Wife was complaining that my UPS in the garage kept making a clunking sound and then the lights would flicker.
So I went down and watched, and sure enough the lights would flicker and the UPS would clunk. Looking over the voltages I would see a 20v drop and then it would come back. I happen to have a UPS on the 2nd leg of our box so I watched that one, and the voltage never shifted.
Turned off the breaker box, pulled the cover, pulled the breaker in question. boom, clearly it was a corroded contact causing higher resistance, and heat, and causing brownouts.
$8 later were back up and running, and I can sleep safer knowing at least THAT breaker is not going to start a fire.
Isn’t it nice when the breakers, the things supposed to protect you from a fire, are the ones potentially trying to start one? But yeah, that sucks.
I’ve heard people talk about replacing them after x number of years for this, also some folks talk about replacing electrical receptacles every 20-30 years too, as it’s rated for that lifespan in your walls. I happen to be replacing mine as I go to change the color, but honestly mine are all 26 years old and I’m not sweating.
if inserting a plug feels loose or if they fall out then it needs to be replaced. Otherwise its probably ok, but yes they do have a lifespan. I updated every switch and every plug in my last house because it was from the 1950’s.
Backstabbed receptacles are everywhere in my current house, they have all been loose when I went to replace them with modern style. That’s a house fire waiting to happen.
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umm… no. Because if its loose that means the internal springs have worn out and are not firmly holding the blades on the plug. You can try a different plug and see if its just as loose in the receptacle but if it is, then you need to replace! Now i will make exceptions for Christmas lights because the blades on those are so thin and weak they often require adjustment.