Electric heater plug just exploded - what would have caused that?

[pete01]

There hasn't been a short circuit just an overloaded fuse, so it wouldn't trip at the consumer unit.

Change the socket face and throw that heater away....well thats what I'd do.

 

[JohnW2]

Would have thought your consumer unit would have tripped. Any pics of that please?

It doesn't take much local heat (due to loose conductor connection or poor connection to fuse) to do thermal damage to a plug/socket, so that can happen with just 'normal' current flowing, hence no reason for an OPD to trip.

The terminal event which the OP observed (with "sudden hissing, spluttering noise and ... flickering flashes") could well have been due to arcing when something 'melted' and, again, not necessarily associated with anything more than 'normal' current.

I imagine that some people (maybe those with deep pockets!) would cite such events as a reason for having AFDDs - although, as in the OP's case, I think (but may be wrong!) that arcs commonly 'self-extinguish' fairly quickly, before they result in a fire.

 

[AndyPRK]

can't have an AFDD with a Ring. I guess the answer to that is to split it into 2 radials and spend even more money on AFDDs and large CUs

 

[ebee]

I do not like the name "PAT Testing" along with "PIN Number" Aggghhh.

Along with "One New Pence" or "One Pence" Aggggh again.

Along with puople using "PASSWORD" as their password

 

[JohnW2]

can't have an AFDD with a Ring.

I think one can, and the device will still detect and deal with 'parallel arcs' (between L&N or L&E, due to insulation damage/deterioration)) in the same way as in any other circuit.

The often mentioned 'issue' is that series arcs will not usually arise in ring finals, since, in the event of a break in one of the live conductors, current will flow through the 'other arm' of the ring, rather than trying to 'jump the gap' in an arc. Hence, whilst and AFDD will sometimes detect and deal with such faults in any cable (radial circuit, or connection/spur from a ring final) other than the ring cable of a ring final, it will not detect such a fault in the ring of a ring final.

However, since there is no arc when such a fault arises in the cable of a ring, there is no potential arc-related fire hazard - the only 'issue' being that, unlike the situation with any other cable, an AFDD will not detect and react to a break in the ring conductor (which theoretically increases the risk of cable overload) in the way that it might with any other cable.

Of course, if one is concerned about any of that, one doesn't have to use ring finals!

 

[Robin0577]

Personally I don't find MK sockets are as good as their reputation anymore

I agree. The reputation was well earned in the old days, the stuff used to be bomb proof, but most of what they've produced post Honeywell takeover is little better than the budget stuff that sells for half the price.

 

[JohnW2]

I do not like the name "PAT Testing" along with "PIN Number" Aggghhh.

Same here, which is why I often write "PATesting" - and I usually just write "PIN" (without "Number"(.

Some folk think that the same is true of MOT tests - but they are presumably the people not old enough to remember that the "T" actually stands for "Transport"

Along with puople using "PASSWORD" as their password

I don't know how true it is, but I've heard it said that, because there have been so many 'warnings' that one should not do that, that it has actually become a fairly rare password, hence relatively 'safe'

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Same here, which is why I often write "PATesting" - and I usually just write "PIN" (without "Number"(.

Good idea, I do sometimes write it PAT testing, because it looks correct, even though I know what the T stands for.

 

[AVR2]

Believe it or not 13 amp sockets dont like running close to 13 amps for long periods.

It will have been running at about 8 amps; the plate on the back indicates that the heater drew 2000W and the lamp (for the visual fire effect) 60W, but I replaced the blown incandescent with an LED years ago. Would that really have been on the edge for a 13A socket?

 

[EFLImpudence]

No.

 

[pete01]

No, so just put it down to a freak occurrence, change the socket and put a new plug on the heater and keep an eye on it.....or get a new heater.

 

[ebee]

It will have been running at about 8 amps; the plate on the back indicates that the heater drew 2000W and the lamp (for the visual fire effect) 60W, but I replaced the blown incandescent with an LED years ago. Would that really have been on the edge for a 13A socket?

No it sould not have been and with a proper decent socket and plug it should be OK but ,if during it`s history, it has had something nasty including for instance a really nasty maunfactured socket (or plug) then that could be a possible cause of the problem.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

No it sould not have been and with a proper decent socket and plug it should be OK but ,if during it`s history, it has had something nasty including for instance a really nasty maunfactured socket (or plug) then that could be a possible cause of the problem.

There is also the possibility, that the socket has been over-loaded in the past, by plugging in a full 3Kw load. That would cause the initial damage, then further use with a 2Kw load, was enough to expose the problem over time.

 

[ebee]

yes indeed as Harry just said, once a decent socket (or plug) is overloaded once then its subsequent ordinay use can damage it further once it already has started deteriates a bit!

Once you have it, even used properly, the damage has already been done and that can make it more suseptable with every future use.

 

[SUNRAY]

Same here, which is why I often write "PATesting" - and I usually just write "PIN" (without "Number"(.

Some folk think that the same is true of MOT tests - but they are presumably the people not old enough to remember that the "T" actually stands for "Transport"


I don't know how true it is, but I've heard it said that, because there have been so many 'warnings' that one should not do that, that it has actually become a fairly rare password, hence relatively 'safe'

Don't bank on it.
On those ocassions I find myself trying to gain access to something - usually a lighting control desk, radio programming software etc - password is more common than 1234 or 0000.