paul87•23d ago

That time a squirrel's stash nearly took out a whole panel

Found a main breaker that kept tripping at a house in Bellingham, and after an hour of checking circuits, I pulled the outdoor panel cover. A squirrel had packed it with over two pounds of acorns and nesting material, completely bridging the bus bars. Ever had a job where the real problem was just a very ambitious rodent?

4 comments

4 Comments

angelam807d ago

Yeah, @ramirez.vera is right about that smell... it really sticks with you.

ramirez.vera23d ago

Honestly used to think those stories were overblown until last fall. Found a whole mouse nest built inside a disconnect box for a heat pump, all chewed up wires. The smell alone was awful, like burnt hair and pee. Totally get it now, animals will move into any warm spot they can find lol. Makes you check every outdoor cover twice.

rileymartinez23d ago

Did you have to replace the whole unit or just the wiring?

nancy_wood23d ago

Ugh, that's brutal. I read a whole article about how rodents love the soy-based insulation on new wiring. They'll ruin brand new stuff just as fast as the old. Makes you want to wrap everything in metal conduit.