Author

Topic:   Main Panel Surprise - 1123 visits (1 today, 2 this week)

Bruce Breedlove
Member


Posts: 695
From:Pikes Peak Region
Registered: Mar 2003

posted December 17, 2005 12:52 PM            

I found this little surprise lurking inside the main panel.

Holy Smokes! (38141 Bytes)

The burned neutral wire is on the circuit for the furnace. I decided to operate the furnace and observed the wire actually glowing red (a pulsating glow with little sparks thrown in for added excitement).

Glowing Wire (9669 Bytes)

The overheated wire had charred other neutral wires nearby and had literally cooked the neutral bus. It's amazing the vacant house had not already burned.

I called the listing agent to inform her of of the situation and asked if she wanted me to flip the breaker off to prevent the house from burning. She instructed me to leave it on so the furnace would keep the pipes from freezing (expected lows that night were in single digits). Luckily my client was my witness as I had the agent on my cell phone's speaker.

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Bruce Breedlove
Avalon Inspection Services
Colorado Springs, CO

Brian Goodman
Member


Posts: 444
From:Columbus, MS
Registered: Jan 2005

posted December 17, 2005 01:47 PM         

Those are the ones that make you feel worthwhile, aren't they?

She said leave it on, eh? I think I would've moved heaven and earth to get someone over there to take care of it if I were faced with that choice. If the worst happens....