Mike,
These are common in my area of old (century) homes that upgraded from Edison Fuses/K&T. They are referred to as “Splice Boxes”. Just make sure they have all their safety features and have no open sections from modifications.
Thanks Jeffrey. This is about the 4th one I’ve seen this year, always on an older home. The only real issues I find are no clamps or one with a missing door. They are usually still grounded from previous installation. I thought maybe it was a safety issue because of it’s easy access, and thought I should suggest put a screw in it.
Or, rather, “have a qualified electrician properly repair”. My luck somebody would put a 4 inch sheetmetal screw in it, piercing a wire, shocking themselves, and suing me. Then, at least I could justify my E & O premiums…:|.)
The fact that it has a hinged cover, simply means that it has a “cover.” It doesn’t necessarily have to be screwed shut. The hinged cover is perfectly acceptable as long as it’s secure and closes properly.
Interesting…around here I always see them (old panelboards with hinged doors turned into junction boxes) screwed shut. The local AHJ likes it that way so it is not so readily accessible to youngsters especially.
There is no hazard within a junction box if/when everything has been installed properly - i.e. no exposed energized parts. The cover just encloses the wire splices.
Securing/screwing the hinged cover in place is not a bad idea, but it’s not a requirement by any model code-standard.