Can you smell it yet......?

[pheonix]

Found this gem above the ceiling in an office in a well known supermarket today. Job came through as an emergency call as no lights in the office.

Hager Klik Box

• pheonix
• 14 Aug 2012
• 1

Smokin' !!

Popped a ceiling tile and smelt something before spotting a few wisps of smoke

This Klik box was being fed from the distribution board through an rcbo and was supplying the lights in the office. This particular box fed the office emergency lights with another adjacent Klik box feeding the normal lighting looped in. The white flex in the pic is wired to a pir sensor.

The screw on the melted terminal wasn't even tight

 

[mfarrow]

obviously the cause is that it was installed upside down...

 

[westie101]

Obviously a bit like a supermarket near here a few years ago.
Part refurbishment in the drinks section, a few weeks later just after the store closed on a Sunday a fire started in a lighting fitting, 12 hours later no supermarket!!

 

[ericmark]

I have found once heated up a screw tight in the threads becomes loose. So it is possible the screw was tightened but not onto the wires but into the threads either the screw slightly oversize or the nut under size. Even using torque screwdrivers will not overcome this problem.

It is easy to say it should be checked first but we rarely do. I have also come across loose screws in consumer units. This was caused because the store man placed the MCB's in the consumer unit and the electrician failed to check screws that he had not touched. Yes it does say on a new unit check all screws but how many of us do!

I was told it was to combat the problem with loose screws that the maintenance free spring connector was invented. With the first examples I can across I was not impressed. But they have improved and I would expect had they been used with the box shown it would not have failed.

To my mind it's simply tug on each wire to ensure connections. However with MCB's onto bus bar that does not work. OK sure we could use heat sensors and have a re-visit system so any missed screws are found but there is a cost and I can't see that happening.

 

[Spark123]

Obviously a bit like a supermarket near here a few years ago.
Part refurbishment in the drinks section, a few weeks later just after the store closed on a Sunday a fire started in a lighting fitting, 12 hours later no supermarket!!

Was that the Safeways or the Morrisons fire?