stupid question for y'all

[Bellefoy]

I have moved into a condo that has one of those old-fashioned phone jacks on the kitchen wall that nobody uses anymore. And it's in a sort of awkward space. I want to cover it up. As I see it, my two options are to buy a cheap wall phone and hang it there, or (more desirable) cover it up with something else. I thought a switchplate would do the trick, but I would need to remove some of the existing setup to get a flat surface for the switchplate.

My question is: Can I safely (i.e. no electrical issues, etc.) remove the silver plate and cut out/remove the jack? I am undoubtedly overly-cautious about safety, and am nervous about doing that unless I know it will be safe.

I know that alot of the people here may never even have seen one of these relics :-) so attached is a picture. If I can get it to attach!

[Sharizzy]

If you do cut wires and such, you can get a cap for them.

[Shanti]

If your renting you need landlord permission to remove their property.
If you own it, no problem. phone wires dont have enough juice to do anything. You can just cut them and wrap the ends in electrical tape. They are not a hazard like electrical wiring is.

[Bellefoy]

Thank you both. I am the owner - thank goodness - so I can do what I want. Just want to be safe.

[Fairywolf]

Since I am renting I have mine covered using butterfly hooks. I put the hooks up and that is where I hang all the coats that aren't in use. It works out well for keeping the coats off the floor as well as hiding the ugle phone jack. :lol:

As for your question you can cut the wires like they said. Just tape them or use wire nuts.

[Terra Mater]

If you are really worried about power through the lines, turn off the breaker for that part of the house while you work on them.

[altimit]

If your renting you need landlord permission to remove their property.
If you own it, no problem. phone wires dont have enough juice to do anything. You can just cut them and wrap the ends in electrical tape. They are not a hazard like electrical wiring is.


I was skinning one with my teeth when I was about 16 (bad habit I know) and a call came through which boosts the voltage to about 90 volts and it knocked me on my butt and I saw only white for a good 10-15 seconds.

But a line without service cannot get an incoming call and would be safe.

[kenaz na wyvern]

I know that this is a VERY late reply but there a couple of things that should be addressed. 1) American telephone lines (24AWG) carry up to 128 volts negative DC when the phone rings. It can do you harm. It can also damage equipment if the wires are not capped/insulated properly. 2) Many phone installations daisy chain the wires (loop the conductor around the terminals, connecting multiple jacks) and, if you cut the wires, you could disable other phone jacks. 3) Turning off the breaker will have no effect on the telephone lines because they are self energizing.