I recently moved into a 2012-built home and while painting, I found a random 24/4 wire sitting inside an outlet box in the front entryway. There's also an unused alarm panel located about 3.5 feet above this outlet on the same side of the stud bay. Could this wire be an abandoned part of that alarm system? Additionally, there's a similar wire in the master bedroom in another empty box with a blank faceplate. I'm confused about what these wires were used for, if anything at all.
3 Answers
It sounds like that wire could be low voltage power for the alarm panel. The outlet might have been used for a plug-in transformer that powered it without any direct connection to the outlet itself.
That wire really shouldn't be there! I doubt the builder intended for it to be left in your outlet box, and it may pose a safety risk. It seems like it might be a remnant from the original installation.
Most likely, that wire was used to power the alarm system via a transformer. If you're not using it anymore, it might be a good idea to disconnect it safely.
True, but looking more closely, I noticed it was actually outside the box and just covered when they drywalled. I found a random plug-in transformer in some old stuff from the previous owners, and the screw on the switch plate doesn't match the others. I’m starting to think this wire was used to connect to that transformer for the alarm panel before being left behind.