Scorched Wire


 Wires that burn up like this one is caused by several different reasons. The main reason is that too much current and not a big enough or gauge wire. This short could be from arching, or overheating. According to the NFPA "National Fire Prevention Association" faulty wiring is the most common cause of house and apartment fires in the US. This is the entire reason codes have been established in the NEC to help a safer living environment. There is still a possibility even when following the code to have issues because we are human.

The signs to look and smell for are
  • As you walk by an outlet you smell smoke
  • There is a burned smell in a particular room that gets heavier with time
  • Lights, TV, and other devices plugged into an outlet will flicker
  • You see small amounts of smoke coming from the outlet
  • You might have several outlets in one room that are not working at all. Many times, outlets are wired together and if the wire in one outlet is burned it will cause all the other outlets that are connected to it to stop working. Remember just because you think you can doesn't mean you should so be careful when dealing with electrical and call a professional to deal with problems.

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