Why Did My Wire Burn When I Turned On the Switch?

  • Thread starter Thread starter exp6
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Switch Wire
AI Thread Summary
A wire connected from a MAIN BUS BAR to a switch burnt immediately when turned on, while another wire from the switch to the BUS BAR needing power burnt slowly. The user suspects that the wiring may have been reversed, causing the hot wire to connect incorrectly and create resistance, leading to overheating. The discussion emphasizes the potential danger of this situation and advises seeking professional help. An electrician is recommended for safety reasons, as remote troubleshooting is insufficient. Immediate action is necessary to prevent further hazards.
exp6
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
TL;DR Summary
MAIN BUS BAR wire to SWITCH burnt when switched ON and the other end of switch wire to the BUS BAR needing power slowly burnt.
Hello,

I am wondering why a wire that was connected from a MAIN BUS BAR to the top side of a switch and when turned ON burnt immediately and the wire connected from the bottom side of the switch to the BUS BAR needing power slowly burnt.

I'm thinking the wiring was reversed- Correct me but I think that the hot wire was connected to the side of the switch where power was supposed to go out and that causes the wire to heat up and it somehow bypassed the switch and was now feeding power on the other end of the switch and was slowly cooking the wire because there was resistance. Thank you!
 
Engineering news on Phys.org
exp6 said:
Summary:: MAIN BUS BAR wire to SWITCH burnt when switched ON and the other end of switch wire to the BUS BAR needing power slowly burnt.

Hello,

I am wondering why a wire that was connected from a MAIN BUS BAR to the top side of a switch and when turned ON burnt immediately and the wire connected from the bottom side of the switch to the BUS BAR needing power slowly burnt.

I'm thinking the wiring was reversed- Correct me but I think that the hot wire was connected to the side of the switch where power was supposed to go out and that causes the wire to heat up and it somehow bypassed the switch and was now feeding power on the other end of the switch and was slowly cooking the wire because there was resistance. Thank you!
Yikes! Please call an electrician right away. There is no way we can help you figure this out remotely. Thread is closed.
 
  • Like
Likes davenn
Hi all I have some confusion about piezoelectrical sensors combination. If i have three acoustic piezoelectrical sensors (with same receive sensitivity in dB ref V/1uPa) placed at specific distance, these sensors receive acoustic signal from a sound source placed at far field distance (Plane Wave) and from broadside. I receive output of these sensors through individual preamplifiers, add them through hardware like summer circuit adder or in software after digitization and in this way got an...
I have recently moved into a new (rather ancient) house and had a few trips of my Residual Current breaker. I dug out my old Socket tester which tell me the three pins are correct. But then the Red warning light tells me my socket(s) fail the loop test. I never had this before but my last house had an overhead supply with no Earth from the company. The tester said "get this checked" and the man said the (high but not ridiculous) earth resistance was acceptable. I stuck a new copper earth...
I am not an electrical engineering student, but a lowly apprentice electrician. I learn both on the job and also take classes for my apprenticeship. I recently wired my first transformer and I understand that the neutral and ground are bonded together in the transformer or in the service. What I don't understand is, if the neutral is a current carrying conductor, which is then bonded to the ground conductor, why does current only flow back to its source and not on the ground path...
Back
Top