Plug socket connundrum

[imamartian]

Can anyone work out what happened here?

Wife put the kettle on this evening, and went out of the room, came back in a couple of minutes later, and went to turn the kettle back on again, but the light had gone out and there was no power to it. She noticed that the wall switch on the socket was now not in the on or off position, but was flat half way between. The switch now wouldn't flick to on or off.

She then took the plug out of the socket, and it sparked.

I got home just after and changed the socket and took the dodgy one apart.....and there is a plastic lug (on the back of the switch) which pushes a metal plate, but on the dodgy switch, the plastic lug was melted to the metal plate!

 

[RF Lighting]

Sounds like it wore out.

 

[Spark123]

Was it a cheap socket?

 

[flameport]

Switch became loose, overheated when the load from the kettle was applied, switch failed.

 

[imamartian]

Ok, that makes sense.....

The only odd thing is that about a week ago the kettle started leaking, but since the switch on the wall broke, the kettle seems to have stopped leaking.... just coincidence?

 

[securespark]

I would say so, unless that spark from the socket sealed up the hole!

 

[imamartian]

the kettle seems to work ok now.

But what i don't understand is.... why didn't it trip an RCB on the consumer unit?

 

[flameport]

No trip since the current was flowing via the live and neutral as normal.

 

[imamartian]

Thanks for your time gents !!!