oh my....look for burn

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ritelec

Senior Member
Location
Jersey
the home owner opened up walls from problems he had/has, one of those internet pay for leads things.he found i! wow.....

 

ritelec

Senior Member
Location
Jersey
I guess he did or someone else..............

He was a free-be service call on a different related matter.

I was touching bases with him ...then he told me about his troubleshooting on a circuit....or 3?
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
My guess is nail or screw penetration into cable(s).

I'm also assuming old enough AFCI was not required at time of install, would be interesting to know if AFCI would have tripped if installed on this circuit. After all it is one of the conditions they like to use for marketing for the use of AFCI's.
 

ritelec

Senior Member
Location
Jersey
??? Actually, I was called by him to do a service upgrade or panel change. When I went there to look at it he had a 200 amp service with a cutlerhammer panel. He wasn't there, but the story I got from his elderly mother was that there was a storm (thunder/lightning), they lost power from the utility company. Before the power went out or when it came back on there was a surge. Burnt a computer out and a few other items.

After I left I called him on the phone to mentioned his service was fine........it was the utility company.

He mentioned there was a circuit that wasn't working, could the surge have messed up a splice or burnt out the lighting fixtures.
I said sure, If he needs help seeing what was going on to give me a call and I would look into it.

As mentioned, I made the follow-up call to see where he stood with it.
This is what he found.
 

Ponchik

Senior Member
Location
CA
Occupation
Electronologist
How did he find this behind the sheetrock?
And was the damage lightning related?
 

ritelec

Senior Member
Location
Jersey
I don't know how he found it...........may have been burning.

Lightning related? He said the circuit was working before the storm so I would say yes,

I would think the nail theory and the lightning.
 

ritelec

Senior Member
Location
Jersey
He did send one more picture..........I don't see signs of a nail in that location..

The lighting having an effect (or coincidence) on a Bad install?? Bad romex from the manufacture?? Nail in the framing?? We'll never know.....
 

templdl

Senior Member
Location
Wisconsin
My guess is nail or screw penetration into cable(s).

I'm also assuming old enough AFCI was not required at time of install, would be interesting to know if AFCI would have tripped if installed on this circuit. After all it is one of the conditions they like to use for marketing for the use of AFCI's.

When you think about it there is the bare EGC running along with the other conductors and one would think that a GFCI would have picked up a L-G arcing condition also.
There was another topic recently regarding checking a homes distribution system for possible damage after a lightning stick. This damage could have been the result of a lightning stick which found the weakest point and broke down the insulation. My theory is with some house fires the insulation of a device or wire may have been compromised by a lightning stick but not enough to cause a catastrophic failure at that time but with the right combination of events such as humidity which can cause the damaged area to completely fail at a later date.
But, how can that be proved?
 
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Fulthrotl

~Autocorrect is My Worst Enema.~
My theory is with some house fires the insulation of a device or wire may have been compromised by a lightning stick but not enough to cause a catastrophic failure at that time but with the right combination of events such as humidity which can cause the damaged area to completely fail at a later date.

But, how can that be proved?

with a megger on 1,000 volts? :happyyes:
 
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