Stupid question time.
#1
09-25-14, 09:27 AM
Stupid question time.
Silly question that I probably already know the answer too.
I see an old water meter dial on side of house. I removed unit from side of house. small wires dangling now outside. In the basement I see similar wires not connected to anything.
Now the stupid question. I see both ends of a wire. Is there any harm in leaving it half in the wall like this? I cant pull it out, I did so and the rubber cable insulation came off and now there are two tiny wires left dangling.
When the meter was working (system since been replaced with remote metering) where was the voltage supplied from and what was it powering??
I see an old water meter dial on side of house. I removed unit from side of house. small wires dangling now outside. In the basement I see similar wires not connected to anything.
Now the stupid question. I see both ends of a wire. Is there any harm in leaving it half in the wall like this? I cant pull it out, I did so and the rubber cable insulation came off and now there are two tiny wires left dangling.
When the meter was working (system since been replaced with remote metering) where was the voltage supplied from and what was it powering??
Last edited by mummy; 09-25-14 at 10:22 AM.
#2
09-25-14, 10:22 AM
Group Moderator
Can you post a picture of the wires or do you know what type they are? Their type/appearance will help determine if they were low voltage or 120/240, a ground wire or just some data cable.
#3
09-25-14, 10:26 AM
Its very small low voltage wire that is probably 20 or 22 awg. There was 2 of these wires in the cable jacket.
They were connected to a small plastic box on the side of the house with dials... the other end was just cut and dangling close to my new water meter on the enterior of the house.
What was being powered here?
They were connected to a small plastic box on the side of the house with dials... the other end was just cut and dangling close to my new water meter on the enterior of the house.
What was being powered here?
Last edited by mummy; 09-25-14 at 11:30 AM.
#5
09-25-14, 12:33 PM
Group Moderator
It sounds like it was a low voltage line to supply power or to transmit the water usage data. Probably to something like a wall wort power supply or sending unit on the water line that you no longer have.
When I'm abandoning wires and cables I like to remove as much as possible. It saves someone in the future the aggravation of trying to figure out what it did or if it's still hot.
When I'm abandoning wires and cables I like to remove as much as possible. It saves someone in the future the aggravation of trying to figure out what it did or if it's still hot.
#6
09-25-14, 12:47 PM
yes of course its a sending unit of some kind but I don't know how it was powered. Does it run on AC or DC? or was it powered by the meter/water flow like a generator kind of thing?
One end was connected to device in photo, other end dangling in basement not connected.... is there a third leg in the wall going somewhere else?
One end was connected to device in photo, other end dangling in basement not connected.... is there a third leg in the wall going somewhere else?
#7
09-25-14, 12:57 PM
No, nothing in the wall. Was probably a plug-in transformer with screw terminals like the phone company use to use for phones with lighted dials. The transformer was probably thrown away years ago.
#8
09-25-14, 01:20 PM
Hi Ray- I need a definitive answer on this one since the wire is broken inside the wall cavity and cannot be removed. I want to be 100percent on how this device was powered since I cannot get at the wire now to test for voltage.
I am sure its a rather common device, perhaps you can change the thread topic for me... to "what is this water meter wired device" or something similar.... perhaps it will catch the eye of someone that is familiar with this thing.
So any help would be appreciated, my husband and I are worried that we made dangerous mistake and we are elderly and on a fixed income and cannot afford to call a tradesman in to check this out.... unless you think its necessary to have an electrician out for this???
Its something called a "Badger Meter Read-O-Matic".
I am sure its a rather common device, perhaps you can change the thread topic for me... to "what is this water meter wired device" or something similar.... perhaps it will catch the eye of someone that is familiar with this thing.
So any help would be appreciated, my husband and I are worried that we made dangerous mistake and we are elderly and on a fixed income and cannot afford to call a tradesman in to check this out.... unless you think its necessary to have an electrician out for this???
Its something called a "Badger Meter Read-O-Matic".
#10
09-25-14, 03:40 PM
Great, thank you. I have no idea how that worked but I take it to mean there is not a transformer mounted on a 120 box somewhere or a 3rd splicing point to that wire...which we feared both. Hopefully its safe to forget about the wire in the wall.
