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View Full Version : Extrical problem: Great balls of fire!


brad
10/06/2008, 11:16 PM
I just saw something I didn't think was possible. I heard hissing from the basement, and went down, and saw a small amount of smoke that smelt like burnt rubber. I unplugged the main aquarium pump and clothes dryer which was running, and after a while I assumed from the smell I lost a belt in the dryer. I turned the pump back on, inspected it carefully to make sure it was running correctly, and started troubleshooting the clothes dryer. After a few minutes trying to find the problem with the dryer, which seemed to be working fine, I started looking at the water heater and furnace,

Loud buzzing and bright light suddenly scared the #$%^ out of me, and I saw an orange fireball making the noise and bright light and smoke travel along the extension cord towards the pump. I quickly unplugged the other end (it is a long cord - 30 feet or more) and it went away.

Never in my life have I seen anything like that, and had no idea it was possible without high explosives. The 30 amp breaker (also running my dryer at the time) did not trip (no GFCI - I know I should have one), and I cannot imaging that kind of a light show used less than 30 amps. The extension cord is rated 15 amps/ 1600 watts for outdoor use, the pump (blueline-used for 5 years) should draw 300 watts at most. The extension cord was damp (not soaking wet, but not completely dry) and I have no idea where the water came from. The pipes above and floor below are dry. There was a 300 watt heater also plugged into the same cord. The end of the extension cord is charred beyond being usable, and the end of the heater cord fell apart in ashes when I tried to remove it from the extension cord, but the heater is not broken and does not look damaged. The cord to the pump looks fine, except for char it picked up from what it was plugged into. I am surprised there was not more damage given the amount of heat, smoke, light and sound.

The first pet cat I ever had died this morning (old cat, respiratory infection, other health problems), so this is the last thing I needed when at 1 am trying to fall asleep before having to wake up for work. I just wish I knew what happened, and want to figure it out before turning everything back on (I have 2 tunze 6100s upstairs plugged into a GFCI) so the fish and coral will make it until I get back from work tomorrow.

brad
10/07/2008, 01:03 PM
Just a quick update, the breaker did trip, the dryer is a different circuit.

SeanT
10/07/2008, 01:26 PM
Very fortunate that you were there.

BeanAnimal
10/07/2008, 01:39 PM
It would appear that you heater went partially to ground. The smell was the cord failing. The light show was the 15A extension cord melting on the 15A or 20A circuit breaker. The heater cord is likely #16 or #18 wire, so it failed first. The short could have been IN the heater or salt creep at the cord connection.

Extension cords are not a good idea in any permanent context, you just found out why! Glad to hear that everybody is safe.