Warning about old phone lines in attic spaces

I was fishing a new drop in a 1970s house in Boise and my drill bit hit a live, unmarked 48V phone line, causing a small flash and a tripped breaker. I now carry a non-contact voltage tester and check every single joist cavity before I drill. Anyone else have a close call with hidden voltage they want to share?

4 comments

4 Comments

thomas2751mo ago

My own attic wiring looks like a spider tried its hand at electrical work.

the_riley1mo ago

That "small flash" you mentioned is no joke. I was helping my uncle rewire his old farmhouse and we found a whole nest of cloth wrapped wires just hanging loose in a wall. They were dead, but it looked like a mouse had been chewing on them for years. Makes you wonder what else is hiding in these old places.

-1

kim7271mo ago

My grandpa's barn had the same cloth wiring mess.

tarar271mo ago

Remember my buddy's kitchen reno? They pulled out a cabinet and a whole section of the wall behind it was just...gone. Like, gone gone. Just old newspaper and rat nests looking into the next room.