Helping my sister finish her basement, and we find that the house used to be heated with baseboard heat. So, there are a bunch of 20 Amp 220 breakers in the panel. There’s also a bunch of disconnected 12-2 wires that used to run to those breakers.
There’s no sign in any of the rooms where these heaters used to be. I assume someone capped the wires and just left them in the walls when they removed the heaters.
Is there any way to find these wires, or do I just cut them off in the panel so nobody can ever hook them up again?
Unfortunately none of the wires run in the basement. I could possibly hook power to them and find them in the attic, but I don’t want to go up there, and that still doesn’t tell me where they end.
If I can find them, I’d like to put a dedicated 110 outlet in each bedroom.
Any suggestions?
Oh, I probably won’t see this again until Monday, hope I put enough info.
Replies
Call an electrician and borrow a wire tracer.
You can also buy a cheap one for about $100.
Jeff
Thanks for the suggestion.
I actually saw my electrician neighbor/friend last night. Asked him about it. He said he didn't have anything that'd help, but he'd ask around and see if anyone did. Said I might get lucky if the wire was near the surface of the sheetrock and be able to detect it with a wiggy or power probe (never can remember the right name for these).
I guess I'll try that. Along with some tapping around for the patch, but it's likely a small enough hole it won't be findable that way.
Anyway, said this is common. He often takes out old baseboard heaters. About half the people opt to pay for having boxes cut in for 110 outlets, about half say they have enough outlets already and he just clips the wires off as or before they come in the panel and caps them in the wall.
What detector are you talking about? I've seen ones where you plug one end in the outlet they put the probe by the breakers and it tells you which breaker powers that outlet. You can buy an adaptor that screws into a lighbbulb socket also. Not sure what exactly you're talking about??
If you have one of those, try it. I will sometimes work, but don' have much range.
Something that might help is to use that tracer, but for a receiver take a small battery operated AM radio and tune it to the low end of the band where there are no stations. When you are close enough you will hear a ticking sound, at least with the one that I have. That has a little more range.
What Jeff was talking about was is called a tone tracer and you need to disconnect the power source for these.
There are some that are more powerful.
Here is a typical one.
You might check at local rental places.
Bill
I wasn't referring to the tone tracer you mentioned, but it probably would work if your close (maybe 6 in) thru a sheetrock wall.
I have alot of neat gadgets here I've accumulated over the years for special work.
Toys are us.
Jeff
Bill
I have 3 types of tracers here.
The first is a telephone style tone tracer. It has a tone generator you hook to the wire and a probe used to follow the tone a short distance from the wire (maybe 6 in max.) No power on.
The second is hooked to a live wire and sends a tone thru it. The probe also follows the tone (maybe 12 in max.) Power on or off.
The third is hooked to a wire. The probe uses a radio signal and can trace up to 3 or 4 feet (even under ground) with a sensitive meter scale to follow. No power and wire needs to be disconnected to work well.
I have others, but those are good for other tasks.
Actually, an electrician friend borrows my units when he needs to trace
something.
I used to trace wires all the time for people, and it's pretty easy with the right tools.
Jeff
Hey, those are the toys I need.
Have no idea where I'd find such toys though. My electrician friend had no idea they exist (well at least didn't seem to).
Thanks though. Any idea where to buy these things, or what they're called so I can do a search? I've seen these advertised somewhere, just can't remember where. It was a long time ago.
Oh well, not a huge issue. The wires aren't connected to anything, and if nothing is ever done no damage will be done. Just something extra I'd like to toss in on the electrical help I've been giving her.
Billy
I don't know which supplier I got them from.
Some came direct from manufacturers, some from suppliers.
I'm not in the office now, but off hand I think Jensen Tools or Time Motion Tools handle some of them.
Both should be on the net.
I'll try and look tomarrow if you would like.
Jeff
Here is a supplier that has a couple of them.