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

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.

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

Hogwild wrote:
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.

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.


Leave it off in the meantime.

An old, now abandoned, well pump?

gsmith97893 wrote:
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

wrote:

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

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

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.

--
Steve Barker



"gsmith97893" wrote in message
...

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


--
gsmith97893

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.

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?

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