Wall lights up NCV tester

[Danbob]

I gave my 83 year old father a used meter that had NCV and he proceeded to check out the house with it. This is a 1930s been added on to several times house that my Mother grew up in. The wall is an original exterior wall, now interior with an outlet in it. Mom seems to remember a doorway in that wall at one time. This whole wall lights up the NVC tester like its next to a hot wire. Everywhere else it seems to be fine only hitting on the outlets themselves. Service power does not run thru this wall, only an outlet with refrigerator plugged in. Could this be an old lead painted wall conducting a little leakage from a poorly grounded outlet. My Dad called me about it (He is in Michigan I am in Florida) I heard it over the phone, it was a strong signal for sure.

 

[K8MHZ]

NCV testers are very fickle. An indication doesn't mean a fault. I can set mine on the dash of my van and it goes off when I drive under 315kV transmission lines.

Where in Michigan is your father? I live in West Michigan near Muskegon.

 

[GoldDigger]

I gave my 83 year old father a used meter that had NCV and he proceeded to check out the house with it. This is a 1930s been added on to several times house that my Mother grew up in. The wall is an original exterior wall, now interior with an outlet in it. Mom seems to remember a doorway in that wall at one time. This whole wall lights up the NVC tester like its next to a hot wire. Everywhere else it seems to be fine only hitting on the outlets themselves. Service power does not run thru this wall, only an outlet with refrigerator plugged in. Could this be an old lead painted wall conducting a little leakage from a poorly grounded outlet. My Dad called me about it (He is in Michigan I am in Florida) I heard it over the phone, it was a strong signal for sure.

If it is a lath and plaster wall, there were a number of years that used expanded metal lath. If that lath became energized by accidental contact with a hot wire, then it would cause the whole wall to light up on an NCV.
There would not be a deliberate bond around the corners to other wall.