Locating buried open splices

[SparkyAdam]

I am wondering if anyone has found a good way to locate a splice in a wall that is covered by drywall. I own an electrical contracting company and got called out by a property manager for a tenant who smelled burning. I checked everything visible and found no issues; I opened every outlet, switch, and light in the area they said it was coming from and poked around in the attic a bit also and found no issues. It wasn't occurring when I was onsite. They said there were no heaters being used in the area, and it isn't close enough to the kitchen to have been coming from there. It apparently set off the fire alarm, but no smoke was visible.

It occurred to me that if there was a buried splice that was getting hot, maybe a thermal camera could see it through the wall. But I have never tried that before.

It is more than likely that the smell was coming from something else, but is there any way to be sure without cutting open a bunch of walls?

 

[ptonsparky]

New heaters or backup strip heaters that had not been on for a while. Sometimes renters and owners are not always truthful. A camera would have been useful if things had not already cooled down.

 

[petersonra]

Why would the splice suddenly open up and start smoking?

I am betting on cooking odors or running something that had been off for a long time and dust collected on it and burned off when it was used.

 

[hillbilly1]

New heaters or backup strip heaters that had not been on for a while. Sometimes renters and owners are not always truthful. A camera would have been useful if things had not already cooled down.

If they have a heat pump, possibly the emergency strip heat coming on, or strip burnt connections.

 

[readydave8]

Service call I couldn't get to, don't know how strong the smoke was but customer was distraught

I told her call fire dept, I know those guys are helpful, generous, and bored

It was furnace blower fan motor (I think they found without having to use.axes)

 

[SparkyAdam]

Thanks for all the replies, this will help me have a conversation with the property manager. Honestly, I really doubt it was electrical.

 

[roger]

Service call I couldn't get to, don't know how strong the smoke was but customer was distraught

I told her call fire dept, I know those guys are helpful, generous, and bored

It was furnace blower fan motor (I think they found without having to use.axes)

I was eating lunch in my office when a call came in and the service manager was out of the office so I took the call. The caller said there was smoke coming from under his house and asked if we could send an electrician to crawl under the house and check it out. I asked him if he'd called the FD and he said he didn't want to bother them if it was nothing. I told him I was hanging up and to call the FD immediately. I never heard anything else so I don't know what the outcome was.