What can cause an outlet to look like this?

[MeentSS02]

In the process of trying to track down some nuisance tripping (only when it rains hard) of a GFCI outlet in my garage that protects 3 different outdoor outlets, I came across the following outlet:

The outlet was outside under a standard metal cover with spring loaded flaps and what appears to be closed cell foam used as a weather seal (you can see the state of the seal in that picture as well - pretty deteriorated).

The outlet has since been replaced along with the cover/seal assembly, but I was curious as to what can cause this type of discoloration on the face of the receptacle. I've used the outlet before, and it worked just fine, but the screw terminals were pretty corroded, and it just made me wonder what was really going on under there.

Any thoughts?

 

[Hud]

Was it under any heavy load? Discoloration usually means heat, heat= heavy load.

 

[tdkkart]

6000ft of christmas lights plugged into that outlet??

 

[Hud]

Sounds like a very large load to me! Could be your culprit.

 

[nehog]

That looks surface to me, not over heating damage... Was it in a room with a heavy smoker, or a place with a lot of **** in the air? Or was it outdoors? Oh, wait, you said it was outdoors... I think that is the answer, just weathering. Those covers/caps are not terribly tight and allow **** to leak in there.

 

[milner351]

is there a sprinkler that runs well water in the area of that outlet box? almost looks like hard water stains.

 

[gatchel]

See if it wipes off easily.

 

[MeentSS02]

Was it under any heavy load? Discoloration usually means heat, heat= heavy load.

Sounds like a very large load to me! Could be your culprit.

It has not been under any heavy loads since I've owned the house, but I have no idea what the previous owners may or may not have done. Oddly enough, I've found one other outlet that looked almost identical to this, but it was stuffed inside a metal box that housed the security system, and that was all in the garage - the only thing plugged into it was the security system itself, but I have no idea what kind of load a security system might pull.

is there a sprinkler that runs well water in the area of that outlet box? almost looks like hard water stains.

There is a sprinkler system in the yard, but it pulls from a city deduct meter, and the sprinkler heads are far away from (and don't aim at) this outlet.

See if it wipes off easily.

It does not wipe off easily...not even with a fingernail. The discoloration is only on the front face...it doesn't carry around to the sides at all.

 

[sammm]

Anything close by painted that color? Overspray maybe?

 

[MeentSS02]

Nothing that exact color, although the house is a lighter brown color. That theory, however, wouldn't explain the other outlet I found stuffed in a box in the garage that is painted a very light gray that looked just like this one - a very dark brown, almost burnt looking color.

I appreciate all the responses!

 

[Gary S]

I found two receptacles that looked similar to that when I bought my house. When I looked into the slots, I could see signs of a a previous arc that burned the contacts, and blackened the face like yours. When I went to replace them, both of them had the wires reversed on the receptacle. Yes, that can cause a big arc.

 

[sneezer41]

I vote light damage. Look like the right outlet had a cord in it for a long time, holds the door open. Sun beats the **** out of exposed outlet. Notice how shaded areas are un damaged, how one side is darker than the other[light side hinge side?]

 

[smithbd2]

sneezer41 may be onto something, I would have said sunlight, but you said metal cover, not clear. Either way, it looks like a very cheap recpt, I would replace it with one that cost more than 59¢.

 

[Norcal]

The receptacle is a Slater High Tech, (Pass & Seymour/ Legrand owns Slater now & don't know what name they may be now) I trimmed out 2 houses w/ them years ago & never liked them. The poster who suggested sun damage may be correct.

 

[Cuda]

Not knowing what the previous owner had plugged in there my thoughts are discoloration from arcing. It almost looks like something was unplugged under a heavy load, maybe frequently, that caused some surface arcing.
No matter what, you did the right thing replacing it.

 

[wssix99]

Part of this could be due to moisture. For one thing, it looks like the old seal was the wrong type for a different fixture.

Also, is the outlet in a brick or masonry wall? If so, you may need to seal the inside of the box so moisture does not weep in from the wall.

 

[rsanter]

arking from corrosion (or age) on the plugs prongs or the recipticles contacts

change the thing
check your plugs

bob

 

[akdiesel]

what about a small night light fixture that was plugged into the lower outlet. That would put the light bulb at the same height as the one in question.

 

[MeentSS02]

Part of this could be due to moisture. For one thing, it looks like the old seal was the wrong type for a different fixture.

Also, is the outlet in a brick or masonry wall? If so, you may need to seal the inside of the box so moisture does not weep in from the wall.

The outlet was in a wood outdoor wall.

arking from corrosion (or age) on the plugs prongs or the recipticles contacts

change the thing
check your plugs

bob

Done been changed

what about a small night light fixture that was plugged into the lower outlet. That would put the light bulb at the same height as the one in question.

Since it was an outdoor outlet, I have a feeling that they didn't use it for a night light.

The ideas about the sunlight seem to hold some merit, but in order for the outlet to be exposed to sunlight, the spring loaded metal flap would have to be up, and the only way to have it up would be to have something plugged in to it - if something is plugged in to the outlet, it would block a portion (if not all) of the sunlight that would hit the face. That's why I don't think it was sunlight related, although the outlet faces southeast.

 

[Greatbear]

My guess is that someone repurposed an old outlet as a replacement or even as a fresh installation in that particular location. The discoloration looks a great deal like that left by a night light or a hot running wall transformer.

 

[Lotek]

The outlet was in a wood outdoor wall.



Done been changed



Since it was an outdoor outlet, I have a feeling that they didn't use it for a night light.
The ideas about the sunlight seem to hold some merit, but in order for the outlet to be exposed to sunlight, the spring loaded metal flap would have to be up, and the only way to have it up would be to have something plugged in to it - if something is plugged in to the outlet, it would block a portion (if not all) of the sunlight that would hit the face. That's why I don't think it was sunlight related, although the outlet faces southeast.

Was the p/o a redneck? May have left his Christmas lights plugged in year round.

 

[cowboyjosh]

In the process of trying to track down some nuisance tripping (only when it rains hard) of a GFCI outlet in my garage that protects 3 different outdoor outlets, I came across the following outlet:

The outlet was outside under a standard metal cover with spring loaded flaps and what appears to be closed cell foam used as a weather seal (you can see the state of the seal in that picture as well - pretty deteriorated).

The outlet has since been replaced along with the cover/seal assembly, but I was curious as to what can cause this type of discoloration on the face of the receptacle. I've used the outlet before, and it worked just fine, but the screw terminals were pretty corroded, and it just made me wonder what was really going on under there.

Any thoughts?

What year was your house built? Based on the outlet I reckon in the late 80's or early 90's? When I lived for a couple years in Ohio (Springboro) 11 years ago, my house was built in 1990 with the same outlets; the house was wired by Kettering Electric. I replaced all the switches and outlets in that particular house in the short time I lived there. The Slater brand toggle type switches that were a brand cousin to the outlets were actually all plastic and did not have ground screws! In the neighborhood I lived were homes built in the mid 80's thru early 90's at that time by custom builders like Fishbaugh, Duckro, and Vreeland; the 2 big EC's who wired most of the homes with the switches and outlets you picture were Kettering Electric and Reliable Electric out of Centerville.

Now back to your discoloration, it looks like its just environmental discoloration. The areas of the outlet covered by the foam appear to be fine.

There are times I do miss SW Ohio, I miss the thunderstorms, the abundance of water that we don't have in the West, and the beautiful lush green landscape, etc.

 

[MeentSS02]

What year was your house built? Based on the outlet I reckon in the late 80's or early 90's? When I lived for a couple years in Ohio (Springboro) 11 years ago, my house was built in 1990 with the same outlets; the house was wired by Kettering Electric. I replaced all the switches and outlets in that particular house in the short time I lived there. The Slater brand toggle type switches that were a brand cousin to the outlets were actually all plastic and did not have ground screws! In the neighborhood I lived were homes built in the mid 80's thru early 90's at that time by custom builders like Fishbaugh, Duckro, and Vreeland; the 2 big EC's who wired most of the homes with the switches and outlets you picture were Kettering Electric and Reliable Electric out of Centerville.

The house was built in 1988 - it's in Centerville, so I have a feeling Reliable Electric was the original electrical contractor. The entire house is trimmed out in those outlets, and you are correct...the switches are all Slater, and none have ground screws (thankfully, the electrician left ground pigtails in most of the boxes).

I'm slowly working my way through the entire house replacing outlets as I go...most don't hold a plug very well at this point, so they need to go anyways.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

My guess is that someone repurposed an old outlet as a replacement or even as a fresh installation in that particular location. The discoloration looks a great deal like that left by a night light or a hot running wall transformer.

Since it was an outdoor outlet, I have a feeling that they didn't use it for a night light

Charles

 

[NUTTSGT]

I'm going to go way off here. It maybe from the off gassing of the foam. Beleive it or not, some cheaper foam will off gas and do things to plastic, case in point.

I had to replace all the lenses in our SCBA facepiecs. When the manufacurer shipping the lenses to BRAND X, they wrapping them in a foam plastic. The foam off gassed, which resulted in the coating coming off the lenses.