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Caught a live neutral touching a gas line in a attic off Route 9, still thinking about it
Was doing a triple play install in an old cape cod out near Route 9 two weeks ago, crawling through the attic to run a drop, and my hand brushed something warm. Turned my headlamp on it and there's a neutral wire, insulation chewed down to bare copper, laying right across the gas line to the furnace. I backed out slow, killed the main at the panel, and told the homeowner we weren't touching anything until an electrician came out. He was annoyed about the delay but the electrician showed up two hours later and said one more season of vibration would've rubbed through. Now I carry a non contact tester in my chest pocket and check every line I get near up there. What's your go to move when you spot something like that mid install?
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jamiesingh28d ago
How old was the house? Because that setup screams 1950s wiring where they ran the neutral as a shortcut and nobody thought twice about it. Your move of backing out slow and killing the main first is the right one, a lot of guys would've just pushed the wire off with a screwdriver and kept working. My rule is if it's warm, chewed, or touching anything metal that ain't supposed to carry current, I stop and make the call, the install can wait an hour but a house fire can't. I also keep a cheap non contact pen on me and do a quick pass on every line before I grab it, takes five seconds and saves you from that pit in your stomach you're still feeling two weeks later. That homeowner got lucky you were the one up there.
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