My new construction home has a 23.5' cathedral ceiling. The electricians roughed in a junction box that is slightly off-center with the room below. In order to fix this, and at the same time not move the current junction box, I'd like to stub up a pendant light through the drywall ceiling. The pendant light would be dead center within the room below. However, it would also be 6 inches or so to the right of the current junction box.
Is it within code to stub up a pendant light through the drywall ceiling, and wire the pendant light ( in the attic space above ) to the roughed in jbox? The junction box is around 6" from where the pendant light needs to go.
Best Answer
Only if the fixture has its own built in junction box. This is not common on most fixtures that are surface mounted, except for flat fluorescent fixtures or under counter fixtures. You do often find it in recessed fixtures, like can lights.
Fixtures that have built in boxes have a small entry hole for the cable and a clamping mechanism. If a fixture is rated to take a cable directly, rather than being mounted to an approved junction box, its installation instructions will make that clear.
If it is not rated for direct cable mount, the connection you propose will be against code, and more importantly, unsafe.
Finally, if it is code rated, you still have to leave the existing box accessible and need a blank cover over it.