If You Can See A Copper Conductor In A Cable What Should You Do With The Cable?

Depending on the types of copper wire used in a project, there might be an inner mesh jacket, outer insulation, or both. In insulated copper cable, the mesh and outer insulation jacket is a safety measure, meant to restrict electrical current, flowing through the copper conductor, within the confines of the insulated jacket. This means that handling the cable does not pose a safety risk (shock) to anyone who touches the cable.

Sometimes, the jacket or insulation on solid or braided copper wire tears or it may be otherwise damaged, exposing the copper conductor within the insulated copper cable. This may happen due to various reasons, including excessive wear and tear, aging of the insulation or damage caused by rodents (rats, squirrels, household pets) gnawing at the cables. The best thing to do when confronted with this situation is to unplug the wire from its power source, and change/replace the cable before re-plugging it into the power source.

Using copper cable, in which you can see exposed copper conductors, is dangerous to anyone (humans or pets) who inadvertently touches the exposed conductor. Copper cables with frayed insulation and exposed conductors may also pose a fire hazard. That’s because the electrical current flowing through the conductor heats up the cable. With no insulation or barrier to contain that heat, any surface (like fabric, carpet or wood) touching the exposed conductor may catch fire.