Gfci outlet exploded??!!

[ubitmoosie]

I have a gfci outside my house. A year or 2 ago my handyman said to me that he saw a burnt outlet outside. I just opened it up to see what happened and here's what I found

Any help appreciated!

 

[CNGsaves]

WHERE are you at ??? Was that underwater ??

UPDATE GJ Profile with a Location.

Now that you are fixing it, you'll "have to use the CAGE style" with the plastic housing to keep out the rain.

GJ Sparky's will chime in with all the details.

 

[Bert_]

Should have drilled a weep hole.

 

[ubitmoosie]

It's in California. It hasnt been used once since we moved in 10 years ago. I plan on capping the wires where they are at and sticking a weather plate over. All the wires are scorched. But there's two 3 -wire cables.

 

[Lawson4450]

looks like a metal box and water caused some rust action and maybe it caused a short only thing i can think of.

 

[ubitmoosie]

Weird because the breaker never tripped.

 

[ubitmoosie]

Here's more pics of the outlet

 

[nehog]

Weird because the breaker never tripped.

A hazardous condition doesn't always trip the breaker!

Clearly this outlet was poorly installed, and had water intrusion. I'm at a loss to understand why you waited a year or more to investigate it (or am I mis-reading your original post?)

Anyway, I'd install a proper exterior box and cover and fix it correctly.

 

[ubitmoosie]

A hazardous condition doesn't always trip the breaker!

Clearly this outlet was poorly installed, and had water intrusion. I'm at a loss to understand why you waited a year or more to investigate it (or am I mis-reading your original post?)

Anyway, I'd install a proper exterior box and cover and fix it correctly.

Thank you. It was my mom who didn't think it was important. Once I showed her some other non code compliant installations out back (a standard cheap duplex with no gasket or silicone with terminals rusted and fused together and some backstab connections with all 4 wires stripped back 4 inches bare) that she realized it was serious. I have just finished replacing all outlets outside with new covers and gfci. So yea, I kept saying she should have it checked out or have me replace it. Now hopefully when I say an outlet has to be replaced in the house she will let me replace it lol

 

[ard]

Should have drilled a weep hole.

LMAO.

I was going to post the same, beat me to it!

 

[mm08822]

LMAO.

I was going to post the same, beat me to it!

Its really funny, the timing of some of these posts!!

 

[LXCam]

LMAO.

I was going to post the same, beat me to it!

Damn it, third place again.

 

[mm08822]

codes says drainage openings. So it can be more than one.
Just don't get carried away.............

 

[AntonLargiader]

AFCI would have caught it.

 

[mm08822]

looks like a metal box and water caused some rust action and maybe it caused a short only thing i can think of.

To me it looks like a very high resitance short created by the initial water and started a low current flow just cooking the plastic/electronics. As more water entered, lowering resistance further, more heat generated until it finally burned clear.

This took some time just silently cooking away.

 

[lakeroadster]

Are there any other receptacles on the same circuit?

 

[PelicanPines]

Any plugs down the line are no longer protected if you just nutted the wires together...

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Here's more pics of the outlet

Looks like a bad connection that caused heat to build up.

Are there outlets downstream of this one?

Thats not an explosion just a lot off heat...

To me it looks like a very high resistance short created by the initial water and started a low current flow just cooking the plastic/electronics. As more water entered, lowering resistance further, more heat generated until it finally burned clear.

This took some time just silently cooking away.

bingo

beat me to it...

 

[MikeF2316]

There's supposed to be a gasket that keeps water out of those boxes. I never trust them, I put a cover that keeps thing dry even when things are plugged in. I use silicone sealer on the top half of the gasket. Then a layer of tape over the joint that needs to be renewed every two or three years. I like my electrical boxes to stay dry inside...

 

[justsam]

It's in California. It hasnt been used once since we moved in 10 years ago. I plan on capping the wires where they are at and sticking a weather plate over. All the wires are scorched. But there's two 3 -wire cables.

If there are two, 3 wire cables, (black, white, and ground), most likely there is some receptacle or other device down stream of this that is not working. If you are "capping" the wires tie the two whites together and cap them, tie the two blacks together and cap them, and tie the grounds together. Then put on your cover plate.

 

[ard]

Any plugs down the line are no longer protected if you just nutted the wires together...

Hard to tell, but that GFCI looks to be wired to only protect itself. ...not downstream.