220 live line

[Fudog]

Good Morning, I have a 220 live line above the drop ceiling in the basement that is capped off and I tried to find the breaker for it but did not have any luck. I shut the breakers off one at a time then used a voltage detector as each one was turned off then back on but still had voltage every time. I am not sure why that would happen. Is it possible that the line could share 2 breakers? Also what is the best brand of voltage detector to buy or does it really matter? I have a Greenlee tester now. Thanks! The Forum is great and very informative.

 

[LEVE]

Did you flip the master breaker to kill the whole panel and then check the voltage?

 

[supertooljunkie]

A 220v line should have a dual pole breaker with the switches tied together. If they are on two separate, single, breakers, then you will show 120v on a leg if the other is turned off.
That is not to code.

 

[Interex]

Supertool is right. You should have a 2 pole breaker for that 220v but it sounds like you don't. Since you don't have a tracer, you'll need to shut off all of the breakers and work your way through them by turn them on one at a time. Once you find one leg, mark it on your panel, switch it back off, and keep going until you find your other leg.

Once you find the circuits, I'd highly recommend you reconfigure your breakers and get a 2-pole installed before using the circuit.

As for equipment, Greenlee isn't bad. I personally love Fluke but they can be pricey depending on the model.

 

[rodnok1]

Time to crack open the elec panel and look at the wire routing also.

 

[fefarms]

If you are using a non-contact tester to "check for voltage", it may be giving you a false reading resulting from inductive/capacitive coupling to nearby wires somewhere along the circuit run. This is especially common when previously used circuits are abandoned and left just dangling, possibly at both ends. The wires MAY be cold all the time.

The non-contact testers are a tremendous safety aid, but take some degree of interpretation. Sometimes it can be helpful to drag out an old fashioned low impedance tester like a "Wiggy" to determine if a circuit is really at the specified voltage or not.

 

[nehog]

BTW, when I'm checking for live circuits, I turn off all breakers, put a light on the circuit I'm testing, then turn them on one at a time.

 

[Carman]

Easy way if you're comfortable with it is touch the 2 wires together, if they don't spark then maybe they aren't actually powered, if they spark then chances are you just tripped a breaker and you can go see which one it is. This isn't the safest way but effective.

 

[Interex]

Easy way if you're comfortable with it is touch the 2 wires together, if they don't spark then maybe they aren't actually powered, if they spark then chances are you just tripped a breaker and you can go see which one it is. This isn't the safest way but effective.

Say what? And what if the arc jumps and ends up going through him? Of if the breaker fails and ends up starting a fire? Lets not forget that you could permanently damage devices connected to the circuit.

 

[Relie]

A 220 line should have a double breaker or a 30 amp breaker. It is usually a larger breaker in size than the normal 15 or 20 amp breaker.

 

[mrb]

Easy way if you're comfortable with it is touch the 2 wires together, if they don't spark then maybe they aren't actually powered, if they spark then chances are you just tripped a breaker and you can go see which one it is. This isn't the safest way but effective.

and if theyre protected by a bad breaker, weld themselves together, and cause your panel to burn up (all while causing retinal burns)

bad advice. Thats like testing your airbag by crashing your car. Just plain stupid.

 

[MrMark]

and if theyre protected by a bad breaker, weld themselves together, and cause your panel to burn up (all while causing retinal burns)

bad advice. Thats like testing your airbag by crashing your car. Just plain stupid.

Well, I was just going to suggest wetting his fingers and touching the wires!

hmmm, sounds like capacitively coupled voltage as posted.

 

[Carman]

Hey I did include only if your comfortable with it and said it wasn't the safest way. And yes I do agree it's not entirely safe. If you don't have a tester that you trust and don't have a secondary DMM it will work. I normally use a DMM or circuit tester but in a pinch I also use my fingers to test a live ckt (really don't need to be wetted) Didn't mean to incite a riot, sorry will keep the sketchier advice to myself from now on, please excuse the lapse of just getting the work done without proper tools.

 

[klhitman]

could it be possible for the wires to come off the main lugs? i have seen some jack legged stuff like that in old panels that are too small and full. just run new wires off the the mains and install a sub panel.i have also seen a panel with wires soldered to the bus bars to make a bad bar work. freaked me out.

 

[Fudog]

Update- I did not have any time until today to check out the line but my Greenlee tester fooled me as the line had a red, black, and white wire and all checked out as hot according to the tester. I traced the wire back to a junction box and disconnected it and that took care of the hot line laying above the drop ceiling but after I unhooked it I put a Fluke T-2 tester on the lines I unhooked it from and the DC 24 volt light was on numerous ways I touched the probeson the wires. I am not an electrician so this was a little confusing. I still need to trace the other wire in the box not sure why the non contact tester shows everything live and the other shows DC voltage. Anyway sorry it took so long to get back with everyone that answered my post as we also lost one of our pets this week. Thanks! Merry Christmas

 

[v7guy]

sounds like a tough week. My thoughts are with you for your loss of the pet, they really are like family.

with electrical all you can do is work your way back, open the panel, make sure everything looks ok then follow the breakers till you loose power. After you find the breakers responsible you can track the wires back to where things are FUBAR'd

 

[joey d]

Any 2 lines on opposite phases will give you a 240 reading phase to phase. Sometimes 2 120 circuits on opposite phase will share a neutral explaning the white wire. Is this romex or just 3 wires laying on the ceiling