Is there a way to test if mice are chewing the wiring in your home?

[PaulAm]

I've had mice eat through wires a number of times on my vehicles.  Not only insulation, but right through the copper.  Right now I have to replace 3 spark plug wires in my dumptruck because some rodent chewed right through them.  I had another car disabled because something chewed through the wiring harness to the fuel pump.  I hate rodents.

Besides pernicious damage, rodents carry nasty diseases.  There was a story on the news not that long ago  on someone who died from Hantavirus caught while cleaning out mice.

As a renter your best option is to complain to the landlord and maybe move.

[Haenk]

I've had mice eat through wires a number of times on my vehicles.  Not only insulation, but right through the copper.  Right now I have to replace 3 spark plug wires in my dumptruck because some rodent chewed right

I pretty much doubt that this damage has been done by mice. At least here in Germany, such a damage is usually done by a marten. They seem to love certain types of rubber and are known to completely destroy cabling and hoses in a car.

[BrokenYugo]

I've had mice eat through wires a number of times on my vehicles.  Not only insulation, but right through the copper.  Right now I have to replace 3 spark plug wires in my dumptruck because some rodent chewed right through them.  I had another car disabled because something chewed through the wiring harness to the fuel pump.  I hate rodents.

Besides pernicious damage, rodents carry nasty diseases.  There was a story on the news not that long ago  on someone who died from Hantavirus caught while cleaning out mice.

As a renter your best option is to complain to the landlord and maybe move.

Probably chipmunks or squirrels. Mice tend to just shit everywhere and chew on fibrous stuff (hood insulation, sound deadening pads, interior, etc.) to make nesting.

[james_s]

I've fortunately not had an animal chew on wires in my car but I did once have a rat gnaw on the drive belt for the alternator. It snapped while I was driving, despite being recently inspected. I know it was a rat because I found the corpse cooking on top of the engine block.

[mansaxel]

The voltage is not lower, it's 240V just like most of the rest of the world.

Ahem.
[ Specified attachment is not available ]

This is a fresh pic from my garage. We have a bit more than 240. If this picture had sound you'd hear my three-phase air compressor purring along in the back, because I switched the 'shop "machine power" bus on to get voltage in the outlet. It's a 3-phase feed that's controlled by a contactor and has a bunch of those emergency off buttons located in the shop. It's also, as is customary, protected against restart after power failure.

To get back on topic:   In Sweden, all wiring in agriculture buildings (stables, barns et al.) is required to be on-wall, not in-wall. Most often this means PVC or PE cable nailed or screwed to the wall as can be seen above. Conduit in-wall is forbidden. This is to keep the rodent problem off the electrics, at least. 

The application of insulation testing to check for faults and RCCB's (GFCI) to limit them is recommended here too -- we share most of the EU rules on this.

[SilverSolder]

In Sweden, all wiring in agriculture buildings (stables, barns et al.) is required to be on-wall, not in-wall. Most often this means PVC or PE cable nailed or screwed to the wall as can be seen above.

I believe that in the USA, external cabling like in the picture would have to be run inside a conduit, I see steel conduits used a lot for this.

[mansaxel]

In Sweden, all wiring in agriculture buildings (stables, barns et al.) is required to be on-wall, not in-wall. Most often this means PVC or PE cable nailed or screwed to the wall as can be seen above.

I believe that in the USA, external cabling like in the picture would have to be run inside a conduit, I see steel conduits used a lot for this.

That is also my impression.

[SeanB]

The simplest check is to use the camera, or place a few glue traps baited with peanut butter, which will give you a very much alive and angry mouse, or vanish if it is a rat. Other than to replace all breakers with AFCI types, nothing else you can do aside from start to replace cabling, as hidden damage is not going to show up on a TDR at all.

[Badwolf]

A few months ago i had a similar problem (flickering not mice). The problem was simply an old switch. Over time the contacts were no longer of good quality, we could sometimes even hear them crackle  . Just run them several times quickly was enough  to stop the problem for a few days. I ended up replacing them to avoid more serious problems

[james_s]

The voltage is not lower, it's 240V just like most of the rest of the world.

Ahem.
(Attachment Link)

This is a fresh pic from my garage. We have a bit more than 240. If this picture had sound you'd hear my three-phase air compressor purring along in the back, because I switched the 'shop "machine power" bus on to get voltage in the outlet. It's a 3-phase feed that's controlled by a contactor and has a bunch of those emergency off buttons located in the shop. It's also, as is customary, protected against restart after power failure.

To get back on topic:   In Sweden, all wiring in agriculture buildings (stables, barns et al.) is required to be on-wall, not in-wall. Most often this means PVC or PE cable nailed or screwed to the wall as can be seen above. Conduit in-wall is forbidden. This is to keep the rodent problem off the electrics, at least. 

The application of insulation testing to check for faults and RCCB's (GFCI) to limit them is recommended here too -- we share most of the EU rules on this.

We have 480V 3 phase power here too, but not residential. Residential power is always 240V split phase, with some exceptions like apartment buildings and agricultural stuff where 208V 3 phase is typically present.

Surface mounted wiring must be in conduit, plastic is acceptable but industrial applications are almost exclusively rigid metal.

[Beamin]

I have an early 1950's second home in Cleveland area.   It has knob and tube wiring, which as mentioned would generally be safe for the long runs even without insulation.  That is, until it gets to an outlet.  Does your house/apartment include an attic or basement?  Is there evidence of rodents there?

Flickering lights in the Cleveland home have been due to:
1) Loose connections in the electrical panels (there are 4 panels from various updates and additions);
2) A loose phase wire at the utility pole; and
3) Low amperage capacity, e.g., the dining room lights flicker when the 110V washing machine runs, but not the 220V dryer.
Notably absent, no rodent problems.

As for mice, are you sure they are not rats?  In large Eastern cities with row houses (e.g., Baltimore, NYC, and Boston), rats can be a problem and are very hard to trap.  I am familiar with row houses in Baltimore, and they all were separated by brick walls, even ones near the harbor and dating back to the Clipper Ships.  See: http://www.tonerarch.com/blog/2013/6/13/your-house-and-your-facade-a-separation-agreement.html

As for responsibility for wiring, that is the apartment owner.  You would also need the owner's permission in theory to make any holes in the walls.  The walls are probably originally lath and plaster.  Even old newspapers and horse hair was used as early coats.  It is easy to repair small holes in them.  They may have a drywall covering as well.

  I don't know who is responsible for rodent control.  In theory, if you were to call an exterminator, that would be the owner's responsibility to pay, as non-payment could result in a lien on the property.  In practice, renters are pretty much responsible.  Many row houses are individually owned.  In that case, it is best just to talk with the neighbors.

Yeah Im in baltimore north of mt vernon south of charles village. I actually watched a movie the other day called "the 12oclock gang" and saw my house in one of the scenes they are out running the police. Whats tube wiring? The house is like 10 units on a block all linked together the breaker in the basement looks modern at leaast 1980's or newer.

[Nusa]

...Whats tube wiring? The house is like 10 units on a block all linked together the breaker in the basement looks modern at leaast 1980's or newer.

The phrase is "Knob and tube". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knob-and-tube_wiring
New K&T installs are illegal now, but existing installs are grandfathered so long as they haven't been illegally modified by people who don't know how to work with K&T. These days that's most people, including many electricians. Even though it's legal, some insurance companies won't insure them, so that forces the issue for some people. (US viewpoint from a guy who grew up in a 1925 house...I don't know the international situation).

As for the electrical panel, the fact it's upgraded is good. That, by itself, isn't enough to tell you if any K&T wires are still in use. Lighting circuits are the most likely to be original, given how much has to be torn out to replace them.

[james_s]

My brother lives in a 1920 house that still has a small amount of knob & tube wiring. Personally I think it's cool, and as long as it hasn't been monkeyed with it's fine but somebody (poorly) rewired a substantial portion of the house, I've been slowly working on cleaning that up. Where people get into trouble with that stuff is taking on additional loads and also burying wiring in insulation that was expected to be exposed to air.