napstur OP t1_it376ac wrote
Reply to comment by tshawkins in Power outlets have a faint smell. by napstur
This has been plugged in for days though, I would have thought a smell from initially plugging it in would fade away and not still be there?
silverbullet52 t1_it3skye wrote
If there are any pigtails in the junction box (wirenuts) undo them and re-do them to make sure there is a good connection. Could be getting some minor arcing or a high resistance contact if they're not solid.
frollard t1_it4a28r wrote
In addition to this, double check there isn't aluminum wiring mixed with other non-aluminum stuff; the thermal expansion is different between Al and other metals Cu/Brass, etc, causing joints to weaken over time. Once loose they arc routinely with any vibrations in the house, getting looser and looser with time, eventually becoming a fire hazard.
Dakine_Lurker t1_it4b59i wrote
I just had to address this in my place. Expensive mess but I’ll sleep better now. If anyone is wondering I opted to use the AlumiConn connectors. Best I could do without opening up more walls and ceilings.
obi-sean t1_it4doth wrote
Every time I open up a fixture or outlet in my house I remediate the mixed-metal wiring with AlumiConn connectors. They're kind of expensive and a hassle to get crammed back into the box, but it's a hell of a lot better than spending $??,000 to rewire the whole house, and it's supposedly a permanent remediation method.
Not a shill, just a guy who bought a house from an idiot.
Dakine_Lurker t1_it4easi wrote
Lol. Must have been the same idiot I bought from. I do know that I no longer have any aluminum in outlet, switch, or light junction boxes. We rewired the bulk of the house when we purchased it. Which leads me to believe the aluminum wiring I found in a wall I was demoing recently is connected to copper in the attic (I contracted out the attic and main panel work). Guess I need to get up there with another box of these connectors.
Bldaz t1_it4ct62 wrote
Unless you are used to doing this id advise against that. Some older homes are aluminum wiring. You need to add certain wire nuts as well as looking for burnt wires.
psaux_grep t1_it4t728 wrote
Get someone to check it out. Electrical fires are dangerous.
A friend of mine had faux tiles put on the wall above his kitchen counter, but the sockets weren’t moved out to the new surface, but kept recessed. The cover was put back on.
Now he got arcing between one of the phases and ground on the inside of the cover due to the small gap that was created.
For him it triggered the RCD. In an old house you might not be so lucky.
To put it this way, I’ve never noticed Ozone smell from a properly working socket.
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