[img]https://*******/WFWx9Dz[/img][img]https://*******/KNFpjrB[/img]We have 3 very old electrical wires that run from the house to the garage and would like to take them down this week so that we can remove a tree in the backyard. We have no intention of putting them back up afterwards so we would also need to cap them. My husband was an electrician in the navy so he feels comfortable with electrical theory enough to take them down but would like some tips or a walk through if doing it, considering it is residential in nature and he has worked mostly with engines. I have attached photos of the wires and where they connect both to the house and garage. Please do let me know if they don't show up here and I will do my best to fix it.

 

Have you disconnected their power source at the breaker panel?

Then, assuming that they are unusable (no grounding conductor among other things) you may simply cut them down and tape the ends using electrical tape. Only enough wire has to protrude from the wall to wrap tape around and point down a little to shed rain water..

Withdraw the conduit or cable serving these outdoor wires from the breaker panel and label that cable as decommissioned.

At your leisure you can find and cut off the wire ends where they come through an inside wall on their way to the breaker panel.

 

It has not been disconnected from the breaker box, only shut off at the box. This is what my husband would like some walk through on. Everything after that seems pretty easy.

 

Inside the breaker panel, turn the breaker off that feeds the garage, then unscrew the wire(s) from the breaker and cap them off. Change the label on the breaker to "none" or something like that. I also like to stick a label of some sort on the disconnected wire that says something like "old garage feed".

If you're sure you'll never use it again, he can trace which neutral and/or ground wires correspond to the disconnected hot wires in the panel and also unscrew those from the bus bars. Loosen up the cable clamp holding them in the panel and pull them completely out and cut them off.

The breaker you can just leave it in the panel labeled as unused so it fills the hole in the cover.

 

Thank you so much! My husband says this is what he thought and appreciates the hand holding and reassurance.

 

You've linked to a hosting site that the DIY doesn't allow.
You could post your pictures directly to the board..... How-to-insert-pictures.