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Thread ID: 118557	2011-06-10 08:18:00	When sockets ignite	The Error Guy (14052)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
1208280	2011-06-10 10:23:00	Lucky, it could have been worse - a LOT worse, small electrical fires can easily become large house fires. The RCD should have tripped, its no damn good if its not working. Had a PC in the workshop Blowup today -- just sitting there doing some cloning - then "BANG" blew the UPS and then the over loads in the fuse box tripped as well -- Just about crapped myself. :eek: "sniff sniff " oops :blush: Haha, at the local computer recycling center where I volunteer, a Thermaltake PSU blew. The pins on the motherboard plug were literally burnt. I also had a faulty monitor that did that at the same place :p	bot (15449)
1208281	2011-06-10 10:53:00	Would a RCD actually be tripped by a arcing type fault ?? didnt think so, may be wrong ?? en.wikipedia.org theres also alot of dodgy power multiboxes that somehow made it into NZ. at least one brand got recalled, most didnt. easy to spot, $5, cheap feel to em, plugs dont seem to slot in properly. :badpc: Have made PSU's go bang myself. One Brand used to supply replacement PSU's preset to US voltage. It's a mistake you only make once :-) Tech I used to work with Blew a few things at once, the customer forget to tell him the PC & periphials were all 110v only. Oh dear....	sroby (11519)
1208282	2011-06-10 11:03:00	An RCD will not protect against an overload current or an overheating plug/socket connection because it is not an 'overload' circuit breaker. It will only trip if there is a leakage current to ground, and although that leakage could potentially have occurred as the socket self-immolated, clearly it did not. The message here is not to overload 10-amp outlets, especially in houses with old wiring, and to make sure that circuit breakers or fuses are correctly rated because overload protection does not mean that an overheating connection will cause the breaker to trip or the fuse to blow, thereforte a fire can easily occur. Don't use multiboxes either, especially cheapo chinese types, they are a major fire hazard. This is why smoke alarms are so important. They are the first line of defence, not the last. I think our house has a abnormally large current/voltage input (can't remember what it was). I have noticed that heater cords tend to get warm... but I light the fire and don't use the heaters much. You will have the standard voltage that everybody else has, but if the house has old wiring, modern loads may be drawing more current than the wiring can cope with. It is not uncommon for heater cords to get warm if you are running a 2 or 3 kilowatt heater. That is not a problem, but the leads should not be run under carpets or mats, and nor should excess lead be coiled up. That invites smoke and flame. Cheers Billy 8-{)	Billy T (70)
1208283	2011-06-10 11:17:00	An RCD will not protect against an overload current or an overheating plug/socket connection because it is not an 'overload' circuit breaker . Indeed, not that it would have made a difference . The RCD is for a different circuit The message here is not to overload 10-amp outlets, especially in houses with old wiring, and to make sure that circuit breakers or fuses are correctly rated because overload protection does not mean that an overheating connection will cause the breaker to trip or the fuse to blow, thereforte a fire can easily occur . I'm not sure if it was overloaded or not, that heater has been used all over the house including on the socket on the other side of the wall (same circuit) . I use an 8pt multibox for the TV, surround, 360 and some misc small draw devices and its never caused problems on that particular power point . Anyway, thanks for the input . Useful as always .	The Error Guy (14052)
1208284	2011-06-10 16:40:00	That power point obviously had an industrial strength fuse. None of your puny little bits of wire that fail just when you have lot's of stuff going on, a decent bit of heavy gauge stuff that will still be in perfect order long after the fire brigade have left. I've seen a farting dog leave a more impressive mark than that, but it would be a McWhirter Bro's. job if a budgie did it. ;)	R2x1 (4628)
1208285	2011-06-10 22:58:00	There is a lesson for us all in this. Everyone in the home should know where the main power switch is, and how to switch off. All that happened was that a couple of amps current was diverted from the heating job into the failing connection in the plug. Plugs aren't built to do heating for more than a few seconds! But the occupant would be unable to pull the plug out while it was smoking/burning/glowing. Risky also to try to reach that switch within the smoke cloud. Hence best approach - turn off at the main, pending further investigation when the smoke clears..	coldot (6847)
1208286	2011-06-11 00:25:00	Don't use multiboxes either, especially cheapo chinese types, they are a major fire hazard. Many of the powerboards in our house are HPM. The house was built in the early 70's and as a result there is only one power socket per room (usually). Nothings ever gone bang.	bot (15449)
1208287	2011-06-11 00:45:00	@wmoore, He's coming out after lunch sometime. I myself am wondering why the RCD didn't trip. It's an old house and when we got it rewired the guys left the original meter board. Most fuses are Ceramic with the garage and HWC being the exceptions. There is an RCD fitted but i'm not sure if its for the WHOLE house or just the HWC or Garage circuits. I'll be asking the electrician about that when he comes. I had a look at the wiring behind the socket to make sure none of the insulation had melted causing further shorts, the wiring there is rather old, still the 3 core Red black with an un insulated earth. Nowadays they use blue brown with an insulated green/yellow earth I would be interested to know if that red, black, un insulated earthed was covered in plastic or rubber? If the WHOLE house was rewired it should definitely NOT be rubber. So why was that outlet left wired in old style plastic, if so? Probably a good idea to get all those porcelain fuses & bases changed to circuit breakers. as well. Actually that old style cable R,B. & bare sounds like what I know as 3.036 imperial size & was good for 18 amps. Today it is smaller, 1.5mm, & rated at 15 amps. PJ	Poppa John (284)
1208288	2011-06-11 03:00:00	Nowadays they use blue brown with an insulated green/yellow earth While the earth is now sheathed, TPS is Red/Black/Green+Yellow	Alex B (15479)
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