Voltage Detected on Exterior

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HomeElectric

New User
Location
Virginia
Occupation
Apprentice
Hi Everyone,

Background:
I am in the process of installing siding on my home. Currently I am removign the old siding from one side and I'm trying to identify wire locations so I can take extra precautions when nailing in those areas (nails are penetrating 3/4" into the stud).

The issue: I used my low voltage detector and noticed I was getting a slight beep on some exposed nails and on the foil-backed insulation in one area. I used a multimeter and got a reading of 3V on the nails and 10V on the foil insulation. When I turn two breakers off, the voltage reading goes away. I'm thinking a nail may have hit a wire nearby and voltage is traveling through the foil backed insulation or maybe there has been voltage leaking to this wall for years since I haven't done any work on this side of the house yet.

I'm at a loss of where to begin trouble shooting this. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I have a seasoned electrician coming next week to help me troubleshoot, but I'd like to have a better idea of what is going on and if I should open walls beforehand. Any help and guidance would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!
 

Dennis Alwon

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Chapel Hill, NC
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Retired Electrical Contractor
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