Check your home electrical connections, friends

[godfodder0901]

Just a PSA about resetting breakers. As an engineer, it's almost a cardinal sin to reset a tripped breaker without finding out what tripped the breaker. It's best to investigate what caused the breaker to trip before trying to reset it. The breaker is made to be the "weak link" within the circuit in a electrical fault scenario. You never know if it will still remain that way after resetting it. Don't become a Mr. Melty yourself.

As a Navy electrician we had a rule. If a breaker breaks, reset it. If it breaks again, fix it.

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[Dark-Fx]

As a Navy electrician we had a rule. If a breaker breaks, reset it. If it breaks again, fix it.

This is the way. Nuisance trips happen. If they happen repeatedly, then it's not a nuisance trip. Of course if there are multiple people in the cabinet, they all need to know the breaker was reset once already though.

 

[HaveBlue]

Also check all the breakers in your panel as well as neutrals. Make sure the neutrals are landed on the neutral bar and not the ground bar if you have two. The service neutral GC will be attached directly to the neutral bar. Make sure each neutral is alone under a post. Evse units are fickle and can detect some weird stuff, which is good. I had to add another ground rod to keep from getting errors on my Autel unit.

 

[Eeyore]

Another thing to consider when tightening the lugs on stranded wire. After initial tightening, the wire needs to be wiggled. This will help seat the strands and you should be able to get another 1/4 to 1/2 turn on the lug.

Also, if you have aluminum wire, it needs to be coated with an anti-oxidant. When applying the anti-oxidant, put a little on the threads of the lug. It will help you get the proper torque.

 

[Magicbus]

A couple weeks ago our lights and toaster oven started turning off and on. I realized we had lost a leg of the power feed to the house. The power company responded quickly and traced it to the main breaker by our meter. After 25 years in salt air the connection had corroded and loosened. Our electrician tightened it but will be back with a new breaker to pull the meter and clean everything up.

What's interesting is that because we have solar I'm pretty aware of our power consumption, and I've been telling my wife it feels like we're using a lot more juice than in the past. I'm guessing this was a contributing factor.

 

[Rivian Owner]

Another note on torque wrenches/screwdrivers, quality matters. Cheap Amazon junk may not be well calibrated which defeats the whole practice of using such a device. Spend the money on a quality tool from a reputable company.

 

[AO_Pete]

Can confirm. This is the aftermath of two chargers (one each side of a shared wall). Neither would charge, although they were both green until they tried. Mr Melty got close to Mr Burny. All fixed now, and no damage to the chargers.

 

[Joules Burn]

Another note on torque wrenches/screwdrivers, quality matters. Cheap Amazon junk may not be well calibrated which defeats the whole practice of using such a device. Spend the money on a quality tool from a reputable company.

Not bad advice. I have found that lower level drivers are spoty, but they are "accurate" at the top end - where it is necessary - not necessarily at lower levels where we don't care.

 

[2kwik4u]

Mr. Melty would be a good name for a grilled cheese restaurant.

I would eat there.

Although the tomato soup to go with it could have some interesting implications for naming.

 

[Rivian Owner]

Not bad advice. I have found that lower level drivers are spoty, but they are "accurate" at the top end - where it is necessary - not necessarily at lower levels where we don't care.

I guess I look at what the better calibrated tool cost is vs my house going up in flames when I justify the purchase of a more accurate tool. It becomes a no brainer when I do the analysis.

 

[mudito]

PSA - reminder for everyone to do a check-up on your EVSE infrastructure if you've got it at your house.

Some of you will recall I had Mr Melty (electrician used a residential-grade NEMA 14-50 the first time. which subsequently melted in the wall), and the concerns put out by Munroe et. al. regarding breakers frying because of loose connectors or not being rated for continuous 40+ amp draw.

So - 3 nights ago, the breaker on my EVSE blew immediately after the charge schedule initiated at midnight. In the morning, I tried again - blew within 5 minutes. I didn't have time to debug leading up to NYE so I just charged at public infrastructure until today.

Took a look at the breaker, and the lugs were absolutely loosened up, presumably from heat cycles and time. A quick crank-down and it's been running at full-tilt for the last 30 minutes.

TL;DR - do a once/year checkup on your electrical connections for your EVSE so nothing gets melty.

One thing to add. There are certain torque specs for breakers and connections. Respect those AND give it a quick re-tighten about 90 days after installation. That should do the trick for the long-haul.

I used to be an electrician another life ago (back in Argentina, not licensed in the US) but I still do all my high-voltage/high-power connections at home myself, even installing my own Battery Backup system and inverters, all custom and DIY.

So... trust me Torque and 90-day check and you should be good.

High-current circuits make the wiring and connections vibrate and that + heat cycle is what can play against you.

 

[Joules Burn]

I guess I look at what the better calibrated tool cost is vs my house going up in flames when I justify the purchase of a more accurate tool. It becomes a no brainer when I do the analysis.

Or you can just crank it until it will not go anymore - which I found to be 70+

 

[godfodder0901]

Or you can just crank it until it will not go anymore - which I found to be 70+

This is not good advice. Over torquing can be just as bad as under torquing.

 

[Zoidz]

Or you can just crank it until it will not go anymore - which I found to be 70+

This is not good advice. Over torquing can be just as bad as under torquing.

Crank it until it won't turn any more - what could possibly go wrong?

Plenty.

Deformed conductors and/or terminals resulting in less electrical surface contact, terminals and/or plastic barriers that crack down the road during normal expansion and contraction, 60 cycle vibration breaking a stressed part, etc.

 

[Joules Burn]

Crank it until it won't turn any more - what could possibly go wrong?

Plenty.

Deformed conductors and/or terminals resulting in less electrical surface contact, terminals and/or plastic barriers that crack down the road during normal expansion and contraction, 60 cycle vibration breaking a stressed part, etc.

If you can torque much more than 70 lbs with a "screwdriver", remind me not to arm wrestle you.

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