Electrical cap melted

[alrha]

i was by my tank and smelled something burning. after a quick look around, i noticed smoke coming from the cap where one of my ballasts are hardwired to my fixture. i quickly cut the power, then removed the melted cap, recut the wires and capped them again (and sealed with electrical tape both times). i'm scared to think what might of happened if i were not home at the time.

i wired these up months ago, what would make this suddendly happen?

and what should i do to make sure this doesnt happen again?

 

[deelucky]

if there not water proof could it have been from evaporation?that can happen from alot of moisture.water has a wierd way of getting into unwanted areas.

 

[alrha]

it was totally dry. it is behind my fixture and above the glass brace of the tank

 

[Blue02celi]

least you were there when it happened...

 

[masterswimmer]

Albert, I'm glad everything turned out ok. That could have been a serious problem.

R

 

[Craig]

heat shrink over your connection would be a little extra insurance

 

[jhale]

I've never seen a cap melt before.

if you feel the new one is it hot?

 

[marrone]

I have one catch on fire and melt. The problem was that every time I went into the tank I was pushing back the light fixture with my arm. I think it may have rubbed the wires, causing the insulation to come off, and making the wires touch.

 

[scarf_ace1981]

al i'm glad you caught it in time.

 

[bad coffee]

are you using wire nuts? they have different heat/electrical ratings. Anything on your MH should be high temp fittings.

B

 

[alrha]

heat shrink over your connection would be a little extra insurance

what is it a heat shrink?

 

[alrha]

Albert, I'm glad everything turned out ok. That could have been a serious problem.

R

tell me about it.

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

A type of material that is almost the same as wire insulation, you put it over the splice and heat it with a hair dryer/heat gun and it shrinks around the splice sealing it like wire insulation would.

 

[alrha]

are you using wire nuts? they have different heat/electrical ratings. Anything on your MH should be high temp fittings.

B

i used the ones that were provided by CoolTouchLighting (the manufacturer of my fixture) - they are orange. i replaced it with a gray one i found in the basement (dont know if the colors mean anything).

 

[alrha]

A type of material that is almost the same as wire insulation, you put it over the splice and heat it with a hair dryer/heat gun and it shrinks around the splice sealing it like wire insulation would.

sounds cool

 

[alrha]

I've never seen a cap melt before.

if you feel the new one is it hot?

neither have i
not hot

 

[PalmTree]

Ever notice that areas enclosed under and around your tank can sometimes accumulate a light dusting of salt? I suspect that this may be the culprit with your situation. I've seen waterproof wire nuts at electrical supply shops at a reasonable price. I think the inside is coated with silicone so the wires are never exposed to water. You might want to look into it.

 

[FRY]

when a wire nut burns its from loose connection ,you have to make sure that you twist the conductors good ,also when you install wire nut that it grab the wire tight, make sure that you use the right wire nut size for the amount of wires you are splicing and size wire, hi temp wire nut is for high heat area like ovens and cooking equipment

 

[alrha]

when a wire nut burns its from loose connection ,you have to make sure that you twist the conductors good ,also when you install wire nut that it grab the wire tight, make sure that you use the right wire nut size for the amount of wires you are splicing and size wire, hi temp wire nut is for high heat area like ovens and cooking equipment

finally we hear from the pro.

 

[masterswimmer]

when a wire nut burns its from loose connection ,you have to make sure that you twist the conductors good ,also when you install wire nut that it grab the wire tight, make sure that you use the right wire nut size for the amount of wires you are splicing and size wire, hi temp wire nut is for high heat area like ovens and cooking equipment

:hug: