Can we talk about the number of junction boxes I found in one attic?

I was doing a rewire on a 1970s split-level in Spokane last month. When I got into the attic crawlspace, I counted 14 junction boxes just for the lighting circuits. The original installer must have been terrified of running a home run more than six feet. It took me a full day just to map and consolidate them all. Has anyone else run into a job with that many unnecessary splices?

3 comments

3 Comments

lane.cameron2mo ago

Fourteen boxes in one attic crawlspace sounds like a nightmare to trace out. What was that installer even thinking?

paige862mo agoMost Upvoted

Absolute nightmare fuel. Trying to trace one wire through that mess would take hours. You'd be up there sweating, moving boxes labeled "misc cables" from 2005. Just picturing it gives me a headache. Some people have no respect for the next guy.

lauras832mo ago

yeah honestly I used to be one of those guys who threw in extra junction boxes just to save a few minutes on the clock. but after having to trace out a mess like that once i totally get why it drives people crazy. @paige86 nailed it with the "misc cables" thing thats exactly the kind of crap you find up there