nealtw
Contractor retired
So, I checked the junction box with the red wiring I found in my basement close to the breaker panel for power with the breaker off and it still had power, so it's not on the same circuit.
Regarding the Wire Tracer I think I am just going to break down and buy the Sperry Wire Tracer/Tracker. It's only $39.99 at CT. I think I will try my luck with that.
This should have been easy. All junctions should be in a box that you can find somewhere in the house.
As that has not happened, we can suspect that you have a junction hidden somewhere behind a wall.
If with a tracer you find that the wire stops somewhere in the wall will you be willing to open walls to find the problem or would you then be looking at a way to kill the old wire as best we can and find another way to solve the problem. And we can.