I just moved into a new house this year and while planting flowers in my garden, I accidentally cut a grey wire that was only a couple of inches deep in the mulch bed. The moment I cut it, there was a huge spark and a loud noise. This wire runs into my basement and connects to some half-finished basement lights. What is this wire for and how should I handle it? It feels really unsafe to leave this partially severed wire here.
3 Answers
It sounds like you might have shorted the wire when you cut it, which probably tripped your breaker. Definitely check your breaker panel to see which one is off. If it’s tripped, that means it's not dangerous right now, but you shouldn’t leave it like that. Either pull the wire out safely or get a professional to fix it properly. If someone resets the breaker, that line could become live again and pose a risk.
You need to find the breaker that this wire connects to and turn it off immediately. It sounds like it was installed wrongly, which is definitely unsafe to have power running just beneath the surface like that. Just leaving it the way it is could lead to more dangerous situations down the line.
Do you think this wire could somehow be connected to the street power? I'm not sure how these things work, but that sounds scary.
That wire is likely a low-burial type used for powering outdoor lighting or systems in your garden. In most areas, burying electrical wire just a couple of inches is against code. You should call an electrician to come out and take a look at it. It's better to be safe and have it corrected professionally.
Everything about this house seems like a DIY disaster waiting to happen. It's really frustrating! Just when you think you've seen it all, there's more.