Fire Danger in Your Garage!

[TexRiv_63]

I had a really scary experience this past saturday that I wanted to share with everyone. My garage is attached to my house, surrounded on two sides by the kitchen and master bedroom, and located directly under a second floor gameroom. To beat the Texas heat I have a window air conditioner in the garage which I run when I plan to work on my cars and can leave the main door closed. I have had this setup for the last four years and it works great when needed. Last saturday I turned on the air about 10:00 am and let it cool down while i did other things in the house. About 12:30 I went out to start my car work, the garage was acceptably cool but I noticed a strange acrid smell like burning plastic. Right then the air conditioner stopped running for a few seconds, then kicked back on. I went over and turned it off and checked the cord, which was plugged into a GFCI outlet by my workbench. Touching the plug almost burned my hand! I immediately flipped the breakers off for all the garage outlets and pulled out the A/C plug. The area around the outlet was very hot to the touch but cooled off in a few minutes. I removed the faceplate and could see blackening and got a very strong burned smell. After everything cooled off I removed the switch and the box and saw what you see in the pictures below plus a burned spot on the wooden stud the box was attached to!

I ended up replacing the box and switch and will probably replace the breaker as extra insurance. I found that the GFCI was wired incorrectly when my house was built, which apparently did not cause this failure but did mean that it was not protecting it's circuits like it was supposed to. I plan to check all the other GFCI's in my house for similar problems.

In the end I count myself very lucky to have noticed this when I did because it was real close to starting a fire.

[K8096]

I recently built a new garage and have not wired it yet. I talked to an associate at Home Depot & he told me the plastic electrical boxes and conduit are fire rated and just as good as metal ones, just cheaper. Well, your picture proved that wrong. I will now use all metal boxes & conduit in my garage. I shoudl print out your picture & show it to him & see what he says.

[R Walling]

It looks like you had a loose wire connected to the receptacle. A steel box would have transferred the heat quicker into the wood stud as it conducts heat better, but as soon as the wiring insulation melted and the wirer\ was touching the box like it looks like it did, the main circuit breaker would have gone off.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

I would replace the circuit breaker in the main panel with a smaller one if it will handle it an as a precaution that it was defective.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p></o:p>

There were counterfeit circuit breakers, made in china, going around a while ago. The only thing different about them, besides the fact that they don't work, is that the lettering in not painted like the real ones.<o:p></o:p>

Searched Googel, The Data Center Journal - Where IT, Facilities and Design Meet - Reseller of Counterfeit Electrical Breakers found guilty

also see;CPSC Notice Regarding Recalled Square-D Circuit Breakers and Counterfeit Square-D Breakers sold through Scott Electric Co. - Fire and Electrical Hazard

[Shop Rat]

I found that the GFCI was wired incorrectly when my house was built, which apparently did not cause this failure but did mean that it was not protecting it's circuits like it was supposed to. I plan to check all the other GFCI's in my house for similar problems.

In the end I count myself very lucky to have noticed this when I did because it was real close to starting a fire.

Not sure of course how long ago your house was built, but you need to contact whomever did the wiring, after you check all of the GFCI's, and let them know what happened. At the very least they should make good on the damage. And correct any others that you find.

[Barry Wolk]

People tend to wire the Line and Load backward. When you do that the GFCI will not affect the outlet unless manually tripped.

This looks like a loose connection that got worse under load. I typically make GFCI outlets stand-alone by pig-tailing the line and load wires. This way, there's no draw from down the line passing through the device.

[nickelroadster]

Incorrectly wired GFCI outlets are quite common and they are not necessarily very long lived either. A circuit checker costs less than $10 at Home Depot and it is a good idea to check your circuits once a year or so.

[Guest DagoRed]

I have been told to never put a high amp draw on a GFCI (??), but I'm not an electrician - just cautious. Glad there was no devastating fire as a result of what we see here.

Edited September 1, 2009 by DagoRed (see edit history)

[1937hd45]

I don't know enough about electrcity to add anything, but I have a question. Was there an extension cord between the air conditioner and outlet? If so would that have an effect on things?

Edited September 1, 2009 by 1937hd45 (see edit history)

[Guest Dean_H.]

Glad to hear you discovered it before a serious fire. I worked many years in a food processing plant. Before the season, we would tighten the electrical lugs on every panel in the plant. It is surprising how loose they can become. Evidently the temperature swings expand and contract materials and loosen things up. Your wires became loose enough to arc.

[Bill Harmatuk]

Looks like you had a high amp draw on a common house hold circuit. The circuit is probably #14 wire.

On an appliance like a window air conditioner, or something like a 120 volt air compressor, it will not only be safer but save you a ton of money, if it were on its own designated circuit of #12 or better yet 10 gauge wire.

Sometimes refrigerators are on designated (their own breaker) 12 gauge wired circuits.

Most house recepticles are wired with 14 gauge wire with a bunch of outlets wired to a single breaker.

For piece of mind, check to make sure you don't have too big of a breaker for the AC. The breaker should have tripped when things heated up.

Your a lucky man.

Make a donation to a local charity as a way of thanking a higher power for sending you to the basement.

My 2 Cents.

Bill Harmatuk

[charlier]

Not sure of course how long ago your house was built, but you need to contact whomever did the wiring, after you check all of the GFCI's, and let them know what happened. At the very least they should make good on the damage. And correct any others that you find.

If there are other homes in your area built by the same construction company you might want to tell your story to those neighbors. They too might have incorrectly wired GFCIs. If the electrical contractor that did the original wiring is still in business, they should seriously consider checking the wiring in those houses free of charge. Otherwise, the next homeowner might not be so lucky and the resulting lawsuit (after a fire) against the electrical contractor may put them out of business.

[Dandy Dave]

Are the electricians installing these things half blind? Or color blind ? White to silver, black to gold. Green to ground. for 110.

240 has two 120 lines combined. A black, and a Red as "hot lines." White to neutral, green to ground. Relitively simple. Same deal, gold to Hot, silver to neutral, green to Ground. Dandy Dave!

[Reatta Man]

Are the electricians installing these things half blind? Or color blind ? White to silver, black to gold. Green to ground. for 110.

240 has two 120 lines combined. A black, and a Red as "hot lines." White to neutral, green to ground. Relitively simple. Same deal, gold to Hot, silver to neutral, green to Ground. Dandy Dave!

Dandy Dave,

Just remember we are living in a world where common sense has become out of date.

For example:

We have labels on hair dryers telling people to not use them in the shower!

When you buy a ladder, it has more warning labels on it than steps.

When you buy a power saw, it has a guard on the blade, a brake on the motor, and you have to hold down TWO switches to turn it on.

And, of course, you have warning labels on coffee cups because some people sue McDonalds for serving HOT coffee!

So is anyone surprised no one reads the labels or instructions on a GFCI recepticle?

Joe

[TexRiv_63]

I showed this mess to a couple of electrical engineers at work, they both agreed with some of you that it was probably a loose wire that started arcing, enough to cause plenty of heat but not enough to trip the breaker. Starting in 2010 electrical codes will require the use of arc-sensing breakers that would have caught this and shut down the circuit before everything melted. They also said miswired GFCI's are common, so common that in 2006 they required that all new outlets sold would not work unless wired correctly. That is how I found the miswiring, I installed the new outlet the way the old one was wired and it would not work.

I also checked my air conditioner, it draws less than 10 amps but they do recommend that a 15 amp breaker be used instead of a 20 amp, I plan to switch it out.

[Dandy Dave]

Dandy Dave,

Just remember we are living in a world where common sense has become out of date.

For example:

We have labels on hair dryers telling people to not use them in the shower!

When you buy a ladder, it has more warning labels on it than steps.

When you buy a power saw, it has a guard on the blade, a brake on the motor, and you have to hold down TWO switches to turn it on.

And, of course, you have warning labels on coffee cups because some people sue McDonalds for serving HOT coffee!

So is anyone surprised no one reads the labels or instructions on a GFCI recepticle?

Joe

I can't argue with you when your right! Must be electricians in training on the job because they are cheep to hire, but in the long run.......

I don't think I will mention "3 phase" and really screw with their heads....daaaahoooo. After all, look where Homer Simpson works. :eek: Dandy Dave!

[R Walling]

Speaking of your regular home electrician, I am not an electrician, but my father used to design automatic electrical circuits for machines and some of it has rubbed off on me. I have dabbled with wires a bit and I once asked an electrician about a certain aspect of a three-phase multi voltage motor that I was working on and he didn’t know what I was talking about.

[Reatta Man]

Hey,

As the son of a civil engineer and the father of a journeyman electrician, I can only tell you there are young careless electricians, and old careful electricians. But, there are NO old careless electricians.

Sort of the electrician's version of survival of the fittest....

Joe

[Guest Dean_H.]

In defense of the contractor, the GFCI outlets are somewhat more complicated to hook up than a normal outlet. If you aren't installing them on a regular basis, it will likely require reading the installation instructions. Unfortunately the instructions are ten pages of warnings and foreign languages. It can be time consuming (and annoying) to find the small wiring diagram needed. Some guys might just take their best guess rather than sort through the paperwork.

On the last house I built (2006), GFCIs were required in the kitchen, bath, garage and outdoor outlets. On the final inspection the building inspector checked every one with a tester. He also checked the other outlets for correct ground leg. He didn't find any problems, but I was surprised to see such a thorough check. I didn't realize incorrect GFCI wiring was common.

[Shop Rat]

In defense of the contractor, the GFCI outlets are somewhat more complicated to hook up than a normal outlet. If you aren't installing them on a regular basis, it will likely require reading the installation instructions. ......Some guys might just take their best guess rather than sort through the paperwork.

When shoddy work can endanger a family and everything they own, there is no defense for that. People that do not know what they are doing should not be installing electrical outlets they know nothing about. Taking "their best guess" is just not acceptable.

When Bill installed a campground style electrical outlet so that we could use the air conditioning or heating in our RV at home before trips he called in a certified master electrician to make sure he had it all correct before it was actually hooked up. The guy inspected everything and said it was correct and he hooked it to the breaker box.

Edited September 4, 2009 by Shop Rat (see edit history)

[Guest Dean_H.]

Susan, you edited my quote??? The reason for quoting someone is to show the exact paragraph. If you choose to edit, please indicate.

My point (which you edited out) was the unintended consequences of making the paperwork overly complicated. Normal outlets are very simple to wire, because common sense people designed it that way. Unfortunately GFCI outlets were invented after we needed to be warned to - turn off power, wear safety glasses and your coffee is hot. Also GFCI outlets use the terms 'load' and 'line' which is common in industrial applications but not so common in residential. The old acronym KISS was not applied here.

When I worked in a housing subdivision a few years back, they would hire an electrical contractor (your term "certified master electrician") to wire the homes. This subcontractor would generally have employees, (typically illegal aliens,) who did the actual work. The workers would get $100 per home wired. It's not big money and they work fast to make a living. They are not rocket scientist, but can do a decent job if the work isn't unnecessarily complicated. Oddly enough, after five years of incorrectly wiring GFCI outlets these workers are qualified to become certified master electricians themselves. :-)

You are certainly correct when you say it is not acceptable to incorrectly wire the outlet, but it doesn't hurt to look at the whole issue here.

[Shop Rat]

Susan, you edited my quote??? The reason for quoting someone is to show the exact paragraph. If you choose to edit, please indicate.

Sorry, I went back and put the..... in to indicate I took something out. I usually do that, I just forgot.

[R Walling]

I keep a several 5 gal pails of water in my garage in addition to the fire extingusher.

They also come in handy to wash your hands along with the bottle of laundry detergent.

I fill them from the down spout so that I always have clean water.

Fire extingushers are good, but you need water for a cloth or wood fire.

[Guest Skyking]

In the ninties I owned a ranch house with an attached 3 car garage. One day my wife & I smelled smoke inside the house but couldn't see any signs of it until I went into the garage. I had a dropped ceiling and I could see a haze of smoke. I started feeling the walls for any signs of heat thinking maybe an inside wall was on fire. I couldn't feel anything strange and paniced and called 911. While they were on their way I got on a ladder and pushed one of the ceiling tiles aside and I spoted the problem...... A balast from the florescent light was burning. Talk about scary, from then on, I never leave florescent lights burning unattended. When I leave even for 5 minutes, they go off!!