Any Electrical Danger?

[Wandering Flame]

*Sigh* sorry but this is another one of my electrical issue topics...but I think it could be serious, moreso than my other one.

I recently (like two weeks ago) removed an old duplex receptacle outlet from one of my walls. I shut it off of course while removing it and I'm pretty sure at an earlier point I was fiddling with it while the power was on and thank God nothing happened to me then...by the way, I removed it because I was curious as to how they are hooked up and how I could replace them.

So anyway it has been removed now for about two weeks, and for that span of time (two weeks) the black and white wires, as well as the ground wire have not been connected to anything...meaning they're just floating there right now, unconnected to any outlet.

I'm not really sure if this is safe...especially when power is running to that outlet. You may be wondering why I just don't turn off the power to that outlet via my switchbox/powerbox. Well the reason is, when I do that, for some reason my internet goes down since I think it turns off the main source box that gives me my FIOS internet, and, although I can live without that for a while until an electrician comes and installs my new outlet, I have two brothers who are not willing to go even one day without internet.

Obviously it is not safe in the sense that someone could put their hand in there and get shocked, however I have sealed that area off with a paper towel with "KEEP AWAY" written on it, and I'm not quite sure whether or not the cable ends are touching that paper towel from behind...but I don't even want to make sure since it'll involve touching that area and I don't know what may happen to me...but so far it didn't make a spark or fire or anything so I suppose it's not causing any reaction with the paper towel...

So, I was wondering if this at all may affect any of the other electrical wiring in my house. Meaning, could it have an effect on neighboring outlets or any of the other outlets in my house (the fact I have one old outlet removed and the wires for it are just floating where they are, unattached to anything)? Because I noticed two outlets in my house that are not really working...one seemed to go from working to not-working sometimes, but 90% of the time it doesn't work, and the other one just plain doesn't work at all...the one that doesn't work at all is an outlet close to the area where the old outlet has been removed, and the outlet that doesn't work 90% of the time is in a whole different floor on my house.

My #1 concern now is if, the fact I have one removed outlet with the wires for it floating around unnattached is going to affect other outlets in the house (I'm really only concerned about the outlets in my room), and as I said it seems to have affected two outlets (I know I have everything turned on in my switchbox/powerbox so I know this isn't an issue) but has not really affected any of my room outlets...but I am afraid of plugging any more things in my room, since I have no idea what this may cause considering there's one outlet area in my house with floating unnattached wires...

 

[osholt]

*Sigh* sorry but this is another one of my electrical issue topics...but I think it could be serious, moreso than my other one.

I recently (like two weeks ago) removed an old duplex receptacle outlet from one of my walls. I shut it off of course while removing it and I'm pretty sure at an earlier point I was fiddling with it while the power was on and thank God nothing happened to me then...by the way, I removed it because I was curious as to how they are hooked up and how I could replace them.

So anyway it has been removed now for about two weeks, and for that span of time (two weeks) the black and white wires, as well as the ground wire have not been connected to anything...meaning they're just floating there right now, unconnected to any outlet.

I'm not really sure if this is safe...especially when power is running to that outlet. You may be wondering why I just don't turn off the power to that outlet via my switchbox/powerbox. Well the reason is, when I do that, for some reason my internet goes down since I think it turns off the main source box that gives me my FIOS internet, and, although I can live without that for a while until an electrician comes and installs my new outlet, I have two brothers who are not willing to go even one day without internet.

Obviously it is not safe in the sense that someone could put their hand in there and get shocked, however I have sealed that area off with a paper towel with "KEEP AWAY" written on it, and I'm not quite sure whether or not the cable ends are touching that paper towel from behind...but I don't even want to make sure since it'll involve touching that area and I don't know what may happen to me...but so far it didn't make a spark or fire or anything so I suppose it's not causing any reaction with the paper towel...

So, I was wondering if this at all may affect any of the other electrical wiring in my house. Meaning, could it have an effect on neighboring outlets or any of the other outlets in my house (the fact I have one old outlet removed and the wires for it are just floating where they are, unattached to anything)? Because I noticed two outlets in my house that are not really working...one seemed to go from working to not-working sometimes, but 90% of the time it doesn't work, and the other one just plain doesn't work at all...the one that doesn't work at all is an outlet close to the area where the old outlet has been removed, and the outlet that doesn't work 90% of the time is in a whole different floor on my house.

My #1 concern now is if, the fact I have one removed outlet with the wires for it floating around unnattached is going to affect other outlets in the house (I'm really only concerned about the outlets in my room), and as I said it seems to have affected two outlets (I know I have everything turned on in my switchbox/powerbox so I know this isn't an issue) but has not really affected any of my room outlets...but I am afraid of plugging any more things in my room, since I have no idea what this may cause considering there's one outlet area in my house with floating unnattached wires...

I'm no electrician but it shouldn't affect any thing else as long as the wires aren't touching each other or anything else.

You have to remember they're doing the exact same thing as they were when the socket was switched off/unplugged and so should be safe to use other devices.

However on an electrical safety front I implore you to switch the power of for a few minutes and put some plastic safety things on the live wire to guarantee nothing/no one will come to any harm.

Oli

 

[Wandering Flame]

Thanks for that post.

For like 3 weeks the wires have been like that.....the wires have not touched anyone, and the black & white wires have not touched each other, as far as I'm concerned, and the ground wire is also not touching any of the other wires.

However I am pretty sure the wires ARE touching the inside of the wall...when I say inside of the wall...I mean like the wall itself, just from the inside. I'm not really sure what this would do normally or if this will affect the wires or the entire house electrical wiring. I don't know, and I should not have even freaking removed the old outlet in the first place and just left it alone.

I would have also kept the power off had it not, for some retarded reason, turned off the source of my internet when the source of my internet (FIOS box) is not even ANYWHERE near the outlet that I removed....

 

[osholt]

Thanks for that post.

For like 3 weeks the wires have been like that......the wires have not touched anyone, and the black & white wires have not touched each other, as far as I'm concerned, and the ground wire is also not touching any of the other wires.

However I am pretty sure the wires ARE touching the inside of the wall...when I say inside of the wall...I mean like the wall itself, just from the inside. I'm not really sure what this would do normally or if this will affect the wires or the entire house electrical wiring. I don't know, and I should not have even freaking removed the old outlet in the first place and just left it alone.

I would have also kept the power off had it not, for some retarded reason, turned off the source of my internet when the source of my internet (FIOS box) is not even ANYWHERE near the outlet that I removed....

Is the inside of your wall made of metal, the bit that it may be touching?

If the answer is no then it's not much worse than the electricity trying to ground itself through the air and everything else should be fine.

Oh and have you tried changing the socket your FIOS Box is plugged into and turning the power off .

Oli

 

[Wandering Flame]

"Is the inside of your wall made of metal, the bit that it may be touching?

If the answer is no then it's not much worse than the electricity trying to ground itself through the air and everything else should be fine.

Oh and have you tried changing the socket your FIOS Box is plugged into and turning the power off .

Oli"

I'm like 87% sure it's not metal...at least I will be checking tomorrow morning before the guy comes.

Also I also thought of what you said about plugging the FIOS box somewhere else...although I thought what's the point....since 1. It has been like this for 3 weeks, may as well wait for a day longer and since 2. I don't even know how to properly turn off the FIOS box nor could I remove it from its location...and the power cable won't reach another outlet unless I use a cord extender, but I'm not sure that would be safe for the FIOS box either.

Not that I should probably be worried considering the recent crap I've done with the electrical wiring (unplugged and outlet and left the wires hanging).

Anyway thanks for your help, you're a great person.