UK Melted Plug and Socket cause

[zerozero7]

Hi all,
Washing machine plug and socket melted around Neutral pin. Whilst removing socket faceplate, noticed one brown wire was not in the terminal. May have come out of the terminal when pulling the socket forward or may have been out all the time.
Is this lose or disconnected live cable the 'definate' cause of the overheating on the neutral pin?
Thanks, Gary

 

[freddo]

You have replaced the dryer plug haven't you? You're not still using the old damaged one?!!

 

[jace999]

I don’t know if it was mentioned earlier, but is this a moulded on plug, or one that’s been put on?

It may be that the connections inside the plug are loose, rather than the wall socket.

Its a moulded plug on the dryer.The actual dryer plug didnt get hot it was plugged into an extension cable.It was the feed into the extension plug ,the plug and socket ,that got very very hot.That was why I asked if the dryer itself can disrupt voltage flow somehow.Excuse non tech terms.just an unqualified bod trying to work it out.The extension cable itself is a mega tough bit of kit.Not from b and q.?

 

[Avo Mk8]

Its a moulded plug on the dryer.The actual dryer plug didnt get hot it was plugged into an extension cable.It was the feed into the extension plug ,the plug and socket ,that got very very hot.That was why I asked if the dryer itself can disrupt voltage flow somehow.Excuse non tech terms.just an unqualified bod trying to work it out.The extension cable itself is a mega tough bit of kit.Not from b and q.?

Two possibilities
1) The extension cable is not adequately rated (despite its claims!) - or maybe faulty. It does look the part, but can't really see the csa of the conductors.
2) There is a fault with the dryer, though if there was, you might expect the dryer plug itself to also be getting hot (eg if the fuse was warming up), but you say it was OK.

 

[jace999]

Two possibilities
1) The extension cable is not adequately rated (despite its claims!) - or maybe faulty. It does look the part, but can't really see the csa of the conductors.
2) There is a fault with the dryer, though if there was, you might expect the dryer plug itself to also be getting hot (eg if the fuse was warming up), but you say it was OK.

You are right to consider all possibilities. Maybe the heating up this time was unconnected with the original issue.All will be revealed tomorrow.A sparky will come galloping over the hill with assorted tech stuff and will sort it out.It was terrifyingly swift and potentially deadly whatever happened.Left unattended it would have been a house fire.

 

[Avo Mk8]

Left unattended it would have been a house fire.

There I would disagree with you, I don't believe there would. To get their product approvals to be sold legitimately, the materials of both the plug, and the socket on the wall, will have passed a glow-wire test to demonstrate they won't support combustion. So although there may be loads of melted plastic and a horrible smell, there shouldn't be flames to create a house fire.

 

[telectrix]

There I would disagree with you, I don't believe there would. To get their product approvals to be sold legitimately, the materials of both the plug, and the socket on the wall, will have passed a glow-wire test to demonstrate they won't support combustion. So although there may be loads of melted plastic and a horrible smell, there shouldn't be flames to create a house fire.

unless there's flammable material/s close to the socket.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

It's possible but unlikely that the dryer is taking too much current. If it did, because it would be producing proportionately more heat, the most likely symptom would be that the dryer overheated, not the plug. And it has various thermal cutouts and limit stats to prevent that happening.