Burnt pin on plug

[Gerry24]

Had a call out to look at a burnt 3 pin plug on a convection heater. Just a standard 1363 plug with a 13 A fuse. The line pin was burnt. The customer had removed the cable from the plug so couldn't check to see if a loose connection. Cable seemed fine, no scorching or melted insulation. Checked socket, also fine no loose connections etc. However the heater had been plugged into a digital timer at the time of the fault although the timer still seemed to be working OK. Any ideas what could have caused the fault?

 

[Rockingit]

I remember having it beaten in to me as a fresh faced apprentice by my chief that if it needed more than a 10A fuse then it needed one of the big chunky MK plugs with the eye-screw terminals and 2.5mm flex, just to be sure there was enough copper in the connection.

Can't say that I've ever had one come back.

 

[WDMDL]

I like those. Solid engineering!
I knew someone a few years back who had a VERY large single phase compressor wired to one in an industrial unit.
The socket was an MK Metal clad.
The running current on the motor plate was about 20A, so out of curiosity I had a look at what the fuse rating was.
A length of 1/4inch brass rod!
Never got warm though...

Simon.

 

[ruston]

I like those. Solid engineering!
I knew someone a few years back who had a VERY large single phase compressor wired to one in an industrial unit.
The socket was an MK Metal clad.
The running current on the motor plate was about 20A, so out of curiosity I had a look at what the fuse rating was.
A length of 1/4inch brass rod!
Never got warm though...

Simon.

Or usually a couple of wraps of mig wire lol.