MC Coiled In Ceiling With Bare Conductors Exposed, Unknown Endpoint?

Beren

I was checking a path to run a new data cable at our office when I got a nice surprise. Went up on the step ladder, removed a panel from the drop ceiling, and found myself nose-to-nose with bare wires in a MC cable coiled and hung from a support beam. The ends of the conductors were bare and protruded roughly 1/4" from the MC. The MC isn't labeled and there's no quick way to tell whether it still terminates at a live breaker. Is this normal/acceptable or should I call the electrical contractors who would've been responsible to come cap it or something? My concern is that I don't know whether the other end is still wired to a currently unused breaker on the nearby panel. If someone flips that breaker on someday, suddenly there's a live bare wires in the drop ceiling.

mickeyco

How long is it? Where does it terminate? Could be a "loose" piece of MC just hanging around, but it sounds like a left over whip from a never installed or removed florescent lamp or something. It's potentially quite dangerous, if it's still hooked up. I'm positive if it's hooked up that's against code, but I couldn't cite the code for you (MD could tell you). I'm not sure you can determine the electrical contractor(s) responsibility (could have been there for years, then again it could be a new building and you know who did it), regardless of whose is responsible I would have an electrician check it out.

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macmikeman

It would be good to just call in an electrician. That person can determine if it is possible to still energize the cable, he or she can also terminate the cable safely, or remove it entirely if you wish. Then you can sleep well at night.

Beren

I took a closer look this morning. The MC (two of them, actually) go into rigid metal conduits in one of the walls. Those conduits go down into the concrete floor - not the nearby subpanel. They may be dead wires that used to lead outside for some reason. I'll send our contractor an email and see if they know what they were. Thanks for the feedback.

mdshunk

Sounds like something abandoned from a former tenant fit-out, or maybe something pulled that wasn't needed after all. A "tic" probe will tell you real quick if they're energized or not. If I was a betting man, I'd say they're dead, but I sure wouldn't bet my life on it. At the moment, the code does have a definition for abandoned cable, but there is no general requirement yet that abandoned cable actually be removed. Some jurisdictions, particularly large cities, do require that pretty much every scrap of every abandoned cable be removed. Not so, however, for most of the country.