NOTE: I DID NOT HAVE ANOTHER FIRE. I COULDN'T FIND MY ORIGINAL THREAD FROM A LONG TIME AGO SO INSTEAD OF BUMPING IT UP, I'M REPOSTING.
I had a fire due to an arcing fault on an el-cheapo powerstrip. I thought I had done everything correctly. I had drip-loops, I wasn't exceeding the parameters of the powerstrip, etc. However, it turns out that el-cheapo's are notorious for catching fire if there is a constant draw (think pumps, heaters). After my fire, I immediately went out and bought these.
Here is the offending Home Depot powerstrip.
Look at the insides of this cheap powerstrip and compare it to the insides of a quality powerstrip.
First off....I'm NOT AN ELECTRICIAN and I'm sure I'm describing this wrong. However, what some firemen and electricians explained to me is that when you use a cheap powerstrip that just operates by using three thin copper strips and you are plugging in something with a constant draw, you are at risk for an arching fault. This could be a pump, it could be a clock radio, a computer that is left running 24/7, etc. Apparently what happens is an oxidation occurs over time preventing current from flowing. When that happens in el-cheapo powerstrips, the current jumps (arcs) over the oxidation to an area where there is no oxidation. Eventually, this arcing causes the plastic to catch fire.
I was lucky to have insomnia that night. I hadn't changed the batteries in my downstairs smoke detector so it didn't go off. The only reason I investigated was because my lights were flickering. This fire actually cost me a small fortune because I had to spray every single surface in my basement with Kilz (not cheap) and repaint to get rid of the nasty smell. I also lost some livestock. Wiring my tank properly would have been much cheaper.
Quality powerstrips are worth it. In fact, after the fire, I went to GFCI outlets on a AFCI (Arc-Fault) circuit breaker. In fact, I had all of the equipment necessary for a professional wiring job sitting right there.....romex wire, GFCI outlets, a box to add a subpanel to my circuit breaker. A friend who was an electrician was going to wire it for free the following weekend.
I had a fire due to an arcing fault on an el-cheapo powerstrip. I thought I had done everything correctly. I had drip-loops, I wasn't exceeding the parameters of the powerstrip, etc. However, it turns out that el-cheapo's are notorious for catching fire if there is a constant draw (think pumps, heaters). After my fire, I immediately went out and bought these.
Here is the offending Home Depot powerstrip.
Look at the insides of this cheap powerstrip and compare it to the insides of a quality powerstrip.
First off....I'm NOT AN ELECTRICIAN and I'm sure I'm describing this wrong. However, what some firemen and electricians explained to me is that when you use a cheap powerstrip that just operates by using three thin copper strips and you are plugging in something with a constant draw, you are at risk for an arching fault. This could be a pump, it could be a clock radio, a computer that is left running 24/7, etc. Apparently what happens is an oxidation occurs over time preventing current from flowing. When that happens in el-cheapo powerstrips, the current jumps (arcs) over the oxidation to an area where there is no oxidation. Eventually, this arcing causes the plastic to catch fire.
I was lucky to have insomnia that night. I hadn't changed the batteries in my downstairs smoke detector so it didn't go off. The only reason I investigated was because my lights were flickering. This fire actually cost me a small fortune because I had to spray every single surface in my basement with Kilz (not cheap) and repaint to get rid of the nasty smell. I also lost some livestock. Wiring my tank properly would have been much cheaper.
Quality powerstrips are worth it. In fact, after the fire, I went to GFCI outlets on a AFCI (Arc-Fault) circuit breaker. In fact, I had all of the equipment necessary for a professional wiring job sitting right there.....romex wire, GFCI outlets, a box to add a subpanel to my circuit breaker. A friend who was an electrician was going to wire it for free the following weekend.
