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| 2009-09-09_001_Rust_FirstSignOfTrouble.jpg |
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The electrical inspector spotted a problem.
Why is there a rust spot at the bottom of the circuit breaker box?
Also, drip marks down the back?
Where's the water coming from?
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| 2009-09-09_002_WaterResidueShowsDripsFromIncomingCable.jpg |
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Hmmm... Is that water residue on the cables INSIDE the sheathing
of the main power cable to the house? Is rain water trickling
down the inside of the cable directly into the breaker box?
Doesn't seem like a good thing...
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| 2009-09-09_003_PullOutBreakerToSeeWhereWaterWent.jpg |
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Let's pull out the top circuit breaker to see where the water is going...
Uh, oh! THAT doesn't look good! Where'd the rest of the breaker
go? Is that it MELTED to the hot bus bar? What's that black thing
stuck to the wall above the bus bar?
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| 2009-09-09_004_CloseUpOfExplodedCircuitBreaker.jpg |
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Wow! That breaker didn't just corrode and melt -- it actually
exploded!
The black thing stuck to the wall was a melted chunk of plastic from
the side of the breaker. Lucky the house didn't burn down...
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| 2010-01-25_WaterDrippingOffLeftLoop.jpg |
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Yeah, at a rainstorm later, there was water coming down
the inside of the cable into the breaker box and running
along the wires into the circuit breakers.
Only a temporary problem while the electric wire to the house
was hung from the chimney during the roof work, and didn't have
a proper "drip loop".
Once it was re-attached to the wall of the house, sheltered by the new
roof overhang, and with a drip loop, the problem was gone.
Fortunately, the electical inspector spotted it early and no
serious harm was done.
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| 2010-01-25_WaterDrippingOffRightLoop.jpg |
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Water dripping off the right side too
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| 2010-01-25_WaterDrippingOffRightWires.jpg |
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Water running down each wire to each circuit breaker
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| 2010-01-25_WaterDrippingOffRightWires2.jpg |
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| 2010-01-25_WaterPooledInBottomOfBox.jpg |
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Water pooled in the bottom of the box
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