[jerome951]

Apologies in advance to Andy for asking a non-automotive question, but maybe even he can provide some advice on this one.

Can anyone recommend an electrician in the Gaithersburg/Germantown vicinity to do some troubleshooting on my house? I have a GFI wired to an outside light and some bathroom and basement receptacles that keeps tripping (~weekly), but this evening worried me a little more.

This evening, with a space heater hooked up to that circuit, I got a strong burning smell elsewhere in the house. It smelled like my wife was burning dinner but she wasn't even in the kitchen (maybe her powers are just that wonderous). The smell went away when I turned off the heater but not certain the heater was the cause. The smell originated on the first floor directly above the basement circuit panel but there was no smell in the basement itself. The GFI reset on that circuit is right under the panel. Any ideas? I turned the breaker off later just to be safe.

House was built in '95 and all wiring is original.

Thanks in advance for any recommendations or advice.

Later,
Jerome

[washington dc porsche]

I'm not an electrician but have you noticed if the circuit breaker in the panel is warm or warmer than the other circuit breakers? If so, it shouldn't be.

Originally Posted by jerome951

Apologies in advance to Andy for asking a non-automotive question, but maybe even he can provide some advice on this one.

Can anyone recommend an electrician in the Gaithersburg/Germantown vicinity to do some troubleshooting on my house? I have a GFI wired to an outside light and some bathroom and basement receptacles that keeps tripping (~weekly), but this evening worried me a little more.

This evening, with a space heater hooked up to that circuit, I got a strong burning smell elsewhere in the house. It smelled like my wife was burning dinner but she wasn't even in the kitchen (maybe her powers are just that wonderous). The smell went away when I turned off the heater but not certain the heater was the cause. The smell originated on the first floor directly above the basement circuit panel but there was no smell in the basement itself. The GFI reset on that circuit is right under the panel. Any ideas? I turned the breaker off later just to be safe.

House was built in '95 and all wiring is original.

Thanks in advance for any recommendations or advice.

Later,
Jerome

[matt de maria]

Call me. My electrician lives in Derwood.

[Landjet]

Jarome, I have been in the construction arena for 30 years and although I'm not an electrician and don't know any around here, I do know from experience that you should not use that circuit again until you do get an electrician to check it out. You could risk a house fire. You might also double check that heater. Sounds like there was some kind of short or overload, but an overload should have tripped the breaker. Have you looked for any evidence of moisture or water in or around the receptacles that are tripping because GFI is usually water sensitive. That's why they are normally in bathrooms. If you already know all this, please excuse.

[Andy Clements]

I'll excuse the off topic. Larry is right....get it checked out...don't risk it. GFI's are very sensitive devices, and they can "go bad" over time....especially if original. There is also a good chance that moisture is finding its way into the system somewhere.....maybe in the outside light, a junction box leak, an outdoor receptacle with a bad seal....lots of possibilities. If the smell wasn't localized to the heater, chances are that it was heating up the circuit enough that the mysterious weak link was getting hot/smelly. Get it checked out. If you don't find somebody to check it out, let me know and I may be able to dig up a name I could PM you.

[OldTee]

Originally Posted by matt de maria

Call me. My electrician lives in Derwood.

He has done some work for me. X2 good.
ARF

[86911TLCAB]

Had a similar problem with a gfi circuit tripping which was tied to the outside lamp. I opened up the lamp and cleaned out all the dead bugs and the glass...did a reseal on the areas where water might be getting in...hasnt happened in a while...good idea to also have it checked out.

[Vicegrip]

Sounds like a loose connection in a hot (black or red in 120V Red being switched) or neutral (white) wires between the heater and circuit breaker. Open up the breaker panel and look and pull on the wire to the breaker involved and then do the same with all devices down stream. Snap the breaker on and off a time or two remove the breaker and smell it. (They snap in and out with no tools in most residential service panels) They go bad from time to time too. Roasted Bakalite has a distinctive smell. Look for loose and blackened connections in all the wall boxes on any devices. The receptacles are often used as connectors with the wires running into and then back out of them to the next one. This means depending on how the house is wired it might be almost any that is on the circuit involved. Older houses with ceiling lights tend to use the ceiling light box as a junction box. Wires rarely fail in the wall, at a device connection is far more common. Check all the wire nut connections to the white wires as well. The less handy can go around and smell each outlet to see if any smell burnt. Don't let the wife and kids see you do this by the way. If you do find a stinky one get the wife point at it and with your best guy voice say "Based on my vast electrical knowledge I think it is this one"

My bet is the GFI device under the service panel used to power the line in question has a loose "Load" connection.

Just internut ramblings not advice...

[jerome951]

Thanks for all of the advice, guys. The breaker is certainly staying off until I get a pro to look at it.

I'll give Matt and John's guy a ring today. Matt, OldTee pm'd me Tim's phone number already.

I did pull the plate off the outlet closest to where I initially smelled the burning but there was no smell inside (different circuit).

I did install a new outdoor light last year but can't remember if it coincided with the GFI starting to trip. I'll pull it off and check for moisture or loose wires. The GFI seems to trip during the day while the light is off so it may not be the problem. There's an exterior junction box for it as well that I'll check.

I did have a problem a couple years ago with a similar periodic burning smell and tripping breaker. Found one of the wires had pulled out of the back of the receptacle, was laying on the bare ground wire, and had burnt it ~1/2 way through.

I grew up around residential construction (dad had a masonry firm. I had to work in the summers which is why I now have a desk job). I frequently watched electricians installing their magic smoke and tubes. I got turned off of electrical stuff, though, when at the age of ~8 I was walking through our home under construction, which had been partially wired, reached into a light switch box to pull out some drywall mud, and didn't know the circuit was hot. Knocked me on my ass.

[hoophead]

Originally Posted by jerome951

I did have a problem a couple years ago with a similar periodic burning smell and tripping breaker. Found one of the wires had pulled out of the back of the receptacle, was laying on the bare ground wire, and had burnt it ~1/2 way through.

Seems like it's not just a local issue - I would check ALL of the receptacles in the house. At a minimum get one of those yellow outlet testers and go around and check all of the outlets. BTW I hate these "push-in" types of connections on the back of receptacles for this very reason and rewire the leads to the side screws any time I have one out. I don't like the small contact area with the wire where the push-in grips - usually you can give it a good yank and pull the wire out. Much more contact area under the screws.

Also, not all receptacles are created equal. I wired my basement with pro-grade ones that are much better constructed and provide more robust grip on plugs. Cheapo sockets start to lose their grip after just a few insertions. The pro-grade doesn't cost that much more.