We have been having problems with the lights in our basement for awhile now (few weeks), sometimes they will work, other times they just won't turn on.
Today I noticed a thin metal piece in the basement closet and I accidentally broke it off. I am pretty sure it was already breaking/loose because it snapped very easily. It was leading to the water pipe (where the main shutoff is) and just ends there with a metal loop and screw holding it in place. Or at least it was.
Immediately after it started to spark, because it swung and made contact with the piece it broke off of. The lights also started flickering. I managed to get it to stop sparking. But when I went upstairs to get a flashlight, the lights upstairs started flickering and the heat/ac unit had no power. Few mins later the bulbs started going out. I use fluorescents.
I'm freaking out a little bit now, turned off the power to the whole house. I originally was going to try to re-secure the metal tube but its not seeming like that will be enough. I'm hoping to call an electrician in the morning, how dangerous is this problem? Can I try to switch on just the heat and fridge? Plus who knows if I can get someone here tomorrow…
The house is about 30yrs old, with both copper and aluminum wiring.
Update:
thanks for all the answers, thankfully was able to get electrician here the next morning, my fiance was mad that there was stuff in that closet. Neither one of us knew that wire was for electricity. He fixed it, it was a grounding wire, apparently also there was corrosion on the outside of the house next to the meter.
So not safe to put anything near the grounding wire now that it's fixed? I wasn't home to ask the electrical myself. If not, I'm surprised there are shelves in the closet..?? It's about 4×2 feet, small shelves about 1×2 on each side, with the pipe and grounding wire in the middle. Alive and well, no fires phew. Furnace transponder blew though, which supposedly will be expensive to fix, circuit didn't blow 🙁
Best Answer
You're lucky you haven't been hurt!
It sounds from your description like the ground wire came off the pipe clamp
If I was you I would definitely not touch that again. Under normal circumstances that wire should not carry any current. If you are seeing sparks, the ground wire is energized and carrying current.
If it does, it may indicate an extremely dangerous condition. It can shock you (possibly seriously injuring or killing you), start a fire, and damage electrical devices in the house. The shock hazard isn't just with the loose wire, it may be there with incidental contact with the pipes, sinks, etc. in the house. It's not really safe to be in the house.
If it is what it sounds like to me, you pulled the ground wire loose from its lug on the ground clamp - it shouldn't come loose easily, so maybe the wire was damaged, or the screw was not tight. In any case you didn't cause this problem by pulling that wire loose; disconnecting that wire revealed the problem.
If you have problems on multiple circuits in your house, it's especially concerning, you may have a problem with your electrical service (lost neutral or other problem). The problem may also involve your neighbors.
It's good that the main power is off, but that doesn't necessarily make everything safe in the house. I'd call the electric company immediately and consider it an emergency. Call an electrician too, as soon as possible.
edit: The original poster followed up that an electrician came and fixed the issue. With that resolved, incidental contact with the ground wire where it's exposed in the closet isn't dangerous. Disconnecting the ground wire from the pipe shouldn't be dangerous, but it can't be assumed to be safe, because there may be an undiscovered issue waiting to bite you.