Burned neutrals on outlet - pigtail?

[sciphi]

I'm slowly going through my house updating the ~25 year old builder-grade electrical outlets and switches to tamper-resistant/decorator style. I noticed some discoloration on this outlet's face, and decided to take a closer look. The previous owners had a LOT of high-powered computer equipment on that outlet. We had a LED lamp plugged into there.

Picture:


My plan was to cut out the charred parts and wire-nut some short pigtails to go to the new outlet. There isn't a ton of room in the box, though. Thoughts, and is there a better solution without ripping out the wire?

 

[hemitom]

i would just pig tail that !!.
i'm thinking they played with the breaker (over sized it ) or there is a problem with the outlet switch , that should have tripped a breaker.

 

[Oldtom]

Alumiconn connectors are an easy, safe way to pigtail those wires. NEVER, NEVER use the push in connectors on the back of the outlet. They are known for overheating and fires. In some locales, using the push in connectors is not legal. Always use the side terminals. I learned this from rentals, tenants will often overload an outlet.

 

[mk378]

Is the wiring aluminum or is it copper?

+1 the push ins should have never been used. I don't think that new ones are sold any more.

If the wire is copper you can just trim those wires and install a new outlet. Backwire outlets are worth the extra cost in my opinion, much easier install especially when the wires in the box are a little short. Backwire outlets have slots in the back for the wires, but they are secured by tightening the screw rather than a spring like the old push-ins. This makes a very solid connection.

Note that both wires are overheated this means the heavy load was one of the outlets downstream of this one.

 

[Delta]

Cut off the effected area of the wire and you should be ok, as long as you put the wire around a screw terminal rather than backstabbing. Looks like yours became loose and was creating a arc/overheat situation. Had the same problem on a circuit on my house. It was backstabbed and once the dish washer hit the heated dry cycle it fried.

 

[kschachn]

Originally Posted By: Oldtom
NEVER, NEVER use the push in connectors on the back of the outlet. They are known for overheating and fires. In some locales, using the push in connectors is not legal. Always use the side terminals. I learned this from rentals, tenants will often overload an outlet.


How do those devices get UL approval using the quickwire attachment if this is the result?

 

[Dan55]

I would pigtail using a spec grade receptacle and side wire the new receptacle . A good trade practice is to close the hooks under the screw before tightening with needle nose pliers. https://www.handymanhowto.com/electrical-outlets-side-wire-versus-back-wire/

 

[seanf]

Originally Posted By: kschachn
Originally Posted By: Oldtom
NEVER, NEVER use the push in connectors on the back of the outlet. They are known for overheating and fires. In some locales, using the push in connectors is not legal. Always use the side terminals. I learned this from rentals, tenants will often overload an outlet.


How do those devices get UL approval using the quickwire attachment if this is the result?


I'm going to go out on a limb and say installer error, the stripped end is probably too short, could also be alum wire in a copper only plug. Op needs to give a bit more info.

 

[Wheel]

I would blame the stab-in connector. I won't use them, and they should be recalled. The spring that holds them in place tends to weaken over time. This increases the resistance in the connection, causing it to heat up.

There are similar looking connectors that don't fail that way, they use a screw in the side to press against the conductor instead of the spring.

 

[JC1]

Do many of those outlets look like that? Looks like some circuits were overloaded. Wonder if they were using space heaters or something that really heated up the wiring.

 

[tomcat27]

Originally Posted By: Oldtom
NEVER, NEVER use the push in connectors on the back of the outlet. They are known for overheating and fires. In some locales, using the push in connectors is not legal. Always use the side terminals. I learned this from rentals, tenants will often overload an outlet.


this.
I was an electrician - my boss never allowed us to use the push in connectors.

 

[sciphi]

More information: It's 14-gauge copper wiring. One other outlet on this string was replaced with a newer one, and another one showed some signs of overloading. The previous owner was very much into computers, and had a lot of his setup down in that space.

The outlets themselves are residential-grade Leviton outlets that are about 26 years old. From my reading, these are the Quickwire ones that fail. The outlet in question was backstabbed, as are all the other original switches and outlets in my house. They're getting replaced with back-wire Legrand decorator outlets and switches.

 

[Rick in PA]

One of the above posters pointed out it was a feed through application since both white wires are discolored, makes sense. It occurred to me that this means the current was running through both (2) stab in connections. Double the resistance = double the heating. Yeah, I never used the stab in connectors, always the screw terminals.

 

[JetStar]

I have seen this before when the push in's were used. 1st time was about 28 years ago when my sister calls me and says the rooms at the back of her house go dead when she uses her blow dryer in the bathroom. You guessed it, burnt wires at the push-in terminals. Personally I think they should be banned, but that's just me. If I were the manuf., I wouldn't want the liability.

 

[tom slick]

I prefer the screw clamp back wire style receptacles, the best of both.

Here's a good article on receptacles

http://inspectapedia.com/electric/Electrical_Outlet_Backwired.php

 

[JTK]

Sci- You're on the right track. Cut what you have back to intact insulation and pigtail if you need to. New receptacle and maybe monitor it with a heat gun?

 

[mk378]

Originally Posted By: Rick in PA
One of the above posters pointed out it was a feed through application since both white wires are discolored, makes sense. It occurred to me that this means the current was running through both (2) stab in connections. Double the resistance = double the heating. Yeah, I never used the stab in connectors, always the screw terminals.


On that note, if you're going to pigtail them, do not extend both white wires and join them at the receptacle. Instead make a three-way splice of the two house wires and one new wire that leads to the receptacle. Do the same thing with the black wires of course. This way the current to the downstream receptacles only goes through one splice. Fewer splices mean less resistance.

 

[sciphi]

I ended up going the quick and dirty way of cutting it back to clean insulation and back-wiring. There was a lot of wire in the box to let me do that, so that's what ended up getting done.

 

[kschachn]

Originally Posted By: sciphi
More information: It's 14-gauge copper wiring.


It would have to be that gauge, 12 gauge wire won't fit in the hole.

I still don't know how these outlets get UL approval using that method. If they obviously can't handle the full rated load of the overcurrent device then how is it permitted? Or is brown and nearly burned insulation acceptable?

 

[Delta]

Originally Posted By: sciphi
I ended up going the quick and dirty way of cutting it back to clean insulation and back-wiring. There was a lot of wire in the box to let me do that, so that's what ended up getting done.


Did the same thing myself, except I bought a 20A commercial grade recepetacle. Continuation from my earlier comment, my washing machine and dish washer are on the same circuit. Neither are used at the same time. This is what happens when a high load goes through a loose neutral on a backstabbed plug:

Yea, the insulation burned off about 2".