outlet damage?

[csarm]

I had a radiant oil space heater plugged in like this: heater > surge protector > extension cord > outlet. I almost had a fire between the surge protector and the heater. I'll be throwing those units out (both were really old). But I'm concerned that this event may have damage the outlet. What could have caused this? How can I know whether the outlet is damaged or safe to use?

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

You didn't say what almost caused the fire - damaged cord, or was it a socket or plug on one of the devices?

The most common cause of overheated connections is being loose, either the wiring to the socket, or the metal fingers inside the socket losing their tension and causing a resistive connection. Lower on the list would be corrosion or other damage like a plug that's been flexed a lot and internal wire strands are broken.

I tested this just a couple weeks ago as I anticipated using a heater just like the one in your photo. I plugged it into the RV's bedroom outlet with a short appliance extension cord (not a basic lamp cord) and left it on high for about 15 minutes. I felt the connections to see which ones were warm, and none were more than barely warmer than when they were off. So I deemed the connections good enough and used this heater for several days, often running for hours straight without incident. You will see cautions with heaters to inspect plugs and sockets before using them, and if they are loose or appear overheated you stop right there. The only remedy is to replace the offending sockets or plugs, which is neither difficult or expensive.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[donn]

Pull the outlet out, throw it in the garbage and install a brand new one. The heater draws 15 amps max. If anything is loose, cord blades, socket, wiring etc will cause a lot on unwanted heat. Typical outlets found in m RVs are cheezy push on wiring connections. A couple of times at max and they will go loose. Quality outlets with screw terminals are 10 times better.

 

[Kirk]

I almost had a fire between the surge protector and the heater.

The answer to your question is difficult with the little bit you have shared. What does "almost had a fire" mean? Did the cord melt or start smoking? Did the surge protector get hot? The first thing is that if you were to read the safety notices of the heater you would find that it says to never use an extension cord of any kind. I suspect that your surge protector was one on an extension cord. The most probably cause of the heater cord melting would be the cord being damaged. It is also possible that the heater was damaged to cause it. While it isn't likely that your wall outlet was damaged or in any way involved in the problem, I still agree with donn's opinion that those outlets are cheap ones and much better can be had at any Lowe's or Home Depot for a few dollars. I would not buy the cheapest ones there either but plan to spend around $3 each.

 

[Isaac-1]

You don't say what sort of RV you have, but many / most use cheap SCD (self contianed device) outlets which are simply crimped onto a section of romex wiring using a special tool. In the best of times these things are marginal for carrying their rated 15 amp load, after a bit of wear, and less than perfect installation , overheating becomes a real issue.

 

[Skookum]

Ditto on the above comments. Don't use an extension cord with electric heaters, and definitely not two of them (the surge protector counts as one). The added length adds resistance and resistance = heat. Any loose connection at the plugs can create even more resistance.

Replace the outlet for good measure. It's a good chance to inspect the wiring coming into the outlet and re-terminate for good/safe connections.

 

[CharlesinGA]

Take that power strip/surge strip/extension cord and throw it away. Go to a box store and buy an APPLIANCE Extension cord. They usually have a right angle plug on them and are generally made with 14 gauge wire, sometimes 12 gauge. Use this and nothing else. Its best to use a heater that allows you to select a lower wattage, 800 or so, that won't heat up the cheesy RV outlets like a full 1500 watts of heater will.

Charles

 

[Ex-Calif]

I

Take that power strip/surge strip/extension cord and throw it away. Go to a box store and buy an APPLIANCE Extension cord. They usually have a right angle plug on them and are generally made with 14 gauge wire, sometimes 12 gauge. Use this and nothing else. Its best to use a heater that allows you to select a lower wattage, 800 or so, that won't heat up the cheesy RV outlets like a full 1500 watts of heater will.

Charles

I'd toss it simply because of the exposed fins. Get one with a casing around it and tip over protection. Unlikely that the fins would catch anything on fire but the hanging bedding behind it reminded me of a kerosene heater fire my brother and I had in our bedroom when we were kids.

We woke up and got out and our older brothers dragged the mattress and bedding out. That could have ended in disaster.

 

[CharlesinGA]

That heater is one of the oil filled units, actually very safe. Has a rod type heat element immersed in oil in the bottom and the hot oil rises, the cooled oil settles and re heats. Nothing extremely hot is exposed. I use a little ceramic space heater that has a 800 watt/1200 watt settings on it. I keep it on 800, cycles more but doesn't get as hot. My issue is to keep the load on the receptacle low so the plug, cord and receptacle do not heat up.

Charles