I am in the process of adding a 3/4 bathroom to the upper of my house. The plumber just finished the rough in and all framing is complete. I am now looking at the electrical and I have a issue.
There are two lights on a three way switch, but one of these lights falls inside my new bathroom in the wrong spot so I need to eliminate it. I plan on a new ceiling light but it needs to be in a different location.
Can I eliminate the light then do what I need to do to the wires (cap),
put the wires back in the box, and then put a cover over the box leaving it visible? I will not bury the box or hide it or conceal it. The bath will have its own separate circuit when I am done.
Electrical – How to handle an unused light fixture junction box in a bathroom
electricalwiring
Related Solutions
I suspect the white wire with the stripe is actually the switched power from the switch. Putting together what you have said, I think your setup probably looks something like this:
Where the green wire is the ground and the red wire is your wire with the stripe.
If this doesn't match up with what you are seeing, then let me know what looks wrong and I will try to figure out how it is setup.
One thing I've been surprised at doing my house is that getting a plasterer is easier and cheaper than you might have thought. So, be brave.
Take down the bits of ceiling and wall that are in the way, drill proper holes in the joists and noggins for the cable runs and lay the cable in. Wire up the other end of the cable, then tape over the ends of the cable where the wall lights will go.
Next get some plasterboard -- B+Q usefully sell it in half-size sheets that fit in a car -- cut to the size of your holes (with little holes for your cables), and nail to the joists in the ceiling and the noggins in the wall. Don't worry too much if there's a few mm around the gap, it doesn't need to to be too precise.
Then have a plasterer put a "skim coat" over the top of the lot. He or she may even say it's cheaper and easier for them to do the whole ceiling or the whole wall. Stand back open-mouthed while they do the lot in a few minutes!
Oh, and I'd take @Tim Baker's suggestion of picking up the power from the switch. Given that you're in the UK, if the wiring was done in the last forty years this is going to be a pull switch on the ceiling, no?
(Usual disclaimers apply: be careful mucking about with power in the bathroom, it makes sense [and is required by the Building Regs] for a circuit that's going to a wet area to be protected by an RCD.)
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Best Answer
Since it sounds like you have a major remodel project in process you probably have all the walls open too. The very best bet for the discontinued light would be to remove the circuit and electrical boxes entirely. This way you do not need to keep an ugly do-nothing electrical box cover on your wall or ceiling.
Keeping an unused electrical box accessible can be an extra burden if you are trying to put tile on the wall or finish a ceiling. Remove it and eliminate those PITA points.