Violation or not ..

[Another C10]

Anyone care to guess what issue occurred when this bath switch was used after taking showers. I removed the cover and saw this.

 

[LarryFine]

Ungrounded device strap, damp paper, metal plate screws . . .

 

[Another C10]

Anyone care to guess what issue occurred when this bath switch was used after taking showers. I removed the cover and saw this.

Ok, maybe a little vague .. Hint : only some times the tenant would get a jolt when turning on the switch to the bathroom light.
Guess why and why was it periodic.

 

[LarryFine]

The only other things I see:

Missing lower 6-32

A white wire

A lot of paint

Why is there what looks like paper in the box? A leaky pipe above?

 

[Another C10]

Ungrounded device strap, damp paper, metal plate screws . . .

yes, you win a cigar .. So I approach this switch and flip it on, no stray voltage, I remove this cover to find waded tissue paper in there as seen, I remove the device and come to find the tissue is cool and barley moist, I figured there it is, now thinking ok the moist paper is allowing a voltage to pass from the un protected termination screws to the metal of the device, then it dawned on me the reason more than likely this problem was periodic was when someone was in the shower, the walls would get moist, no exhaust fan .. therefore moisture could drip down between the wall plate and then leach onto this tissue paper.

I removed the paper replaced and grounded the switch and finally taped the device.

 

[LarryFine]

So I really had it in post 82.

 

[Another C10]

so what would you think by looking at this image caused the blue flame. and how.

Hint: The receptacle is indoors and the cover plate was on, does anyone see any unusual abnormalities within the box wall or on the cable itself.
The larger image on # 78 shows a lot of evidence.

 

[LarryFine]

I thought it was agreed that the flame came from the sheath of the cable on the right, either stripped poorly as mentioned, or from an over-driven staple.

 

[480sparky]

Hard to play this game when there's such little information provided, and the goal posts keep moving.

 

[Another C10]

Hard to play this game when there's such little information provided, and the goal posts keep moving.

Sorry .. ok Yes the sheathing allowed for the exposure of the element no one can determine, although after I mention it you probably will see it.
As I looked at this nasty mess, I looked closely and came to the conclusion that moisture must have gotten in this box, as I visualized the debris in the box I then saw what appeared to be dried liquid paths, I wiped the residue gave it a whiff .. whew, right away I figured it out. Rat urine, So.. Mr Rat must of been nesting on top of this warm electrical box, decided to routinely relieve himself which in turn dripped down along the cable , finding the exposed insulation cut from the dull razor which then while saturated completed the circuit emitting the wondrous blue flame the tenant claims he saw. I came to the conclusion that the stripped insulation was the reason for the issue although the Rat drizzle made it all happen.

 

[LarryFine]

Rat urine, . . .

I was gonna say that next.

 

[grich]

Yuck...never dealt with rat, but I have seen the results of cats spraying on a receptacle. Glad it was in a plastic box.