A/C plug gets too hot

[nbj]

The A/C plug for my 10.000 BTU unit has started to get too hot. It ha
damaged two surge protectors in as many days. I noticed rge proble
after a recent power outage we had in the area a few days ago. The plu
is molded in and the wire is direcrly connected to the wall unit.
Can I just replace the plug? Will it be safe to d so?

Please help

 

[mc]

The A/C plug for my 10.000 BTU unit has started to get too hot. It has
damaged two surge protectors in as many days. I noticed rge problem
after a recent power outage we had in the area a few days ago. The plug
is molded in and the wire is direcrly connected to the wall unit.
Can I just replace the plug? Will it be safe to d so?

Please help!

It is much safer to replace it than not to! If the plug itself does not
have corrosion that you could clean off, then there's probably a near-break
in the wires inside it. YOUR HOUSE WILL BURN DOWN IF YOU KEEP USING IT. DO
NOT USE IT UNTIL IT'S FIXED.

 

[nbj]

"nbj" [email protected] wrote in message

The A/C plug for my 10.000 BTU unit has started to get too hot. I
has
damaged two surge protectors in as many days. I noticed rge problem
after a recent power outage we had in the area a few days ago. Th
plug
is molded in and the wire is direcrly connected to the wall unit.
Can I just replace the plug? Will it be safe to d so?

Please help!-

It is much safer to replace it than not to! If the plug itself doe
not
have corrosion that you could clean off, then there's probably
near-break
in the wires inside it. YOUR HOUSE WILL BURN DOWN IF YOU KEEP USIN
IT. DO
NOT USE IT UNTIL IT'S FIXED.

Thank you! Yes, I HAVE unplugged it for now. I do not see an
corrosion on the plug, but there are tell tale signs on the plu
itself, like burn marks near the metallic part (the correct ter
escapes me!), and the wire closer to the plug gets hot and soft a
well. Can replacing the plug be a SAFE solution, or will it still carr
some danger with it? How do I fix it if there is a near break in th
wires inside

 

[[email protected]]

Thank you! Yes, I HAVE unplugged it for now. I do not see any
corrosion on the plug, but there are tell tale signs on the plug
itself, like burn marks near the metallic part (the correct term
escapes me!), and the wire closer to the plug gets hot and soft as
well. Can replacing the plug be a SAFE solution, or will it still carry
some danger with it? How do I fix it if there is a near break in the
wires inside?

If it's a plug you can open up, then when you open it it'll be ovbiou
where the problem is from the most burnt places. I expect one of the
conductors inside is corroded or loose. You might be able to just
tighten up the little screws if a conductor is loose, or if it's
corroded cut a few cm off the wire and put the plug back on. If the
plug is damaged in any way other than being discoloured, then take it
off and fit a new plug - remember to put the same rated fuse in (If
you're in a country with fuses in the plug like the UK). If in doubt
if the conductors in the wire themself is broken the safe thing to do
is to cut a few cm off the end, and re strip the wires. If you don't
know how to fit a plug, try a step-by-step guide from google.

Thanks

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

Thank you! Yes, I HAVE unplugged it for now. I do not see any
corrosion on the plug, but there are tell tale signs on the plug
itself, like burn marks near the metallic part (the correct term
escapes me!), and the wire closer to the plug gets hot and soft as
well. Can replacing the plug be a SAFE solution, or will it still carry
some danger with it? How do I fix it if there is a near break in the
wires inside?

If the plug is damaged, you need to have the outlet replaced as
well. It may have been what caused the damage to the existing plug. I
ran into an air conditioner where it was used with an approved A/C
extension cord. There was excess plastic in the socket that only let one
side make contact. This made the connection run warm and melted the
plastic, which corroded the connection and fused the two connectors
together. If I hadn't found it and made proper repairs, there would
have been another electrical fire. I've lost two different breaker
boxes in the last eight years. One had the ground buss bar burn, and the
other box had the main breaker burn free of one of the two 120 VAC line
buss bars. Both were installed by licensed electricians and inspected
by the county, and a home inspection service before I bought the
property.


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

 

[mc]

Thank you! Yes, I HAVE unplugged it for now. I do not see any

corrosion on the plug, but there are tell tale signs on the plug
itself, like burn marks near the metallic part (the correct term
escapes me!), and the wire closer to the plug gets hot and soft as
well. Can replacing the plug be a SAFE solution, or will it still carry
some danger with it? How do I fix it if there is a near break in the
wires inside?

A properly replaced plug is safe. (Make sure you know which wire goes to
which prong; you can use an ohmmeter on the old plug and the cut-off wire to
verify this.) Simply cut off the wire far enough away from the original
plug to get past the break. Can you identify the exact spot that the heat
is coming from?

 

[lsmartino]

Michael A. Terrell ha escrito:

If the plug is damaged, you need to have the outlet replaced as
well. It may have been what caused the damage to the existing plug. I
ran into an air conditioner where it was used with an approved A/C
extension cord. There was excess plastic in the socket that only let one
side make contact. This made the connection run warm and melted the
plastic, which corroded the connection and fused the two connectors
together. If I hadn't found it and made proper repairs, there would
have been another electrical fire. I've lost two different breaker
boxes in the last eight years. One had the ground buss bar burn, and the
other box had the main breaker burn free of one of the two 120 VAC line
buss bars. Both were installed by licensed electricians and inspected
by the county, and a home inspection service before I bought the
property.

What brand were the burnt breaker boxes? Were they "Federal Pacific" by
chance?

 

[default]

It could be the plug / socket or any other NODE where it ties into down the
line.....including the fuse / breaker itself which may be ready to give out
but not quite yet. If the breaker of fuse is hot too, thats a good sign.

Copper wire does corrode after time , and I have seen the oxidization turn
black under right conditions and work itself around each part of the wire
that is twisted onto each other. It will actually insulate the 2 wires from
each other if left unnoticed, and it will get hot the more current is drawn
from the faulty node. This seems to happen more often in older homes where
they used the old cloth electrical tape, but I expect if a repair is done by
a layman who dont follow codes, anythings possible. It may work fine for
years, then burn down the home as others have warned.

 

[William R. Walsh]

Hi!

Can I just replace the plug? Will it be safe to d so?

Absolutely! I'd heartily recommend doing so.

Buy a plug of sufficient size for the unit. Any hardware store should have
what you need. Assuming it's a 120 volt model, a 120 volt plug rated for 15
amps is usually sufficient. Having just recently put a new plug on my 120
volt 1991-era Kenmore 12,000 BTU unit, I think you'll be fine with a 15A
plug. That's what my unit calls for on the informational plate inside...

Clip off the old plug and destroy it. (You don't want someone coming along
and plugging it in to a live outlet. They could hurt themselves badly.)
Strip the wires back and separate them to give yourself enough room to work,
and then install them in the plug (pay attention to wire color).

I would also recommend plugging your air conditioner directly into the wall.
Surges shouldn't bother it that much. If they are, I suspect you're having
more trouble with your wiring or the outlet being able to provide sufficient
power for the air conditioner.

William

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

Michael A. Terrell ha escrito:


What brand were the burnt breaker boxes? Were they "Federal Pacific" by
chance?

They were both Square "D", but the two different electricians didn't
use any contact lube to prevent corrosion. One box was pole mounted
outside, and the other was 10 inches from the floor in an un-insulated
outside wall, so both got a fair amount of condensation. The house was
owned by midgets, and everything was mounted well below code height.


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

 

[nbj]

Thank you! Yes, I HAVE unplugged it for now. I do not see any-
corrosion on the plug, but there are tell tale signs on the plug
itself, like burn marks near the metallic part (the correct term
escapes me!), and the wire closer to the plug gets hot and soft as
well. Can replacing the plug be a SAFE solution, or will it stil
carry
some danger with it? How do I fix it if there is a near break in the
wires inside?-

A properly replaced plug is safe. (Make sure you know which wire goe
to
which prong; you can use an ohmmeter on the old plug and the cut-of
wire to
verify this.) Simply cut off the wire far enough away from th
original
plug to get past the break. Can you identify the exact spot that th
heat
is coming from?

Almost the entire wire gets hot within minutes and the circuit breake
in the surge protector trips. (the cheaper ones can be reset and use
again, but the more expensive ones were copletely lost!). By the way,
am in the US so I guess the "fuse in the plug" part does not apply t
me. How do I select the right plug to replace the old one. The socke
seems to be fine because other things are working fine with it.

Thanks to ALL of you for your help

 

[Puckdropper]

I would also recommend plugging your air conditioner directly into the
wall. Surges shouldn't bother it that much. If they are, I suspect
you're having more trouble with your wiring or the outlet being able
to provide sufficient power for the air conditioner.

William

Wouldn't an air conditioner more likely be the SOURCE of a surge rather
than the recipient?

Puckdropper

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

Almost the entire wire gets hot within minutes and the circuit breaker
in the surge protector trips. (the cheaper ones can be reset and used
again, but the more expensive ones were copletely lost!). By the way, I
am in the US so I guess the "fuse in the plug" part does not apply to
me. How do I select the right plug to replace the old one. The socket
seems to be fine because other things are working fine with it.

Thanks to ALL of you for your help.

The plugs are current rated, by NEMA type. You have to select the
same NEMA type plug for a replacement, but it is foolish to not replace
the outlet if the plug is damaged. On the other hand, it is your life
to lose in a house fire because you wouldn't spend a couple dollars to
replcae a defective outlet. If the insurance compnay finds out, they
won't have to pay for any fire damage, after the fact.

<https://www.hubbellnet.com/max_htm/tech_stuff/NEMA/front.html>


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

 

[mc]

Almost the entire wire gets hot within minutes and the circuit breaker

in the surge protector trips. (the cheaper ones can be reset and used
again, but the more expensive ones were copletely lost!). By the way, I
am in the US so I guess the "fuse in the plug" part does not apply to
me. How do I select the right plug to replace the old one. The socket
seems to be fine because other things are working fine with it.

This is a job for an appliance repairman.

 

[mc]

This is a job for an appliance repairman.

Or rather an electrician, since the wall outlet is also suspect.

 

[AZ Nomad]

The A/C plug for my 10.000 BTU unit has started to get too hot. It has
damaged two surge protectors in as many days. I noticed rge problem
after a recent power outage we had in the area a few days ago. The plug
is molded in and the wire is direcrly connected to the wall unit.
Can I just replace the plug? Will it be safe to d so?

Please help!

Quit using a "surge protector". I very much doubt you have one rated
to carry the current of the airconditioning unit. Also, the AC unit
has no fragile electronics and the surge protector will introduce resistance.

If the plug still heats up, replace it.
Keep in mind that you might have a AC unit that is dying and that is
pulling too much current for the wiring.

 

[James Sweet]

The A/C plug for my 10.000 BTU unit has started to get too hot. It has
damaged two surge protectors in as many days. I noticed rge problem
after a recent power outage we had in the area a few days ago. The plug
is molded in and the wire is direcrly connected to the wall unit.
Can I just replace the plug? Will it be safe to d so?

Please help!

Replace the plug with a heavy duty commercial grade plug, also don't
plug it into a surge protector, plug it straight into an outlet and if
it doesn't fit firmly replace the outlet with a commercial grade one as
a lot of houses are built with cheap contractor grade crap.

 

[mc]

Replace the plug with a heavy duty commercial grade plug, also don't plug

it into a surge protector, plug it straight into an outlet and if it
doesn't fit firmly replace the outlet with a commercial grade one as a lot
of houses are built with cheap contractor grade crap.

Good advice. A 10,000 BTU, 120-volt air conditioner will pull 10 to 15
amps, which is near the maximum that a well-built wall outlet and plug are
designed to handle. (Maximum is 15 or 20 amps depending on type of outlet
and wiring behind it.) The surge protector is designed for things that draw
much less current, such as a computer drawing 2 amps, and should not be
involved; it's just another place for things to go wrong.

 

[tomh]

Check the current/wattage rating on your "surge protector". I suspect
the reason you're blowing them up is they are not rated for the current.
A 10,000 BTU unit will pull a fair amount of current, particularly if
it's an older unit, not an "Energy Star" type. That also could be why
the plug is getting hot if the receptacle in the surge protector is not
rated for that kind of load.
If it is a bad plug, replacing it with the proper type, 20A, from the
hardware store is OK, if you know what you're doing. But if you're not
electrically savvy, like plugging a BIG AC unit into a surge protector
meant for a 300W computer, seek some help!

 

[Michael Kennedy]

Are you talking about a power strip surge protector? These are usually rated
for less than 10 amps and I'm farily confident that your AC uses at least
that much current. That is probably your problem if you are using a power
strip.

- Mike