What Would Cause an Electrical Outlet to Melt?

You depend on your electrical outlets to plug in household appliances and devices. However sometimes things malfunction and then other problems may arise. The answer is to call one of our electricians in Lowell, MI as soon as possible. Wall outlets may melt due to defective wiring or loose connections.

How Electrical Outlets Work

Inside your electrical outlets are metal clamps designed to hold the prongs of a plug in place. Only when you insert a plug does the outlet discharge electricity. The problem arises when the outlet discharges electricity but there’s nothing plugged in.

When this happens, you may smell something burning from your wall outlet. Later, you may see melting around the receptacle. Continue reading to learn what else would cause an electrical outlet to melt.

Why Electrical Outlets Sometimes Melt

Your electrical outlet may have melted due to an overloaded circuit. Worn out wires or the wrong wire size can also melt your electrical outlet. This is why it’s so important to hire one of our licensed electricians when you need electrical work done. Our electrical contractors always use the correct wires for the job.

Overloaded circuits and defective wires may cause sparks and overheating which causes outlets to melt, but it can also damage the surrounding area and other property. This is how electrical fires can start which can have a potentially devastating impact on one’s home and life.

Overloaded Circuit

A circuit is a path electricity travels throughout your home to power devices. Your home also has circuit breakers in an electrical panel as a safety measure. Circuit breakers trip when the demand for electricity exceeds the circuit’s capacity. This prevents an electrical fire from starting in your home.

Circuits can get overloaded when you plug in too many electrical devices. Yet, we use more electricity now than what the average household used 50 years ago. As the years pass, we expect the demand for electricity to only increase. If your circuit breaker trips often, we may recommend upgrading the electrical panel.

Defective Wiring

Defective wiring is one of the main reasons electrical outlets melt. Whether your wires are the wrong size or worn out, our electrical contractors are ready to help.

Our electricians will be able to find the source of the problem so it doesn’t happen again. That way, you have peace of mind knowing the new electrical outlet won’t melt like the previous one.

The diameter of the wire should correspond to its electrical load. The wider the diameter, the more the wire is able to resist electricity. A wire that’s too thin will heat up faster than a thick wire, especially if the electrical load is too high. Once this happens, the terminals heat up and melt the outlet wall plate.

Call Our Electricians Today!

There’s no point in replacing outlets if the source of the problem isn’t fixed. Call our electrical contractors if you suspect there’s a problem with one of your outlets. The longer you wait, the more likely the problem could grow.

Our premium residential electricians in Lowell, MI will be able to determine why your wall outlets melted. To request a service call for replacing outlets, call Flat River Electric at (616) 987-0513. We also offer child proof outlets so you don’t have to worry about your toddler sticking sharp objects into receptacles.

This blog post has been updated.