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If I am able to lower an electrical box by a few inches, I will have enough wire to avoid having to use a junction box to splice a nick I made in the insulation of the neutral wire. It's only a three-foot wall section and will be the only electrical outlet there, so it won't look too odd being slightly lower than the others in the room.

I've Googled this a bit, but all I see are lengthy discussion threads where people are simply not sure. Is there anyone who has the straight answer on this?

oscilatingcretin
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2 Answers2

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I wasn't able to find anything that limited the height of receptacles, in fact, they can even be in the floor.

210.52 Dwelling Unit Receptacle Outlets.

(3) Floor Receptacles. Receptacle outlets in floors shall not be counted as part of the required number of receptacle outlets unless located within 450 mm (18 in.) of the wall.

I think typically they're between 16 - 18", but it doesn't look like there are any hard set rules on this for general purpose receptacles (at least as far as NEC is concerned).

Mike Holt says...

No. There is no NEC requirement on the height of wall-mounted receptacles in residential, commercial, or industrial facilities, but….

Source

He then goes on to talk about the American Disabilities Act (ADA) and other building code organizations rules.

Tester101
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Not exactly an answer, but these are rated for hidden splices in most locales:

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http://www.idealindustries.com/prodDetail.do?prodId=spliceline&div=0&l1=push-in

Or these:

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http://www.homedepot.com/buy/electrical/electrical-tools-accessories/tyco-electronics/romex-splice-kit-2-wire-1clam-48760.html

Aaron
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    Not really for hidden splices as NEC states all connections must be accessible. These are made mostly because you can put them through a 1/2 inch ko. Big jobs where wire is measured and cut off site and then installed. You have your pre-wired box with the switches and receptacles all ready wired installed and the SpliceLine is put on each wire and sticking out of the box is the black-white-green wire. You take the pre-cut MC cable, run it, and push the correct wire into each splice, push the 3 splices in the box, snap the connector in the box and your finished with that box. – lqlarry Feb 05 '12 at 06:22
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    Someday, someone is going to invent the ultimate wire splice/repair kit that could easily be installed by the novice DIY'er and be compliant while inaccessible behind a wall. I am just waiting for that day to come =\ – oscilatingcretin Feb 05 '12 at 13:30
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    oscilatingcretin will be waiting for a very long time, since all metal to metal junctions will have been exposed to air and are therefore at risk of oxidation, corrosion, or simply becoming loose over time as thermal cycles take place. Even 14-ton deforming crimps and copper welds have these risks. Just pull new wire and make it safe. – Skaperen Feb 05 '12 at 14:57
  • It would probably involve thermite welding. They could mold the little crucibles right into the connector, put on welding goggles, pour in the powder, wave the sparkler, *magnesium bright* FOOOOOOOOOOFFFF... Of course, the writers of the electrical code are the National Fire **Prevention** Association, so maybe not... – Harper - Reinstate Monica Dec 17 '19 at 01:57