Calling All Electricians

[snooker1]

1996 mobile home, all electrical outlets, switches and wire are original to the house.

The light in the laundry hallway stopped working so I did the checked the lightbulb and the fixture nothing, put a tester in the hot wire and neutral ground and nothing, then I put the tester on the hot and the ground and it tested correctly. I figured an open ground in the line. (light at the end of the run). This circuit runs the spare bedroom, bathroom and hall light. (4) lights and (5) outlets. I pulled each outlet and switch and found (1) neutral ground not connected, and (2) burnt outlets all in the bedroom. The breaker never tripped, and the breaker looked ok when I pulled it out, the outlets are original to the house, and I have found some with play in them when you plug something into them. The house was vacated about a month ago and nothing was plugged into any of these outlets, when the house was vacated the lights were all working.

I am stumped as what caused this and why the breaker did not trip.

My thought on fixing it is a new breaker, pull all new wire and replace the outlets, switches, and lights.

Any input from an electrician, or someone who knows electrical would be appreciated.

 

[notnksnemor]

Overloaded receptacles.

 

[snooker1]

Overloaded receptacles.

Room was empty, nothing was plugged into any of the outlets.

 

[treemanjohn]

Loose neutral

 

[Doug B.]

The first thing I would do would be to change all those receptacles and switches to one's that have screw terminals. What happens is any that are pushed into those holes in the back have a tendency to come loose over time and use. Then you will have a loose connection which will build up heat and cause a fire. That loose connection could also cause you to not get either a hot or a neutral to finish the circuit to the light. Again, replace the receptacles and switches and tighten each conductor with the screw terminal. The wire and the breaker is most likely fine. Try this first. Either way those devices need to be changed.

 

[Doug B.]

The first picture shows a neutral that has already come out. That's probably why the light doesn't work. Pictures two and three shows some heat damage where the wires did not have a solid contact so every time it made contact there would be a spark which over time gets hot. Trim those wires back to where they aren't burned. It didn't trip the breaker because there wasn't a direct short. I would change all the switches and receptacles in the home.

 

[snooker1]

The first picture shows a neutral that has already come out. That's probably why the light doesn't work. Pictures two and three shows some heat damage where the wires did not have a solid contact so every time it made contact there would be a spark which over time gets hot. Trim those wires back to where they aren't burned. It didn't trip the breaker because there wasn't a direct short. I would change all the switches and receptacles in the home.

I had already purchased all the switches and outlets but I was waiting for all the painting to get done before I replaced them.

 

[Doug B.]

I had already purchased all the switches and outlets but I was waiting for all the painting to get done before I replaced them.

Good move. Try that before pulling new wire and changing the breaker.

 

[Dbender]

The first thing I would do would be to change all those receptacles and switches to one's that have screw terminals. What happens is any that are pushed into those holes in the back have a tendency to come loose over time and use. Then you will have a loose connection which will build up heat and cause a fire. That loose connection could also cause you to not get either a hot or a neutral to finish the circuit to the light. Again, replace the receptacles and switches and tighten each conductor with the screw terminal. The wire and the breaker is most likely fine. Try this first. Either way those devices need to be changed.

No need to say anything else because this is the problem and the fix. Some recepts have a screw that pinches the wire between 2 pieces of metal, you may have to buy that style due to wires being to short when you cut them back to the good spot.

 

[Doug B.]

It also looks like in all three pictures that there is three black wires and three white wires. I would wire nut those three black wires with a pigtail and put the pigtail on the new receptacle. Do the same thing with the neutral, which by the way is not a neutral ground. The neutral and the ground is two separate conductors. Even though they both go to the same place , they each have a different job.

 

[Crakajak]

It also looks like in all three pictures that there is three black wires and three white wires. I would wire nut those three black wires with a pigtail and put the pigtail on the new receptacle. Do the same thing with the neutral, which by the way is not a neutral ground. The neutral and the ground is two separate conductors. Even though they both go to the same place , they each have a different job.

This is the correct way .

 

[NE GA Pappy]

push to connect terminals are of da debil.


put in screw terminal receptacles and make sure they are snugged down good. the heated wires are from a poor connection, not necessarily an overloaded circuit. When you have a loose connection, even a rated load can cause overheating because of the poor contact

 

[Crakajak]

push to connect terminals are of da debil.


put in screw terminal receptacles and make sure they are snugged down good. the heated wires are from a poor connection, not necessarily an overloaded circuit. When you have a loose connection, even a rated load can cause overheating because of the poor contact

Another correct statement.

 

[divinginn]

Are there separate boxes from the receptacles and switches or they one piece with the box built into the device,those are a pain to change to regular boxes and devices.
Those stablock recpts create alot of problems over the years, the old style were designed for 12 and 14 gauge wire and caused the most problems,the new one take 14 gauge only.

 

[snooker1]

Thanks everyone for your input. I ended up pulling all new wire. I had easy access in the crawl space and I found that someone had spliced into the wires and added a outlet under the mobile to power a timer on the sprinkler system.

 

[Doug B.]

Thanks everyone for your input. I ended up pulling all new wire. I had easy access in the crawl space and I found that someone had spliced into the wires and added a outlet under the mobile to power a timer on the sprinkler system.

Did you get it all back together and everything is working now?

 

[snooker1]

Did you get it all back together and everything is working now?

Yes all new switches, outlets, boxes, wire, and breaker. Took me about 5 hours to do it.

 

[Doug B.]

Yes all new switches, outlets, boxes, wire, and breaker. Took me about 5 hours to do it.

Glad you got it fixed!

 

[snooker1]

In older homes when you walk into a bedroom there is a light switch the turns on and off the top outlet, the bottom outlet stays hot all the time. There was usually a light or lamp plugged into the outlet controlled by the switch. Is this a specialty outlet or just a normal outlet that is modified (break off tab).

 

[Doug B.]

In older homes when you walk into a bedroom there is a light switch the turns on and off the top outlet, the bottom outlet stays hot all the time. There was usually a light or lamp plugged into the outlet controlled by the switch. Is this a specialty outlet or just a normal outlet that is modified (break off tab).

It is not a specialty outlet. And that still happens now. I always put the switched half on the bottom. That way it is easier to plug something into the "always hot" half of the receptacle. I still do some like that from time to time. Depends on the homeowner and their wishes.