Space Heater Plug Melted- Why?Īnything that increases the resistance, not to mention the amount of electricity the space heater is drawing, can cause the plug and outlet to melt. You can either fix the loose connections or replace the outlet, depending on the severity of the problem. But if it fails to respond, an outlet with loose connections could start a fire. A circuit breaker is supposed to defend against such issues. Loose connections are just as dangerous in outlets as they are in plugs. Do not use that wall outlet to operate additional appliances. Even if the power strip is powerful enough to safely operate the space heater, plug the appliance directly into a wall outlet. This can happen with consumers that rely heavily on power strips.įirst of all, do not use a power strip to operate a space heater. If your space heater is just one appliance among many that have been plugged into the same outlet, the outlet will overheat because you have overloaded it. Sometimes, a single appliance is not at fault. But the cost is worth it to protect the inhabitants of your home. If you have an older home, this process may cost you a lot of money. The obvious solution is to replace the wiring as well as the outlets. Besides increasing the resistance, worn-out wiring can cause arcing, especially when you have a powerful appliance like a space heater. Outlets in older homes are more likely to overheat because the wiring is equally old, which means that it is worn out. If the space heater is plugged into an outlet, and that outlet is getting hot, you have to identify the cause before you can resolve it, for instance: 1). What To Do If A Space Heater Causes Outlet To Get Hot?
Space heaters should only concern you if the plug is so hot that you cannot hold it for more than a few seconds without getting burned. To generate the heat you require, they have to draw a lot of electricity, which means that the plug and even the cord (in some cases) cannot avoid becoming warm. Space heaters are special because they are powerful. The amount of heat lost will depend on the resistance. When a current passes through a conductor, some of that electricity is going to go to waste as heat. Is it Normal For A Heater Plug To Get Hot?Ī lot of people complain that their space heater plugs are hot when, in truth, they are simply warm. This will lead to overheating in the long run. The prongs of the plug can corrode over time, developing rust or other deposits whose presence will increase the resistance. However, every once in a while, an appliance accidentally receives a cable that is either defective or the wrong gauge. Manufacturers always ensure that the cables attached to their space heaters are strong enough to safely carry all the power the appliances need. The increase in resistance will cause the cable and the plug to overheat. Defective CableĪccording to Let’s Fix It, if the cable connecting the appliance to the plug is too small, it will struggle to transmit all the electricity that the space heater needs. A short circuit can also increase the amount of electricity the space heater is using which, in turn, increases the amount of current being wasted as heat. In some cases, the fault lies, not with a loose connection in the plug or outlet but a short circuit in the space heater. This will increase the amount of electricity being wasted as heat, causing the plug to become so hot that you cannot touch it without being burned.
Loose connectionĪ loose connection will increase the resistance, forcing the space heater to draw even more current to meet its demands. It can also become hot because of a short circuit, loose connections in the plug or outlet, worn-out wiring, an outlet with damaged contacts, etc.īut if the plug has become too hot to even touch, you can blame one or more of the following factors: 1). Why Do Space Heater Plugs Get Hot?Ī space heater plug gets hot because it draws a lot of electricity. But what happens when the space heater plug gets hot? Can you continue using the space heater or are you better off unplugging the appliance? Is it even safe to unplug a space heater with a warm plug? The answers to these questions are important because they may save your life.
Space heaters are lifesavers during winter.
0 kommentar(er)
