Power On Indicater Light
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Power On Indicater Light
I recently removed a back door as part of a kitchen renovation. The wall (adjacent to where the door used to be) has a double electric box which contains:
1. the outside deck light
2. the 2nd of a 3-way switch to control the kitchen light.
Since the door no longer exists, we have no need for this 2nd 3-way switch so my plan is to remove it & just connect the proper wires togather with wire nuts inside the box & cap off the uneeded extra 14-3 wires. 2 questions:
1. As long as I keep all this within the box, is it up to code to do this?
2. Is there an easy way to determine which 2 wires I need to connect? (The other switch on this ciruit is another 3-way switch which I see no need of replacing...if code/safety permit)
My second idea/question is to use the (now vacant) extra 1/2 box to fashion a "power on" indicator light so that I can instantly determine if the deck light is on. (the deck is now only accesible from a door in the dining room & the only way to see if the light is on is to physicaly walk out there)
To accomplish this I bought a coax wall jack plug (that goes into an elec box), removed the coax connector & replaced it with a Radio Shack (power-on) indicater light.
My question is this:
If I don't find any white wires in the box going to the deck light, can I still hook up this indicator light?
1. the outside deck light
2. the 2nd of a 3-way switch to control the kitchen light.
Since the door no longer exists, we have no need for this 2nd 3-way switch so my plan is to remove it & just connect the proper wires togather with wire nuts inside the box & cap off the uneeded extra 14-3 wires. 2 questions:
1. As long as I keep all this within the box, is it up to code to do this?
2. Is there an easy way to determine which 2 wires I need to connect? (The other switch on this ciruit is another 3-way switch which I see no need of replacing...if code/safety permit)
My second idea/question is to use the (now vacant) extra 1/2 box to fashion a "power on" indicator light so that I can instantly determine if the deck light is on. (the deck is now only accesible from a door in the dining room & the only way to see if the light is on is to physicaly walk out there)
To accomplish this I bought a coax wall jack plug (that goes into an elec box), removed the coax connector & replaced it with a Radio Shack (power-on) indicater light.
My question is this:
If I don't find any white wires in the box going to the deck light, can I still hook up this indicator light?
#2
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Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Ontario Canada
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If it is kept in an accessable box with a plate, you can.
Connect the common wire from the 3-way switch to one of the other wires, and cap the unused one.
If the porch light is a switch loop, you can't really.
Connect the common wire from the 3-way switch to one of the other wires, and cap the unused one.
If the porch light is a switch loop, you can't really.