A bit of background:

So I'm sprucing up the house in various ways, and just bought a container of rust converter/primer in order to fix a gas range exhaust vent on the exterior of my house. When the kitchen was remodeled prior to our buying the house, the range was moved and replaced with an electric model.

The exhaust vent for the gas range, however, was left in place, probably because they were too lazy to remove it and patch the siding. The thing is gross and rusty and corroded, but because our house was built in 1972, I was unable to find a replacement. Did some research and decided to try to give it a new life.


So today my Amazon package arrives containing a bottle of Permatex rust encapsulator/primer. Excited, I remove the exhaust vent and get ready to scrape, wire brush and prime it. To my dismay, I find tucked inside the opening, surrounded by nasty insulation, an unenclosed splice. Tested, and the black wire is HOT.


This is what's on the other side of the opening:


I believe I do know what this Romex feeds. This particular cable is on a circuit that powers only two fixtures: my overhead kitchen light, and a can light over the sink. Each fixture is switched separately. Because of the location, I believe it's going to the can light.

I want to fix this safely and without having to destroy too much siding, wall, and certainly cabinetry. Any advice for me? Thanks very much!
Carol

 

If you can find the end that feeds this cable it can safely be abandoned after being de-energized. If not it should be placed in an accessible junction box with a blank cover.

It does not sound like the old vent hood will be in use. Is that correct?

 

How about making a save and put an outside receptacle at that position. That would safe it up and at same time make life easier in the yard!

RR

 

Yes, it will be in use. My siding is discontinued, and I don't have any extra for patching.

I'm planning to scrape off the vent hood, use a rust encapsulator/primer, then paint and replace it.

 

RR, that sounds like a good idea. But now I'm a bit confused ... I went out and pulled it out of the wall to see how much I have to work with (in order to install an outdoor outlet), and found this:


So now I'm wondering, what the heck? Why was this hot wire abandoned in the wall like this? And why is de-energized when I turn off that one breaker that feeds only the two kitchen lights?

Oh, how I hate sloppy work, especially when it comes to electricity!

 

How high up is the vent hood?
Turn it into a light!

 

Mr. A and other kind responders,

It's high and not easily accessible. And my back porch light is only a few feet away.

I did have a brainstorm ... let me know what you think. I'm gonna drill through the back of the kitchen cabinet, bring the cable in and mount an electrical box (pancake) inside the cabinet. Then I'll use that to install hard-wired under cabinet lighting, which I've been coveting. Sound do-able?

I think this cable, based on its location and proximity to where the old gas range was, might have provided the electrical power to the range. Suckers just abandoned it in the wall, hot.

 

Your idea for a good use is doable.
Most likely it powered a fan and maybe a light in a vent-hood.

RR

 

That sounds like a very good use of the found cable. However I would suggest instead of a pancake box use a remodel plastic box. Pancake boxes only have enough space for 3 wires. (6 ci). Cutting in a remodel box is fairly easy with a Roto-Zip type tool.

 

I'd bet that if you check out Broan, you'd find a new wall cap to replace the old nasty one and not have to clean and paint the old one.

 

Tolyn,
Its all metal around here bud (well in Saskatchewan at least, maybe Ontario is different). I have never seen these plastic boxes until I saw pictures on this site.

 

Since you already have an opening in the exterior wall (you said it would be hard to match the siding) you might as well have the "access panel" there. If the original vent hood was going to be decommissioned, that piece could be screwed back on as the access cover.

Alternatively the box into which you ran the cables and remade the splices could open onto the outside wall next to a vent that was not decommissioned, say, used for an over-the-range vent hood.

Wires twisted together well and also soldered will make a splice that will never come apart by itself. Then the access cover would be just a formality to meet code with.

 

I think I would find out where the other end terminates before I would re-use it. You may be better off cutting it off at both ends and abandoning it in place.

 

If the OP wants to do that, the first place I would look is the light fixture in the kitchen. Many cases the range hood is fed off that circuit.

Yes, but you can see in the picture it is NM cable. Plastic, IMO, would be a better choice.

 

Thanks, guys, for all the great ideas and suggestions. I will mull it all over and repost with my final (and hopefully, successfuly competed) project. Thanks so much!
Carol

 

Ok, it's time to ask. What did you say?

 

Joe,

Haha, just saw this! Well, not to be unladylike, but it was along the lines of "F***, no, really??!"