outlet made a pop, spark, tripped breaker-need to fix

louisemr · 06-13-2007, 06:17 PM

I know i will be getting a LOT of use from this forum-yipee!

I own a home that, were it a dog, I would shoot it as a mercy killing. However, I cannot so I must fix EVERYTHING, including moving the breaker box (yes, folks the breaker box) from the backsplash of the counter four feet from the sink.
More immediately, I need to replace an outlet wired with 14/2 WG that made a loud pop, tripped the breaker and arced when manipulated. When I investigated, found the connections behind/to this outlet (which runs out to a light switch and light as well) were...odd, and the black (hot?) wire and it's receptacle within the outlet were burned. I have removed the outlet and will replace with a new one. It had been wired to the outlet so the screw clamps in the back and the screws on the side were utilized to ensure all wires were connected. The two grounds had been twisted together but since my rommate took it apart, I am not certain where their final destination was.
How do I route this so that the light/ceiling fan and the wall switch can be powered from the line coming from the outlet in a safe manner?

johnny331 · 06-13-2007, 08:58 PM

you'll have to call the POCO to shut off your service (or pull the meter) to kill the power to the breaker box. I actually just did that over the weekend. It cost $200 for the same-day shutoff, free to turn it back on (including a new service run).

That being said... your breaker box is 4 feet from your sink???? I don't get it...

Just be safe, and don't bite off more than you can chew. A good rule of thumb is that if you don't know "where the final destination" of a wire is, you may want to acquire the help of a pro, or at the very least, a buddy with some real knowledge.

there should be a powered 14/2 line coming in. the white passes through the switch box to the light. The black (hot) needs to goto the switch, then the other side out to the light. The grounds should all be connected together.