Hopefully basic electrical question - warm outlets

[VAtransplant]

Hi guys,

This isn't really in my grow room as I'm inactive due to absolutely ridiculous summertime heat in the loft... focusing on keeping my ass cool downstairs even.

I have one 15A circuit that does my living room and bedroom. With the only load on this circuit being a brand new 10k btu (925w peak) window ac, I notice that one of the outlets in my bedroom is warm.. actually, hot to the touch. None of the outlets or cords of anything I attach to the other outlets on this same circuit in the living room (closest to electrical panel) are warm at all. The AC is in the bedroom and this outlet is also in the bedroom on the far wall. I think it's the last outlet downstream of the window AC's outlet.

Is this typical behavior, or should all of my outlets be getting hot if the pull on the 15a circuit is too much, not just downstream ones? I know the AC isn't malfunctioning, I just replaced a portable 11k btu, well over 1,000w max cooling.. also did the same- worse even.

I've done enough electrical work to turn off the breaker and replace the outlet safely should it be the culprit, I even have a couple brand new nice ones from previous projects. If the wiring is more likely the culprit then who knows what I'll do, I rent and landlord would likely take forever to fix. I have never liked the wiring in this house, 15a breakers suck and splitting one between the living room and bedroom is tough in the day of big screen tvs, playstations, surround sounds, laptops, modems, routers, etc. Also, half the outlets in the entire house do not support plugs (they sag when you plug something in to them and often do not work, or are unsafe with half of the prongs hanging out exposed.) He'd probably try to replace them all and I'd be in a motel for months.

Thanks for any tips!

 

[OrganicBuds]

Your overloading your circuit. Can you get a dedicated line to your ac unit?

 

[VAtransplant]

This is happening right now with everything on this circuit unplugged but the air conditioner. I bought a 12gauge heavy duty extension cable to run power from my 20a kitchen power for my television. 925watts shouldn't be overloading a 15a circuit? I've never tripped it before either.

When overloading is it common that the outlets downstream of that appliance are the warm ones? Again, ones in living room on that same circuit are cool to the touch. Complex was built in 1985..

 

[rives]

I take it that the a/c unit isn't plugged into this receptacle, but it is still getting hot? If that is the case, then you very likely have a loose connection on the back of the receptacle. The wiring is frequently daisy-chained from one receptacle to the next, so if you have a poor connection an intermediate receptacle will heat up.

There is also a good chance that cheap receptacles with spring-loaded back wiring were used. These are a recipe for disaster because there is no way to insure a decent connection, and they only get worse over time. If you replace the receptacle, get a commercial or specification grade with screw clamps for the wires.

If you are plugged into this receptacle and it is getting hot, then the spring tension for the electrodes is gone and it needs to be replaced. It should be a little difficult to insert the plug, and it should stay snug against the wall and not sag down from it's own weight.

 

[VAtransplant]

Hmm, so for whatever reason I was reading basically every thread in the grow safety forum and only three pages in I'm at 2012... and lo and behold, I see my name on a thread

Rives - thank you. You just answered my other question in design forum, and I apologize for not following up in this thread. I flipped the breaker and pulled the outlet. You were right, the outlets were installed with the push connectors on the back. It was most certainly a fire hazard, and if memory serves, one wire was scorched slightly or charred, as was part of the back of the outlet. Took three minutes to replace it with a high quality screw terminal outlet and the problem was remedied.

 

[Wicked1]

YES

YES

I take it that the a/c unit isn't plugged into this receptacle, but it is still getting hot? If that is the case, then you very likely have a loose connection on the back of the receptacle. The wiring is frequently daisy-chained from one receptacle to the next, so if you have a poor connection an intermediate receptacle will heat up.

There is also a good chance that cheap receptacles with spring-loaded back wiring were used. These are a recipe for disaster because there is no way to insure a decent connection, and they only get worse over time. If you replace the receptacle, get a commercial or specification grade with screw clamps for the wires.

If you are plugged into this receptacle and it is getting hot, then the spring tension for the electrodes is gone and it needs to be replaced. It should be a little difficult to insert the plug, and it should stay snug against the wall and not sag down from it's own weight.

Yes of course RIVES is correct here.
It is most likely because the wires are stab locked into the back of the receptacles and after time they become loose and start to arc. You have a big enough constant load that the arcing is enough now to cause heat and eventually a fire. Electricity is like water and will flow out at its weakest point.
What I would do to fix this is.....go down to Lowes and buy a box of the Cooper Tamper Resistent receptacles....Code now..."and a small bag of "Tanner Wire Nuts..so you have to have a bit of basic wiring knowledge, and hand skills, especially if you have half hots or switched receptacles as that would require you to snap off a tab on the HOT side of the receptacle to break the contact between both screws but NOT on the neutral side. Take your BLACK WIRES and strip them back and twist them together with about a 10" pigtail.....do the same with the WHITE/neutrals. Now twist the cap on the twisted wires. Now take the end of the pigtail and strip it at about 7" and put a hook on it. The screw goes to the RIGHT as you tighten it so make sure the hook open end is going in that direction. Now take your dikes and squeeze that loop shut a bit, now when you tighten the screw the loop will also tighten and make a great connection. Do this to all the plugs around the room and anywhere else you feel this needs to be done.
Now if have a RED wire attached on the same side as the BLACK wire, then it is most likely a switched receptacle...you follow the same procedure as above only this time there is a small tab above the screws that will snap off and break the continuity between the two screws.....break that off and put the RED on the TOP and BLACK on the BOTTOM and flip over the device and put a big black dot on the TOP Receptacle of the duplex to indicate it is a switch controlled receptacle.
This will reduce the heat significantly and is the way ALL connections should be made up but are not. I make every one of my connections like this instead of running the continuity through the devices. I used to do custom homes not production though.
Hope this helps.
Respects,
Wicky
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