Electrical / romex mess

[plowhog]

I was going to say, most breakers are okay with having two wires in them, shaving the wire down so it will fit in the breaker is a No-No though.

That might be MossRoad's situation, but it's not mine.

 

[plowhog]

If it is not marked UF ...

I re-inspected the cable in bright sunlight using my 3.5+ cheaters.

It is marked UF and also says "S U N L I G H T R E S I S T A N T"

There is also a funny marking on the other side of the wire-- kind of like a horse hoofprint in the ground but more triangular. Perhaps a manufacturer logo?

 

[plowhog]

There should be zero volts ac (or close to it) from either white to ground and 110-130 volts ac from black to ground or white.

I'm going to test for voltage on the white wire today, both with the switch on as well as off.

 

[fishdrivel]

I never saw anyone post anything that said this. Certainly not me.

More info: I believe it is UF romex-- there is no paper and it looks just like the pictured one. I can excavate the exposed wire back to the inner wall, then turn it up into a (new) box with no splicing.

Both romex wires are connected to the same breaker. One is switched (the former light circuit) and one is always hot. Both are connected to the same breaker-- a 15amp Square D arc fault breaker.

 

[grsthegreat]

Omg. A ground fault breaker will prevent any issues in future. And you won’t burn down your house. Ive been an electrical contractor for over 30 years. With a GFCI breaker even if you took a wire cutter and cut thru live lines you would not even see a spark. plowhog has said its uf cable. Problem solved. Either use an accessible j box or a direct burial splice and be done. have fun with your project.

 

[aczlan]

If they are both connected to the same breaker, why does that breaker not cut off power to 2nd??????

2 circuits connected to the same breaker is not to code, not safe, and leads me to believe it was a DIY'er

I suspect that the the OP had shut off the light switch, but not the breaker.
No reason you can't run multiple circuits off of one breaker (other than Kitchen, smoke alarm, etc circuits that are required to be separate).

An outlet and a switched light circuit to an outbuilding or other location is done all the time, look at light poles that have outlets at the base of the pole, or power for a camera mounted on the pole.

Aaron Z

 

[plowhog]

Fishdrivel, I appreciate your contributions. I worded my original post poorly, then corrected it later. With so many posts some things get lost in the tangle! What I corrected it to was that both circuits trace back to / are controlled by the same breaker.

This is the problem with dealing with electrical newbies like me!

 

[Diggin It]

Do I understand your post correctly... the always-hot UF cable should normally have voltage only on the black lead and not the white, but if I turn on the switch, (heating up the other UF cable) the neutral/white wire on the "always hot" UF cable would then show voltage? And it would feed that voltage on the neutral/white wire back to the panel?

Typically there should never be voltage on the white. White to ground should read 0 Volts. HOWEVER, there are exceptions. If a two conductor is used as a switch loop, you would have voltage on the white when the switch is on. Black/Hot to the switch, white/switched hot from the switch. BUT, that white should be marked with black tape.

My 220V water heater uses two conductor with ground from the panel to the disconnect near the WH. The black and the white each carry 110V.

 

[plowhog]

I suspect that the the OP had shut off the light switch, but not the breaker.

You are correct. I turned the switch off, saw the light turn off, and thought all was well.

After pulling up the pole and light fixture (and a giant blob of concrete) I saw the 2nd UF cable, which I didn't expect. I mistakenly presumed it used the light circuit as its source, and traveled on to another "downstream" ... something. But .... I was later "jolted" back to reality.

 

[oldpilot]

>I know you are not supposed to put romex in conduit

Why not? Safer than burying it, surely!