIA.


Chris

"Christopher Nelson" wrote in message
...
My master bathroom and walk-in closet share a wall, the wall behind
the vanity. I don't know what the original owner was thinking but
above the 36", single-bowl vanity there are 3(!) double outlets. One
is in a 2-gang box with the switch for the light above the sink. The
other two are at the other end of the vanity in their own 2-gang box.
It's overkill and it's ugly.

I know I can't take out the extra outlets and bury the box but I'm
contemplating cutting into the closet wall and just flipping the box
around so that the outlets (or a blank plate) face into the closet
then patching the plaster in the bathroom. Is there any code or
safety issue with this plan? (I know code varies slightly from place
to place. I'm looking for a general answer.) TIA.


Chris

Assuming the outlets are daisy chained together, you may be able to
completely kill the offending outlets from an upstream location. If
necessary, the NEC has no restriction on installing a blanked junction box
in a closet

On Mon, 16 Feb 2009 14:20:29 -0800 (PST), Christopher Nelson
wrote:

My master bathroom and walk-in closet share a wall, the wall behind
the vanity. I don't know what the original owner was thinking but
above the 36", single-bowl vanity there are 3(!) double outlets. One
is in a 2-gang box with the switch for the light above the sink. The
other two are at the other end of the vanity in their own 2-gang box.
It's overkill and it's ugly.

I know I can't take out the extra outlets and bury the box but I'm
contemplating cutting into the closet wall and just flipping the box
around so that the outlets (or a blank plate) face into the closet
then patching the plaster in the bathroom. Is there any code or
safety issue with this plan? (I know code varies slightly from place
to place. I'm looking for a general answer.) TIA.


Chris

Do it.

I moved a master closet door and light switch to an opposite wall. The
former door space became a door size medicine/storage space recessed
in the wall.

Now we enter the walk-in master closet from the bedroom, instead the
master bath.

Speak to electricians and what material/code compliance will be
needed.

On Mon, 16 Feb 2009 14:20:29 -0800 (PST), Christopher Nelson
wrote:

My master bathroom and walk-in closet share a wall, the wall behind
the vanity. I don't know what the original owner was thinking but
above the 36", single-bowl vanity there are 3(!) double outlets. One
is in a 2-gang box with the switch for the light above the sink. The
other two are at the other end of the vanity in their own 2-gang box.
It's overkill and it's ugly.

I know I can't take out the extra outlets and bury the box but I'm
contemplating cutting into the closet wall and just flipping the box
around so that the outlets (or a blank plate) face into the closet
then patching the plaster in the bathroom. Is there any code or
safety issue with this plan? (I know code varies slightly from place
to place. I'm looking for a general answer.) TIA.


Chris


I see nothing wrong with this plan. If you don't think you'll ever
need an outlet in the walkin closet, cover the box with a plain
faceplate.

Christopher Nelson wrote:
My master bathroom and walk-in closet share a wall, the wall behind
the vanity. I don't know what the original owner was thinking but
above the 36", single-bowl vanity there are 3(!) double outlets. One
is in a 2-gang box with the switch for the light above the sink. The
other two are at the other end of the vanity in their own 2-gang box.
It's overkill and it's ugly.

I know I can't take out the extra outlets and bury the box but I'm
contemplating cutting into the closet wall and just flipping the box
around so that the outlets (or a blank plate) face into the closet
then patching the plaster in the bathroom. Is there any code or
safety issue with this plan? (I know code varies slightly from place
to place. I'm looking for a general answer.) TIA.


Chris
Probably daisy-chained together, and if you can figure which one is the
upstream end (hopefully the one with the switch), you can break the
circuit there and bury away, abandoning the wire in the wall. (Assuming
no other outlets are downstream that you do want to keep, of course.)

Where is the GFCI for the bathroom? At the breaker, or at one of the
outlets in question? If you don't have one, you need one.

But having said all that- A lot of work for very little benefit, and
come sale time, lots of outlets are a plus. Electric toothbrush, razor,
curling iron, etc. I'd just slap one of those flat nightlights over the
extra one and not worry about it. Maybe carefully spraypaint the covers,
or even the fixtures, to make them blend in better.

If you do flip them into the closet, I'd leave the outlets in the box,
unless local code forbids it. Bedroom outlets always seem to be full or
buried, and it is nice to have a spare to plug in vacuum cleaners or
tools or whatever.

--
aem sends...

On 2009-02-16, Christopher Nelson wrote:

I know I can't take out the extra outlets and bury the box but I'm
contemplating cutting into the closet wall and just flipping the box
around so that the outlets (or a blank plate) face into the closet
then patching the plaster in the bathroom. Is there any code or
safety issue with this plan? (I know code varies slightly from place
to place. I'm looking for a general answer.) TIA.

One requirement to keep in mind is that the circuit serving the
bathroom receptacles can't serve any loads outside the bathroom. So
if you flip one box around to face the closet, you'll have to remove
the receptacle and just blank it off.

Cheers, Wayne

On Tue, 17 Feb 2009 01:08:48 GMT, Wayne Whitney
wrote:

On 2009-02-16, Christopher Nelson wrote:

I know I can't take out the extra outlets and bury the box but I'm
contemplating cutting into the closet wall and just flipping the box
around so that the outlets (or a blank plate) face into the closet
then patching the plaster in the bathroom. Is there any code or
safety issue with this plan? (I know code varies slightly from place
to place. I'm looking for a general answer.) TIA.

One requirement to keep in mind is that the circuit serving the
bathroom receptacles can't serve any loads outside the bathroom. So
if you flip one box around to face the closet, you'll have to remove
the receptacle and just blank it off.

Cheers, Wayne
It is legal to supply other outlets from the bathroom. It is common
really.
Maybe you are thinking about the 2 small appliance circuits for the
kitchen.

I wouldnt do it.....

you need the light switch

we have 8 outlets in bath, 4 duplex receptables and i have seen them
all in use

1 for wifes hair dryer

1 for wifes curling iron

1 for a nite light

1 for the vacuumn used in hall

1 for the electric toothbrush

1 to charge the hair shears foir my buzz cut

1 for wifes electric hair rollers

this all on a 36 inch sink although some stuff hangs on hooks the
hairdryer etc.'

at home resale time the extra outlets will be a sales plus item

plug in a nite light to cover the extra outlets if they really bother
you that much

Wayne Whitney wrote:

One requirement to keep in mind is that the circuit serving the
bathroom receptacles can't serve any loads outside the bathroom.

Huh? What could possibly be the rationale for that?

"Christopher Nelson" wrote

My master bathroom and walk-in closet share a wall, the wall behind
the vanity. I don't know what the original owner was thinking but
above the 36", single-bowl vanity there are 3(!) double outlets. One
is in a 2-gang box with the switch for the light above the sink. The
other two are at the other end of the vanity in their own 2-gang box.
It's overkill and it's ugly.

New faceplates can help a good bit there.

I know I can't take out the extra outlets and bury the box but I'm
contemplating cutting into the closet wall and just flipping the box
around so that the outlets (or a blank plate) face into the closet
then patching the plaster in the bathroom. Is there any code or
safety issue with this plan? (I know code varies slightly from place
to place. I'm looking for a general answer.) TIA.

I would do this. See, with 4 left in the bathroom, thats 4 more than I have
(grin, no outlets in any of my bathrooms, older house built before folks
thought they'd need'em). 4 works well and is more than most people have.
The only time I see 3, one of them is located down lower on another wall and
used to run a spare (bathroom safe) heater in cold climate places.

Now, adding an outlet to the walk in closet is a benefit if it doesnt have
one. It provides a spot to run a hand held clothes steamer, hang an
electric rechargable small vacumn cleaner, all sorts of things.

Were I buying your house, I would be more attracted by the ability to plug
in 4 things in the bathroom and 2 in the closet, than 6 in the bathroom and
none in the closet. I may be weird though! Depending on the shape and size
of the walkin, I'd be delighted to find a wall mount flip down small touch
up ironing board and an outlet right in there with a wall mount iron holder
(safety design, they make them for this).

"metspitzer" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 17 Feb 2009 01:08:48 GMT, Wayne Whitney
wrote:

On 2009-02-16, Christopher Nelson wrote:

I know I can't take out the extra outlets and bury the box but I'm
contemplating cutting into the closet wall and just flipping the box
around so that the outlets (or a blank plate) face into the closet
then patching the plaster in the bathroom. Is there any code or
safety issue with this plan? (I know code varies slightly from place
to place. I'm looking for a general answer.) TIA.

One requirement to keep in mind is that the circuit serving the
bathroom receptacles can't serve any loads outside the bathroom. So
if you flip one box around to face the closet, you'll have to remove
the receptacle and just blank it off.

Cheers, Wayne
It is legal to supply other outlets from the bathroom. It is common
really.
Maybe you are thinking about the 2 small appliance circuits for the
kitchen.


It was legal before NEC changed the requirement to dedicated 20 amp
circuits, but not since that time

RBM wrote:
"metspitzer" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 17 Feb 2009 01:08:48 GMT, Wayne Whitney
wrote:

On 2009-02-16, Christopher Nelson wrote:

I know I can't take out the extra outlets and bury the box but I'm
contemplating cutting into the closet wall and just flipping the box
around so that the outlets (or a blank plate) face into the closet
then patching the plaster in the bathroom. Is there any code or
safety issue with this plan? (I know code varies slightly from place
to place. I'm looking for a general answer.) TIA.
One requirement to keep in mind is that the circuit serving the
bathroom receptacles can't serve any loads outside the bathroom. So
if you flip one box around to face the closet, you'll have to remove
the receptacle and just blank it off.

Cheers, Wayne
It is legal to supply other outlets from the bathroom. It is common
really.
Maybe you are thinking about the 2 small appliance circuits for the
kitchen.


It was legal before NEC changed the requirement to dedicated 20 amp
circuits, but not since that time


Hi,
And GFCI.

"HeyBub" wrote in message
m...
Wayne Whitney wrote:

One requirement to keep in mind is that the circuit serving the
bathroom receptacles can't serve any loads outside the bathroom.

Huh? What could possibly be the rationale for that?


When the code for bathroom wiring changed from requiring a GFCI protected
outlet on a general lighting circuit, to a dedicated 20 amp circuit, they
didn't want anything reducing the capacity of the circuit, probably so 1800
watt hair dryers could work

"Tony Hwang" wrote in message
...
RBM wrote:
"metspitzer" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 17 Feb 2009 01:08:48 GMT, Wayne Whitney
wrote:

On 2009-02-16, Christopher Nelson wrote:

I know I can't take out the extra outlets and bury the box but I'm
contemplating cutting into the closet wall and just flipping the box
around so that the outlets (or a blank plate) face into the closet
then patching the plaster in the bathroom. Is there any code or
safety issue with this plan? (I know code varies slightly from place
to place. I'm looking for a general answer.) TIA.
One requirement to keep in mind is that the circuit serving the
bathroom receptacles can't serve any loads outside the bathroom. So
if you flip one box around to face the closet, you'll have to remove
the receptacle and just blank it off.

Cheers, Wayne
It is legal to supply other outlets from the bathroom. It is common
really.
Maybe you are thinking about the 2 small appliance circuits for the
kitchen.


It was legal before NEC changed the requirement to dedicated 20 amp
circuits, but not since that time
Hi,
And GFCI.

Yep

On Mon, 16 Feb 2009 22:24:03 -0500, "RBM" wrote:


"metspitzer" wrote in message
.. .
On Tue, 17 Feb 2009 01:08:48 GMT, Wayne Whitney
wrote:

On 2009-02-16, Christopher Nelson wrote:

I know I can't take out the extra outlets and bury the box but I'm
contemplating cutting into the closet wall and just flipping the box
around so that the outlets (or a blank plate) face into the closet
then patching the plaster in the bathroom. Is there any code or
safety issue with this plan? (I know code varies slightly from place
to place. I'm looking for a general answer.) TIA.

One requirement to keep in mind is that the circuit serving the
bathroom receptacles can't serve any loads outside the bathroom. So
if you flip one box around to face the closet, you'll have to remove
the receptacle and just blank it off.

Cheers, Wayne
It is legal to supply other outlets from the bathroom. It is common
really.
Maybe you are thinking about the 2 small appliance circuits for the
kitchen.


It was legal before NEC changed the requirement to dedicated 20 amp
circuits, but not since that time

Oh yeah. I remember that now. One 20A circuit can feed as many
bathrooms as you have, but nothing else.

wrote in message
...
On Tue, 17 Feb 2009 01:08:48 GMT, Wayne Whitney
wrote:

On 2009-02-16, Christopher Nelson wrote:

I know I can't take out the extra outlets and bury the box but I'm
contemplating cutting into the closet wall and just flipping the box
around so that the outlets (or a blank plate) face into the closet
then patching the plaster in the bathroom. Is there any code or
safety issue with this plan? (I know code varies slightly from place
to place. I'm looking for a general answer.) TIA.

One requirement to keep in mind is that the circuit serving the
bathroom receptacles can't serve any loads outside the bathroom. So
if you flip one box around to face the closet, you'll have to remove
the receptacle and just blank it off.

Cheers, Wayne

You want to cite a reference to this in the code. If this is true,
probably well over 3/4 of every home is wired against the code.
Heck, until the 80's, most bathrooms had one duplex outlet and one or
two lights, unless they also had a lighted medicine cabinet with a
built in outlet like some of the really old ones had. My bathroom had
one outlet until I added another one next to the switch. They are on
the same wiring as two bedrooms one each side of the bathroom. Where
I used to live it was similar, and a relatives house, which I helped
rewire, was on the back of the kitchen wall, so the kitchen was on the
same circuit except the counter outlets.

LM

It's in 210.11(C)(3) Before this current code was enacted, bathroom
outlets were just installed on general lighting circuits, which is the
scenario you are referring to.

Chris,

My master bathroom and walk-in closet share a wall, the wall behind
the vanity. I don't know what the original owner was thinking but
above the 36", single-bowl vanity there are 3(!) double outlets. One
is in a 2-gang box with the switch for the light above the sink. The
other two are at the other end of the vanity in their own 2-gang box.
It's overkill and it's ugly.

Moving the box seems like a lot of work for a minor annoyance. Especially
considering all the hair driers, curling irons, hair curlers, clippers, and
other items that need power in a bathroom.

If it's just the two outlets in one box bugging you, you could remove one
of the outlets and use a 2-gang cover that is blank on one side. Any home
center should carry these.

If you're going to the trouble to cut out the old box, you could easily
replace it with a single gang box. However, if there's a lot of wires
coming into the box, you may be better off with a two gang box with a
single gang mudring on the front. This will retain the capacity of a larger
box with the opening of a single gang box.

Anthony

In article ,
metspitzer wrote:

On Mon, 16 Feb 2009 22:24:03 -0500, "RBM" wrote:


"metspitzer" wrote in message
.. .
On Tue, 17 Feb 2009 01:08:48 GMT, Wayne Whitney
wrote:

On 2009-02-16, Christopher Nelson wrote:

I know I can't take out the extra outlets and bury the box but I'm
contemplating cutting into the closet wall and just flipping the box
around so that the outlets (or a blank plate) face into the closet
then patching the plaster in the bathroom. Is there any code or
safety issue with this plan? (I know code varies slightly from place
to place. I'm looking for a general answer.) TIA.

One requirement to keep in mind is that the circuit serving the
bathroom receptacles can't serve any loads outside the bathroom. So
if you flip one box around to face the closet, you'll have to remove
the receptacle and just blank it off.

Cheers, Wayne
It is legal to supply other outlets from the bathroom. It is common
really.
Maybe you are thinking about the 2 small appliance circuits for the
kitchen.


It was legal before NEC changed the requirement to dedicated 20 amp
circuits, but not since that time

Oh yeah. I remember that now. One 20A circuit can feed as many
bathrooms as you have, but nothing else.

So put a cat litter box in the closet, and call it a bathroom.

On Feb 16, 5:20*pm, Christopher Nelson wrote:
My master bathroom and walk-in closet share a wall, the wall behind
the vanity. *I don't know what the original owner was thinking but
above the 36", single-bowl vanity there are 3(!) double outlets. *One
is in a 2-gang box with the switch for the light above the sink. *The
other two are at the other end of the vanity in their own 2-gang box.
It's overkill and it's ugly.

I know I can't take out the extra outlets and bury the box but I'm
contemplating cutting into the closet wall and just flipping the box
around so that the outlets (or a blank plate) face into the closet
then patching the plaster in the bathroom. *Is there any code or
safety issue with this plan? (I know code varies slightly from place
to place. *I'm looking for a general answer.) *TIA.

Chris

An outlet in a closet may prove useful. We have one in ours and keep
the vacuum plugged into it all the time.
I also find it to be a very convienent place to keep my cell phone and
palmtop charged.

Jimmie