Fried all appliances today!!!!!

[torint]

Customer had a new Square D panel on hand, asked if I would install. I installed it and 3 weeks later she called back to say lights were flickering. Went and made sure all connections were tight. later that night she called again to say that box is loudly arcing and appliances are smoking. She turned the main off untill POCO arrived, they assured her that POCO was fine. I arrived and again all of my connections were tight.....Found that the manufacturer has ONE small Phillips screw holding the neutral bar to the main neutral bar. The ONE small Phillips screw was loose just enough to cause arcing, melting of #12 & #14 wires. Also costing me 2 TV's, 1 microwave oven, 2 boom box radio's, 1 clock radio and now as I type the furnace man is there
You know....I have NEVER had a problem with a quality name brand part, so I never checked behind the manufacturer....As my mom use to say " a lesson well learned is a bought lesson".

[ October 17, 2003, 06:23 PM: Message edited by: torint ]

 

[bill addiss]

Re: Fried all appliances today!!!!!

again all of my connections were tight.....

IMO, If you didn't supply the panel and this connection is not something that's normally adjusted, tightened or checked in the field I don't think you should be responsible for all of those damages.

Bill

 

[bennie]

Re: Fried all appliances today!!!!!

This is an example of liability insurance being a necessity. Have the lady check her home owners insurance.

The manufacturer will have an escape clause, by printing a disclaimer about tightness of connections. They will indicate all panels should be checked, due to possible loosening during shipping.

I don't understand the neutral and main neutral?

 

[Guest]

Re: Fried all appliances today!!!!!

Originally posted by torint:
<snip>Found that the manufacturer has ONE small Phillips screw holding the neutral bar to the main neutral bar. <snip>

Can you provide more detail about this? What model # is the panel? Was it being used as a Main?

 

[-marty]

Re: Fried all appliances today!!!!!

I've had this problem twice before, one panel I installed, the other I was just called to troubleshoot and correct. The first one was the same problem. On the second one it was the neutral lug was burnt off the buss bar on the utility side. I thought it was a very poor design because the screw was from the back of the buss bar. So, one,it couldn't be checked or tightned without disassembling most of the unit. Two, if the lug was overtightened, it would loosen the lug. Both times the homeowners insurance picked up the tab. On the second one the insurance company told me they were going to sue the manufacturer. I told them "good luck".