Circuit breaker didn't even trip!
- Thread starter 930dreamer
- Start date
35Ford
Well-known member
That would be caused by a loose or poor connection at the receptacle or cord end, not an overload.
wssix99
Well-known member
I've seen this before...
wssix99
Well-known member
sparky 1971
Well-known member
I've seen it hundreds of times. It doesn't trip until someone (me) pulls the receptacle out live, it then falls apart and usually the hot shorts to the neutral, sometimes the ground.
Jinks
Well-known member
The freezer kept it cool enough to prevent tripping the breaker........... 
Doubtful a AFCI would do anything.
nadogail
Well-known member
Was a Zinsco breaker involved?
wyliesdiesels
Well-known member
yeah it didnt trip because breakers cant detect loose tangs in receptacles
walta
Well-known member
Plus, one from me wondering is the walls are full of aluminum wires.
Walta
Walta
what's loose tangs got do with it?
our house got hit by lightning, came down inside thru the spinning roof ventilator, hit the cable line running thru the attic which was plugged into a booster wall-wart plugged into a bedroom wall, did the same thing as pictured above and blew it off the wall. the lightning then backfed thru the whole cable out to the demarc, from the demarc to the mother-in-law apartment out back, and then the opposite direction from the demarc across and underneath the street to the feed box. took out the whole line, Spectrum had to come out and run a completely new line.
our house got hit by lightning, came down inside thru the spinning roof ventilator, hit the cable line running thru the attic which was plugged into a booster wall-wart plugged into a bedroom wall, did the same thing as pictured above and blew it off the wall. the lightning then backfed thru the whole cable out to the demarc, from the demarc to the mother-in-law apartment out back, and then the opposite direction from the demarc across and underneath the street to the feed box. took out the whole line, Spectrum had to come out and run a completely new line.
Metal-Marc
Well-known member
Remove the outlet and take some pictures.
dave*99
Well-known member
The bottom one still works.......
Mainiac Mat
Well-known member
I believe breakers are primarily protecting the circuit wiring (hence their full name is circuit breaker). Specifically, they limit the current to prevent the insulation from breaking down. Faulty connections at an outlet can generate heat and sparks and not exceed the trip rating of the breaker.
If there was an arc with the attached plug, I think an arc fault breaker would have tripped, as they have a little computer in them and measure both the outgoing and return current. If there is a mismatch between the goes in and comes back (due to arcing in an attached device), the breaker will trip.
But if a loose connection increased resistance and I2R losses generated heat untill the plastic melted, then no breaker would trip, until the melting caused a short circuit.
If there was an arc with the attached plug, I think an arc fault breaker would have tripped, as they have a little computer in them and measure both the outgoing and return current. If there is a mismatch between the goes in and comes back (due to arcing in an attached device), the breaker will trip.
But if a loose connection increased resistance and I2R losses generated heat untill the plastic melted, then no breaker would trip, until the melting caused a short circuit.
dave*99
Well-known member
That is the description of a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter. Not an AFCI.
RPH
Well-known member
Bad connection causing high impedance. I2R looses did the rest.
Same effect with this igbt. Until it quit.
Same effect with this igbt. Until it quit.
wyliesdiesels
Well-known member
No that is what a GFCI does not an AFCI