# Wall socket behavior when overloaded **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 20, 2020, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-socket-behavior-when-overloaded/848242 "2020-02-20T16:37:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2020, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-socket-behavior-when-overloaded/848242/21 "2020-02-21T03:46:21Z")
> [@Kedikat](#): > > It is possible to wire a branch of outlets in a way that the hot spot is not at the outlet with a high load attached. So check that all the outlet wire connections are tight and free of corrosion. If the wires are silver colored, then it is aluminum wiring. Redo all connections with the proper grease that is needed for aluminum connections. A hot spot away from the load is exactly what happened in my house. The load was in the garage, but the hot spot was in the master bathroom, where the wire actually melted apart, with the breaker never tripping. Another time the cat was staring into an outlet, which seemed strange. Investigation determined that the outlet was arcing enough to make light and noise, right at the cat’s head height. Turns out the house is wired with a mix of copper and aluminum. Remediating all of the aluminum with CO/ALR outlets and switches, or installing pig-tails, was job number one in baby-proofing the house. ---
**Author:** ![Kedikat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed655f/32.png) [@Kedikat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kedikat)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2020, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-socket-behavior-when-overloaded/848242/22 "2020-02-21T04:39:09Z")
> [@echoreply](#): > > A hot spot away from the load is exactly what happened in my house. The load was in the garage, but the hot spot was in the master bathroom, where the wire actually melted apart, with the breaker never tripping. Another time the cat was staring into an outlet, which seemed strange. Investigation determined that the outlet was arcing enough to make light and noise, right at the cat’s head height. > > Turns out the house is wired with a mix of copper and aluminum. Remediating all of the aluminum with CO/ALR outlets and switches, or installing pig-tails, was job number one in baby-proofing the house. In this case. I might suspect the cat. Be afraid… ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2020, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-socket-behavior-when-overloaded/848242/23 "2020-02-21T19:52:52Z")
OOP believes the building is 30 years old, so there’s a practically zero chance of any aluminum wiring or Zinsco / FPE breakers. My money’s on a bad connection at an outlet - probably a burned spot with a back-stab. To answer \*\*Kedikat’s \*\*question if there can be hot spots away from the load - _absolutely yes_. About a year after I moved into my house that was built in 1961 and meddled with by untold flippers, screw-it-up-yourselfers, and maybe a licensed electrician or two, I had a situation where I turned on the lamp on my nightstand. Whole circuit went dead. Thought the bulb shorted internally and tripped the breaker, but no. Took a while of probing around to find the last outlet on the circuit that had power was in another room. Pulled the outlet out of the box and found a broken-off wire right at the backstab contact. The 60-watt lightbulb was the literal “last straw” to burn out the bad connection. ---
**Author:** ![K2500](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f6c823/32.png) [@K2500](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K2500)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2020, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-socket-behavior-when-overloaded/848242/24 "2020-02-21T21:49:10Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I have no idea. > > @ the others: Thanks for the feedback and input, I will see if such is the issue (thankfully, due to being in an apartment, I could get maintenance to check) Ah, maintenance. From apartments to plants, we get alot of work from those guys. Both before and after they “fix” electrical issues. It’s always a dice roll but recepticals aren’t really complicated and there are some really good maintenance personnel out there. ---
**Author:** ![cmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@cmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmore)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2020, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-socket-behavior-when-overloaded/848242/25 "2020-02-22T06:53:58Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > OOP believes the building is 30 years old, so there’s a practically zero chance of any aluminum wiring or Zinsco / FPE breakers. > > My money’s on a bad connection at an outlet - probably a burned spot with a back-stab. > > To answer \*\*Kedikat’s \*\*question if there can be hot spots away from the load - _absolutely yes_. About a year after I moved into my house that was built in 1961 and meddled with by untold flippers, screw-it-up-yourselfers, and maybe a licensed electrician or two, I had a situation where I turned on the lamp on my nightstand. Whole circuit went dead. Thought the bulb shorted internally and tripped the breaker, but no. Took a while of probing around to find the last outlet on the circuit that had power was in another room. Pulled the outlet out of the box and found a broken-off wire right at the backstab contact. The 60-watt lightbulb was the literal “last straw” to burn out the bad connection. my info on the zinscos and stab loks was more a psa to anyone, regardless experiencing problems or not. (I realize my offhand mention will get exactly zero of those panels discovered by homeowners. it may though plant a seed so when a person gets told they have one of these panels needing updated, it could help that they’ve heard of why somewhere). on the determining which outlet is to blame, I’ve got a dead man’s cord that I’ll jumper power to the problem circuit from another outlet elsewhere in the house (being served by the same leg, but different breaker, with all other breakers in the house being off). supplying power to the backside of a fault can help rule out a lot and will often walk you right to the fault. \*don’t try that ^ at home kids. ---
**Author:** ![WhyWhyWhy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whywhywhy/32/7539_2.png) [@WhyWhyWhy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyWhyWhy)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2020, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-socket-behavior-when-overloaded/848242/26 "2020-02-22T07:35:27Z")
Check the belts on clothes washers and dryers. If they slip, friction can cause a burning smell. I’d also get the outlets checked asap and not stop until the burning smell source is found. Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2020, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-socket-behavior-when-overloaded/848242/27 "2020-02-22T15:33:09Z")
never a good idea to let the smoke out of the wire. About Zinsco. At a service call, the electrical problem was a Zinsco breaker. The home owner wanted me to replace it. I told him, that they were out of production, and no used ones to be had. Because the houses that had Zinsco have burned down due to an electrical fault. I told him what you need is new load center. ---
**Author:** ![cmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@cmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmore)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2020, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-socket-behavior-when-overloaded/848242/28 "2020-02-23T22:47:41Z")
> [@harmonicamoon](#): > > never a good idea to let the smoke out of the wire. > > About Zinsco. At a service call, the electrical problem was a Zinsco breaker. The home owner wanted me to replace it. > > I told him, that they were out of production, and no used ones to be had. Because the houses that had Zinsco have burned down due to an electrical fault. > > I told him what you need is new load center. if none of the busbars are burnt and the panel isn’t overcrowded, they actually make zinsco breaker replacements that are the same externally but different internally (which was the original problem). I’ve updated existing panels with just these new breakers. they are expensivs compared to other breakers, but cheap compared to replacing some panels (especially those that would require a relocate as well). the brand is called connecticut electric > **[Connecticut Electric New VPKUBIZ 20 Amp/20 Amp 3/4 in. 1-Pole Zinsco Twin...](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Connecticut-Electric-New-VPKUBIZ-20-Amp-20-Amp-3-4-in-1-Pole-Zinsco-Twin-R3820-Replacement-Circuit-Breaker-VPKUBIZ2020/100082720)** > > Connecticut Electric manufactures new high quality replacement circuit breakers for Zinsco load centers that accept Zinsco QC style circuit breakers. Circuit breakers should only be replaced with new tested and Safety Agency Listed circuit breakers.... [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-socket-behavior-when-overloaded/848242.md?page=1)