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What would cause a wall socket to catch on fire?
An outlet will only get hot enough to cause a fire if:There is a problem with the wiring connecting it to the supply, this will become quickly obvious when in use.It is overloaded. The electrical supply is supposed to have a fuse or breaker to prevent this.There is also a 3rd cause of potential fire:3. A loose wall socket connectionLoose wall socket connections can be a MAJOR concern, causing the plug and socket to overheat. This is primarily a problem on older homes.
Are 6 recessed lights allowed in a 1 hour ceiling?
Recessed lights would be considered a penetration in the fire rated system.
What is a splice box?
A splice box is the same terminology as a junction box. The function of a junction box is to suppress the spread of fire. In an electrical system the most likely spot for a fire to start is where wires are connected together. Loose connection of joined wires will create a resistance point. Over time with the current flowing through the connection it will heat and cool. This increases the resistance. Without repairs to this situation there will come a time when this heat will reach a combustible temperature. Depending on the type of junction box, it will suppress the spread of this fire by cutting off or limiting the oxygen supply to the fire. If the wire connection splice was in an open wall, adjacent to combustible products, the fire could spread to wall studs and then combustion could overtake the whole building.
What fire extinguisher do you use on a electrical fire?
Water is good as it will cut off oxygen and cool the heat source. Powder and foam will smother to cut off oxygen. Carbon Dioxide (CO2) will cut off oxygen but blast of gas may spread ther fire by blowing light material such as paper causing it to set fire to other things. Don't use water on oil, or a chip pan fire.
Can a fire start in a junction box?
That is the most likely place for a fire to start. It is at this place in a circuit that mechanical connections break down. Loose splices create oxidation on the wires, oxidation creates a higher resistance creating a current draw through the resistance. This heat can become high enough to melt the insulation off of the wires. The heat build up is accumulative and the current might not be enough to trip the breaker. Junction boxes used to be made of steel which contained any flames from the surrounding wood structure. Now days boxes are made of a non flammable plastic which are sealed to cut off any oxygen to a fire that may start in the junction box. This is why the code calls for any splices that are made in a wire to be made in a junction box, and the junction box has to be accessible. There are documented cases where the junction box has been buried behind sheet rock and plaster walls and a fire has started and no one noticed until the fire burned through the wall.
