OK My house almost burnt down. HELP!!!!

[ScAndal]

OK fellas, I am a 1 year old first home owner and I have done quite a lot of stuff to our home in the last year but yesterday is the most scared I've been.
My wife called me on my cell phone and told me that the power was out in 2 rooms and she smelled something like it was burning.

When I got home, there was one circuit breaker that was reset to off position. I went upstairs to look in the room she smelled the odor and there was a wall outlet that was black. There were a few small burn marks in the carpet where sparks must have shot out of the outlet. I took the outlet off and replaced it with a new one. The wiring was fine, one of the wire that was connected to the outlet was melted/fused to the screw but the others were fine.

Now I went downstairs to reset the breaker but it doesn't stay in the on position. In fact, it doesn't even click anymore like it usually does when you flip it to on.

My question to you folks is: What could cause such a thing? Should I be as worried as I am? Should I just replace the breaker? Or should I call someone in to take a look at it?

Thanks,
ScAndal

 

[HomeBrewerDude]

how old is the house?

 

[ScAndal]

1976.

ScAndal

 

[tarheelmm]

If your still under warranty defiently call the electrician. My house had wires crossed for the switches and kept burning out the breakers for a month.

 

[alm99]

I would call, better safe than sorry. May cost some $$$, but at least you would still have a home.

 

[DivideBYZero]

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Here, have this bucket of water...

 

[radioouman]

OK fellas, I am a 1 year old...

Since you are a 1 year old, I'd call an electrician.

 

[Sealy]

Definitely call in the proffessionals! You don't want to take a chance with your family or your home! Scary stuff!

 

[Ryan]

It's all a scandal, I say.

 

[ScAndal]

Yeah I'm thinking I will call a professional, but I would really like to know what could cause this.

Thanks for the wise cracks fellas, I needed that!

ScAndal

 

[0roo0roo]

fire extinguisher in your house? every house needs one

 

[HomeBrewerDude]

was anything plugged into the outlet at the time?

replace the breaker... might as well replace them all

 

[ScAndal]

0roo0roo,
Funny thing we didn't have a fire extinguisher, but i'm getting one today!

yamaha, there was nothing plugged in at the time. The outlet that fried was one that has never been used (spare bedroom).

I was thinking I'd replace the breakers, I'll stop by home depot and see what they say.

Thanks for the insight!!

ScAndal

 

[Azraele]

Definately have it looked at. Fire is nothing to mess with.

 

[Anubis]

Call someone. messing with electricity can be dangerous

 

[schmedy]

Your homeowners insurance will prob cover this, call them.

 

[Evadman]

REplace outlet ( which you did ) replace breaker. if the house is from the mid 70;s I would just replace them all because I am paranoid. They are only a few bucks each.

If it still trips, then something on that curcuit is shorting. inspect all outlets along that circuit, and all splices. If breaker is still going off it is time to call an electrician.

 

[HomeBrewerDude]

there is a gizmo you can buy at home depot that you plug into the outlet and it tells you if your plug is polarized correctly and/or grounded. handy thing to have anytime you are dinking around with the electrical.

 

[ScAndal]

evadman,
Thanks for the help.

yamaha,
I have seen those! What does polarized mean?

ScAndal

 

[HomeBrewerDude]

Polarized is when the hot is hooked up to the hot prong and the neutral is hooked up to neutral prong.

reversing the hook ups can be hard on electronics and is generally a sign of sloppy work.

HOME DEPOT has a 1-2-3 WIRING book that is fairly good. lots of pictures and what not of both good and bad examples.

 

[ScAndal]

yamaha,
Thank you so much. Now I understand. I'm going to get the wiring book and tool on my way home. I'm interested in checking all the plugs anyhow.

ScAndal

 

[Beattie]

Originally posted by: DivideBYZero
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Here, have this bucket of water...

Water, on an electrical fire? That should be interesting....

 

[KC5AV]

Also, several of the better surge protectors have an indicator light for wiring fault. Good inverstment...

 

[Miramonti]

Don't do what tenants above me did in my building - when their a/c kept popping the circuit breaker, tape the circuit breaker so it stays on. :frown:

 

[Bignate603]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
fire extinguisher in your house? every house needs one

While he does need one, a fire extinguisher will do little to combat a fire from wiring inside the walls unless he takes an axe to the wall to get to it. Electrical problems in the walls are particularly nasty.