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Wed, Sep 30, 09 at 23:50
| OK, so I examined a duplex outlet installed in a floor and discovered something interesting and dangerous. The outlet was not contained in an electrical box of any kind, but was installed in a hole dug into the wood. Also, the BX armored cable remained below the floor with the black and white wires fed through another hole drilled through the wood. Now this person installed a short jumper wire from the green ground screw to the neutral (silver) terminal of the outlet (I don't know why, but I assume that made the metal of the outlet casing and the metal cover live).
The outlet showed some damage due to arcing in the past and a portion of it appeared to have been blown off. Question: How much of a fire and shock hazard do you think this was? |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| Well, it sounds like it's totally illegal and dangerous, and you're lucky that no one has been injured. This neeeds to be de-energized and done properly done or removed completely. The bigger issue is: What other wiring in the house was done by this lunatic and what other dangers exist? |
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| The problems with that setup are 1. No box. Must be a floor rated box. 2. Illegal ground hookup. Very dangerous |
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| Question: "How much of a fire and shock hazard do you think this was?" Answer: Keep the marshmallows and wienies handy. |
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