electricians & electrical gurus: a question

[NuclearNed]

My house is fairly new (build @1995), but I have long suspected that its electrical wiring may be really crappy. I'm no electrical expert, but I've worked on the house a little (installed new lights, etc.), and I've seen a few things that made me think the wiring was done fast, cheap, and unprofessionally.

Just 3 or 4 months ago we bought a Honeywell space heater for my wife to carry room to room. Last night I noticed that its electrical plug was really hot, and when I unplugged it a little of the rubber around the blades was melted.

So which is the culprit - the house wiring or the heater (or is there not enough information here to decide)? If there isn't enough info, ask questions and I'll try to answer them.

 

[Heisenberg]

Either one could be to blame. If the heater is drawing more current that it should, that would cause the wiring to overheat. Likewise, if the house wiring used was too small or installed improperly (too long a run from the breaker box, etc.) and not capable of carrying the standard 15 amps, it would also cause problems. If you're really concerned, have a licensed electrician inspect the house.

 

[NuclearNed]

Originally posted by: Heisenberg
Either one could be to blame. If the heater is drawing more current that it should, that would cause the wiring to overheat. Likewise, if the house wiring used was too small or installed improperly (too long a run from the breaker box, etc.) and not capable of carrying the standard 15 amps, it would also cause problems. If you're really concerned, have a licensed electrician inspect the house.

Thanks for the info.

Again, I'm no expert, so the following question may appear to be totally stupid or naive:

Could this problem be caused by improper grounding of the outlet? When I installed lighting in our kitchen I was surprised to see that the old lighting didn't appear to be grounded. What I mean is that only the positive and negative wires were connected to the old light fixture - the ground wire coming from the breaker box was clipped flush with the white outer insulation of the house wiring.

If so, how big a problem is this?

 

[Heisenberg]

The ground wire is really only there as a safety precaution. The idea is basically that if there is some kind of short in the appliance, the current has another path to ground than through you. So no, if everything else is installed properly, not having a ground wire shouldn't make any difference as there should be no current there anyway unless something is wrong. There are lots of older houses that don't have the third ground plug. However, as your house was built in 95, not having proper grounding installed would be a bad sign IMHO. I'm not an electrician though, so I don't know if it's required on light fixtures or not.

 

[runzwithsizorz]

In a word, HEATER. Same thing happened to me, I replaced the cord with a much heavier one. If there is any arcing at the socket, or burn marks, replace it. the sockets most builders
use are the cheapest of the cheap. Runz

 

[HomeBrewerDude]

i would guess that your problem is the space heater, or the improper use thereof. those things aren't meant to run non-stop.

 

[NuclearNed]

Originally posted by: HomeBrewerDude
i would guess that your problem is the space heater, or the improper use thereof. those things aren't meant to run non-stop.

Tell me about it - I think the wifey must have been born on the frickin' Sun. Anything less that 105.7 degrees and she's cold.

After reading the couple of responses in this thread, I may put down some bucks and replace a couple of the outlets.

 

[Rogeee]

Heisenberg hit the nail squarly on the head.

 

[runzwithsizorz]

Originally posted by: Heisenberg
However, as your house was built in 95, not having proper grounding installed would be a bad sign IMHO.

hmmm; wonder how many other corners this builder cut?
with the heater on full, jiggle the plug, if you hear a snap, crackle, or pop, it ain't breakfast.