What could cause this socket to burnout?

[Hodo]

Context: i am painting and took this socket off the wall. It works but the inside looks burnt, i never noticed a problem before.



What do you think has happened here? Could it be a bigger problem than just the socket?

 

[AndyPRK]

loose terminal.

replace socket, cutting the wire back a bit

 

[Hodo]

Thanks. Why does a loose terminal make it burnout? Isnt that a massive fire hazard?

 

[DetlefSchmitz]

Thanks. Why does a loose terminal make it burnout?

Kind of 'the laws of physics'

Isnt that a massive fire hazard?

Can be.

So it pays to check these things.

 

[chivers67]

Worth checking how this is served too, it appears to be either a spur or a radial. Hopefully not a spur off a spur!

 

[333rocky333]

what was the socket used for, a high load appliance can often do that

 

[sparkwright]

Worth checking how this is served too, it appears to be either a spur or a radial. Hopefully not a spur off a spur!

While your concern is highly commendable, I imagine any socket picture with any number of wires could similarly be questioned...!

 

[Hodo]

@DetlefSchmitz So what are "the laws of physics" that cause a loose terminal to be a fire hazard? Im genuinely interested in learning about this.

 

[ericmark]

Loose terminal = high resistance so if 13A is drawn through 0.1Ω that equals 16.9 Watts but at 0.2Ω equals 33.8 Watts and so on, watts is energy so the more watts the more heat.

 

[AndyPRK]

A poor contact can have increased resistance.

The increased resistance and when current flowing through (to appliance) the more heat created.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Yet again, it is the neutral that has fried. It seems to me that we see this issue much more with the neutral than with line connections.
Kirchoff tell us that the current in the line = current in the neutral. I cannot believe that the human brain somehow makes the installer tighten the line conductor more than the neutral.

Yet, time after time, we are shown photos that it has been the neutral termination that failed.

Theories?

 

[chivers67]

Not sure really but I'd like to see all three terminals removed and looked at here. It's a Wickes socket too which does kind of smack DIY (not that i'm against it if done well)

 

[bernardgreen]

I cannot believe that the human brain somehow makes the installer tighten the line conductor more than the neutral.

You can believe it. It is something in the sub-conscious "auto-pilot" where "emotion" affects and overrides physical ability / activity. If you can walk along a two inch wide beam one foor above the floor without falling off then you can walk along the same beam 50 foot above the floor without falling off. Try it.... most will fall from 50 foot. Some will say feed back from the view via the eyes affected the balancing process. This led to the experiment being conducted with people blindfolded. They could walk the beam one foot high but most lost balance when 50 foot above gound. ( safety rope saved them )

The Live terminal is more dangerous ( 50 foot high ) than the Neutral ( one foot high ) so the Live probably gets a bit more tightening even if the person doesn't realise it.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I cannot believe that the human brain somehow makes the installer tighten the line conductor more than the neutral.

After 23/6 I'm prepared to believe that there is no limit to the mad behaviour the human brain can create.

 

[Risteard]

I cannot believe that the human brain somehow makes the installer tighten the line conductor more than the neutral.

After 23/6 I'm prepared to believe that there is no limit to the mad behaviour the human brain can create.

Indeed. 48% of people are lunatics.