JackOfDiamonds
Well-known member
My house does not have GFCI in the garage. I was wiring up a new GFCI receptacle in an easily accessible location, and then I was going to have that receptacle protect the rest of my garage circuit. To do this I need to disconnect both the hot and the neutral wires of the original circuit in the panel, and wire them to the output of the new GFCI receptacle.
Because I'm stupid, I didn't turn off the main breaker in the panel. I only turned off the breaker to the garage circuit, and then disconnected the neutral wire from the neutral bus bar. However, it turns out I traced the wires wrong, and so I accidentally disconnected the neutral wire for the kitchen receptacles (fridge, microwave, kettle, toaster oven) instead. The way I found out is my wife yelled from the kitchen. I threw the kitchen breakers off, reconnected the neutral, and turned everything back on. Everything works, except the GFI for the microwave was tripped, and....there's smoke in the kitchen, and a strong burnt electrical smell in the kitchen.
I don't understand why disconnecting the neutral wire from the kitchen circuit would actually hurt anything. It should have just about the same effect as turning off the breaker. So why would this episode cause anything in the kitchen to have a burnt smell? What kind of fault would even cause that?
Because I'm stupid, I didn't turn off the main breaker in the panel. I only turned off the breaker to the garage circuit, and then disconnected the neutral wire from the neutral bus bar. However, it turns out I traced the wires wrong, and so I accidentally disconnected the neutral wire for the kitchen receptacles (fridge, microwave, kettle, toaster oven) instead. The way I found out is my wife yelled from the kitchen. I threw the kitchen breakers off, reconnected the neutral, and turned everything back on. Everything works, except the GFI for the microwave was tripped, and....there's smoke in the kitchen, and a strong burnt electrical smell in the kitchen.
I don't understand why disconnecting the neutral wire from the kitchen circuit would actually hurt anything. It should have just about the same effect as turning off the breaker. So why would this episode cause anything in the kitchen to have a burnt smell? What kind of fault would even cause that?
