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henns20 · Aug 28, 2013, 07:06 PM

Background:
In Pennsylvania. I am a rookie at electric and normally call the electrician. That said, disconnected attic fan because it was making noise - will need to be fixed. Disconnected the white wires from direction of another rookie. The wires are still live.

Problem
If you look at the pics below. Even to my rookie eye this does not look safe.

Questions.
How doe I set this up and keep it disconnected safely to prevent fire?
-I want to cap it and secure the wires so no there is no danger.
-If you look at pic 1 the blacks are still connected as well as the ground wires.

Images of the wire set up in the attic below.

Pic 1
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1Ut...it?usp=sharing

Pic 2
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1Ut...V28/edit?pli=1

Thank you very much in advance.

Jamie

ma0641 · Aug 28, 2013, 07:12 PM

Fire waiting to happen. Where are the junction boxes? Wire connections must be in a sealed junction box. Get 2 junction boxes and put the wiring connection inside or remove all non used wires and put terminations in a junction box. Find the hot lead and put a wire nut on it. Disconnecting the neutral does nothing since the wires are still hot.

smoothy · Aug 28, 2013, 07:15 PM

I'm not an actual electrician and I know connections should be in a junction box secured to the framing. Not swinging in the wind. And all wireds capped.

(I'm an electronic Engineer)

henns20 · Aug 28, 2013, 07:32 PM

Originally Posted by ma0641

Fire waiting to happen. Where are the junction boxes? Wire connections must be in a sealed junction box. Get 2 junction boxes and put the wiring connection inside or remove all non used wires and put terminations in a junction box. Find the hot lead and put a wire nut on it. Disconnecting the neutral does nothing since the wires are still hot.

Thanks very much for the reply:

Junction boxes
-after doing research before I posted that - I understand that junction boxes are used to store safely disconnected wires (or are they for both connected and disconnected?).

-if the answer is for connected as well then - who ever rigged that up did not use them. If it is only used in disconnected - then I will get some tomorrow.

Fire waiting to happen
Thought so - now I am concerned on going to sleep:|

Besides junction boxes - how should this be set up in the short term until I can get an electrician out?
Ie- disconnect the blacks and twist the white on the black on the respective wire and cap? Then put in a junction box?
Blacks will shok me if I touch them with out the breaker off correct?

Thanks again
Jamie

henns20 · Aug 28, 2013, 07:35 PM

Originally Posted by smoothy

I'm not an actual electrician and I know connections should be in a junction box secured to the framing. Not swinging in the wind. And all wireds capped.

(I'm an electronic Engineer)

Yep thought so - thank you.

henns20 · Aug 28, 2013, 07:52 PM

Sorry just reread your post:

"Disconnecting the neutral does nothing since the wires are still hot."

The fan stopped turning on and off. Confused what you mean by that.

"Get 2 junction boxes and put the wiring connection inside"

Understood for the one still connect - but for the one I am trying to disconnect for now. How should they be disconnected and capped.

"Find the hot lead and put a wire nut on it"

Is not the hot lead the black wires that are still connected- in order to disconnect them I would need to find and turn off the proper breaker?

Thanks.

hfcarson · Aug 29, 2013, 03:31 AM

Call the electrician now...

ma0641 · Aug 29, 2013, 02:13 PM

Originally Posted by henns20

Sorry just reread your post:

"Disconnecting the neutral does nothing since the wires are still hot."

The fan stopped turning on and off. Confused what you mean by that.

"Get 2 junction boxes and put the wiring connection inside"

Understood for the one still connect - but for the one I am trying to disconnect for now. How should they be disconnected and capped.

"Find the hot lead and put a wire nut on it"

Is not the hot lead the black wires that are still connected- in order to disconnect them I would need to find and turn off the proper breaker?

Thanks.

Disconnecting a neutral does nothing as it does not "supply " current. You can still get shocked since the black is hot. If you remove all the wires in the second circuit you don't have to cap anything. Put the hot circuit in a junction box after capping them off. Connecting a black and white will typically trip the breaker. As far as getting shocked, if you are not grounded or on a wet concrete floor or holding a ground or neutral wire you will not get shocked. How do you think birds can sit on a hot wire and not get shocked. BTW junction boxes normally contain hot wires.

ma0641 · Aug 29, 2013, 02:24 PM

I looked at the pictures again. Take the wire nut off the black and ground wire in the top circle and put the wire nut back on the black and white wire coming up from the floor. Put those wires in a junction box. Put the wires in the oval in a junction box. Roll up the fan wires and tape them up to the fan body.