Ever wonder if  warm or hot outlets and switches are safe?   If the switches control dimmable lighting, then it’s ok, these are typically warm, but if not then you’ll want a professional to assess the issue.

What Can Happen!

The following is an image of what we found behind an outlet cover during an office renovation.  At first glance it looked like a perfectly normal outlet but it was HOT!  Here is what we found after removing the cover.

There was enough heat generated to completely melt this outlet like candle wax.

The outlet box beneath the cover and wiring behind the wall were charred as well.

The Cause

In this case, the underlying issue was loose (wire) connections at the outlet. These loose connections caused the wires to arc when significant load (in this case a portable space heater) was connected, generating lots of heat.  Left unchecked the danger of a fire increases.

Other Causes

Overloaded circuits protected by outdated, fatigued, or defective circuit breakers.

If in doubt please call us.

IF YOU’VE GOT QUESTIONS . . . WE’VE GOT ANSWERS!