Help tracing breaker and wire

[gsmith97893]

Hello everyone;

I just moved into my new home about a month ago and yesterday I decided to check out the breaker box for the hell of it; after looking over most of the breakers I noticed some where turned off (or tripped) so I turn most on without a problem. Then I turned on the last breaker at the end of the panel and heard a loud hum and tripped out. I tried it again (with caution) and this time it stayed on...it is a single breaker (not big like a heater would use) and says 30 on it. The breaker looks newer than the others in the panel and the wire connected to it has a yellow color to it while the other wires running throughout my house are white and old.

I traced this wire to outside (ran through the cinder block foundation) I dug a hole a found the wire, but still can't figure out where it goes to; there are no lights (except for a mercury security light mount to a outside wall) or outlets outside anywhere and the direction this wire is running to does not make any sense, it runs into a wooded area surrounding my house and I have no nearby neighbors either. I kept digging and pulling the wire to about 200ft and the more I digged the deeper the wire was in the ground; the wire was about 5-6 feet in the ground!!! Then I decided to give up (was too tired).

I went back inside my house to study the panel closely and I touched the breaker and wire and notice both are warm and makes a low hum when it is on (like something is using power). I turn it back off for now and it doesn't turn anything else off, even the outside mercury wall light...any ideas? Also, I called the previous owners and they know nothing about it. Thanks for any help; Greg

[Hogwild]

A new house eh?

An underground wire needs to be run in conduit. It sounds like this one isn't.

I would guess that the builders powered your neighbors house (or yours) from the other during construction.

Builders often cut safety corners.

I would suggest you call your builder and then the utility.

Leave it off in the meantime.

[hallerb]

Is a a brand new home or a new to YOU home? It might have powered a shed, pole light or something at one time if your home is used, which is mnore likely since you talk of newer breakers. in a brand new home all breakers should look the same. besides no outside outlets is a dead give away its not brand new all new new homes have outside outlets see i am a excellent detective.

if it doesnt effect anything then leave it off permanetly or ideally if you know how disconnect the black hot wire from this breaker so its never powered on again by accident, like something triips so you or someone else reset all the breakers that are off.

a friend had that happen at their home, AC tripped off after a power surge, a family member reset all the tripped breakers, one of which happened to be a long abandoned sauna, the home burned down:(

So if you can do it or have it done disconnect that line for future safety

[Tony Hwang]

Builder's sub contractor; electrcian. Brand new house should have stickers on the panel listing which breaker is what. And home owner's manual with list of sub contractors and warranty for the house. That's how they do up here in Alberta.

[Bennett Price]

[Bob]

I agree. You should disconnect the wire and even take out the breaker. You should fill the gap with a proper piece designed for that purpose - available at a hardware store. Beside the fact that you can't find the use of the circuit, it is not installed correctly and someone, probably you will end up paying for the mistake made by someone else. If you bought the house from someone, this may be considered to be a hidden vice (is that the correct term in English) and the previous owner may be responsable for making things right. Having an electrician make the corrections shouldn't cost much so it may nor be worth the effort to go after the previous owner. Bob

[Steve Barker LT]

A. Let me get this straight. You were digging up a wire that was turned on.?!?

B. Just for informational purposes, the underground wire does NOT have to be in conduit if it is UF wire.

[buffalobill]

ask an electrician to trace it for you. also check the surveyor posts and survey to find out where your property lines are. maybe there is a perfectly good tree house with an electric heater in it out there :) or a service outlet for electrical tools. if it connects to a neighbor's house maybe it was for emergencies but it's not properly connected for that purpose.

[gsmith97893]

JUST AN UPDATE - Me and a couple friends finished digging and tracing the wire and found the end...it was a sump pump in a nearby by river connected to cut off peice of garden hose? Still confused why someone wouldn't just use a friggin extension cord. My friend is a licensed electrician; he said the wire used is 12 romex? on a 30 amp breaker and running about a 1,000+ feet from my house and someone duct tape the wire where it was spliced together.

This is a very old house but new to me and NO I didn't dig and pull the wire up while it was energized! There is a date on the wire and says it was made in the year of 2002, apearently was recent; still don't understand why the previous owners aren't being honest with me. QUESTION - Why in the HELL would someone do this?

[hallerb]

no doubt they used the wire for irrigation, i have a friend who does that from a nearby stream. i wonder what else the former owner hasnt told you:(