Outlet issue.
My wife just plugged in a lamp into an outlet, and a spark shot out and her hand is now somewhat covered with black smoke, or dust or something. She did not get a shock, and the circuit-breaker did not trip. Later we shut down the breaker, plugged it in, and switched the breaker back…
My wife just plugged in a lamp into an outlet, and a spark shot out and her hand is now somewhat covered with black smoke, or dust or something. She did not get a shock, and the circuit-breaker did not trip. Later we shut down the breaker, plugged it in, and switched the breaker back on, and all is well. What’s going on here? A loose ground, or something like that? A flash came out of the outlet, but no fire or anything like that. And yes, we have an extinguisher handy, and are aware of the hazard. But what to do?
in case anybody else is searching and sees this: i had a lamp that did the same thing; it’s the lamp cord, not the outlet/breaker. i replaced the entire cable (not just the plug) and no more explosions.
Hmm, I’ll try vacuuming it tomorrow. Could be a ton of dog hair and dust in there, yes….
Thank you!
ONE more thing to try (AND do it on all your outlets) is vacuuming out the outlet. Sometimes dust builds up inside and makes contact. I have been doing lots of Renovation and have this problem.
change the breaker as well as it is faulty or of the wrong amp rating. Should have tripped!
I am not an electrician (nor do I play one on TV), but I would suspect two things: the first is that the outlet is old and worn and should be replaced. The other is that the plug for the lamp is damaged somehow. Either of these might cause arcing when contact is attempted. Arcing will melt the contacts in the outlet and on the plug. In my unprofessional opinion, both the outlet and the plug should be replaced. Both are simple DIY projects unless you’re uncomfortable doing electrical work, in which case a reliable handyman or electrician can do the job.