Electrical issue/question

[Elf]

A couple of weeks ago I disconnected from shore power so that I could run the generator for a while since we have been stationary for over a month. When I reconnected the shore power there was no power to the outside outlet and I discovered the circuit breaker had tripped.

I then smelled a burnt wiring odor in the bathroom. After some investigation I decided to replace the GFCI outlet in the bathroom. While doing this I noticed one of the wires was black with soot. I took the old GFCI apart out of curiosity and it looked like it was really fried. The GFCI never did trip and it tested OK prior to being replaced but inside one corner of the plastic housing and the top third of the circuit card are black/burnt.

Has anyone ever seen this? Is this just a problem with that GFCI outlet going bad or is it possibly an issue with the wiring somewhere else? Everything seems fine now I just want to make sure that I cover all the bases.

Thanks

[ralper]

I would suggest that you ask a highly qualified electrician this question.

[RV Wizard]

Loose connections cause arcing and eventual burning as a result of the heat created by current drawn through the circuit. I am not a fan of the receptacles or installation process that do not have the conductors tightened under screws. I would bet you had loose connections on that GFCI receptacle.

[ctpres]

Was it push connector? Check to see if wire size matched spec's on outlet. Could be wire to small for proper connection, leading to problems.

[wa8yxm]

Yup, the most common cause is a loose or otherwise bad connection.

Though the GFCI usually hooks up with wire nuts.. I had one of those come loose (Not on the GFCI though, elsewhere up-line of it) and the results were nearly exactly what you describe.

[Elf]

Thanks,

It was connected with a screw. I couldn't tell now if it was loose when I took it out. I think I'll have someone expert in electrics take a look just to keep my mind at ease. Still only have had the RV for a bit over a year and am still learning a lot. It seems like loose connection issues would be a common occurrence with the residential type parts of the unit that are under constant vibration. I know cars go years without these issues but it seems many of the "home" parts of a motorhome don't fall in the same category.