Hit wire on concrete wall while drilling a hole – problem

circuit breakerwire

Hit a wire while drilling a hole on a concrete wall. Didn't feel like hitting anything, except there was a short, spark, and tripped the breaker.

With the breaker back on, haven't noticed any problems. If the wires stay apart, can any issues arise from this? Other than the breaker tripping again, in case the wires touch, what else can happen?

Best Answer

That can not be left in service that way. If it's cable, it's done for, and being set in concrete, the whole run is now unusable. If it's conduit, all the wires need to be pulled out of that conduit for inspection. You cannot mend a wire (not least, the conductor's width may be damaged and cause a hotspot), so the entire run of wire needs to be replaced.

One does not rely on breakers tripping to protect from a known defect. One fixes the defect.

It's hard for me to keep a straight face when warning you about fire, because I can't name too many concrete fires. However, if the PVC plastic conduit caught on fire, it would fill the space with some toxic stink, especially if the PVC pipe was not rated for electrical use. (Lots of people grab cheap plumbing PVC because it's cheaper).