Pro tip: always check the existing wiring before you cut into a wall

I was putting a new motion sensor in a house built in the 1970s last week. I cut a small hole for the wire and hit a live 12-gauge wire that wasn't on any of the old plans. The whole circuit for the kitchen went out. I had to patch the drywall, find the right breaker, and run a whole new line for the sensor, which added about 2 hours to the job. It was a real pain and taught me to scan the area with a stud finder that also checks for wires every single time now. Has anyone else had a close call like that in an older home?

2 comments

2 Comments

hall.nora7d ago

Oh man, that sounds like the worst kind of surprise. Older houses are full of those "what is this even for" wires that someone just left live. I fried a doorbell transformer once doing something similar, scared me half to death. That extra two hours of work is the exact kind of lesson that makes you never skip the scanner again.

foster.patricia7d ago

Did the doorbell still work after that, @hall.nora?