For the first time in 18 years I had to use both buttons, when we had the big ice storm....
Oil Filled Radiant Heater Issue
- Thread starter EppsDynasty
- Start date
Wow. I saw some of your pictures.of the snow. They were really beautiful however probably not fun to deal with. Ohio used to have some dozeys too. This year I had to use the higher button only a few times overnight. We've only had one real freeze that lasted over a week. And only one real snow. I don't recognize my home state.
You can brumate where you are without a fridge. I did it here three years in a row. I used one of my well insulated boxes and that averages out the day time high and night time lows. It wasn't cold enough for a Russian, but worked great for a Chersina, and would be great for a greek, hermanni, or a DT. There were a few warm winter spells where I had to let cold air in at night and run ice bottles during the heat of the day, but over all the box maintained things nice and cold in the shade.
I think when you first posted this, I thought it was the plug being loose or not making good contact when plugged in. that or the plug was faulty or damaged. coulda been the outlet itself but that usually stays in the box.
the cord on the heaters are 16 gauge, they're rated for 1500 watts. even if it was a little more because of differences in voltage between outlet and heater, it wouldn't be enough to cause a problem. theres a decent amount of safety built in to the ratings/wire sizing.
Most 15 amp outlets are actually rated for 20 amps; as long as the breaker and wire match each other, it wouldn't cause a problem.
This is not true, a 15 amp outlet will not handle 20 amps, it will start to burn. The wire size is what will dictate how much power can be used. So if you have a 15 amp wire but install a 20 outlet the "Fire" will start on the wire, somewhere in the wall usually because the wire is the weak point. If you install a 15 amp outlet on a 20 amp line it's the opposite, the outlet is the "Weak" point, so your fire will be at the outlet. The Breaker has to be sized to the wire size AS does the outlet. if your outlet is not properly sized to the wire and breaker you are just asking for a fire, either in the walls or at the wrong sized outlet. I happen to know a little about @Yvonne G house and know that her circuits for Lights and Outlets are 15 amp most likely (it's an older home). It is VERY common on older homes to have 15 amp circuits instead of 20 amp ones. ALSO if you have anything else plugged into that circuit you have to include THAT power draw as well. So even if the outlet, wire and breaker are sized right you can overload it by simply having a fan plugged into that circuit with the heater. You'll notice @Yvonne G did not say the breaker tripped. This circuit NEEDS to be inspected and make sure ALL is right Breaker size, Wire Size and Outlet rating. Most people assume that the Breaker will trip if ANYTHING happens, this is not true all the time.
Thank you for this info. I would rather just use the fridge for peace of mind. This year has had so many issues with brumation for us. Gophers burying torts in burrows, 75 degree day followed by a 20 degree night then 45 degrees the next day and windy. I'm sure you can respect this ... with so many torts now to manage the fridge(s) would less finicky. I get the insulated box, but want an option that has less variables.
I asked the fireman that came why the breaker didn't trip. He didn't give me a satisfactory answer - I thought he really didn't know.
Installing 15 amp receptacles on 20 amp circuits is common and perfectly within code. T.210.21(B)(3)
if her breakers are 15 amp, everything you said about it being a 15 amp receptacle is moot. ie they 'match' as you just said is required.
i think you said that your panel was upgraded when you got the solar, so it's a newer/ish panel so its unlikely you have the older breakers that failed often. But if you don't have arc fault breakers, then its likely that what happened wasn't something that would cause a normal breaker to trip (overcurrent).
arcing is what causes most electrical fires. outlet is 'loose', doesn't hold plug as firmly, theres arcing. its possible that the wiring at the outlet itself loosened over time, but like I said, that usually self extinguishes in the box.
I hear ya and agree. Just throwing out an alternative in case it was appealing for any reason.
I appreciate it when you drop this knowledge. I learn from it every time.
So the panel upgrade DOES NOT upgrade the wires in the walls. Sorry about the spuratic responses trying to participate in this conversation and do tort chores (it's sunny today). I do not understand the whole 15 amp outlets on a 20 amp circuit. Every person on here I bet has seen an outlet thats burned, brown BUT the devices pluged into it still work as does the outlet. WHY they allow a 1500 watt heater (industry maximum) to be plugged into a 15 amp circuit and get hot being run 24/7 coming on and off and burn said outlet. I completely understand that it is not drawing enough to trip the breaker BUT running 12.5 amps with the initial inrush of power when cycling on and off will get that outlet AND cord hot. We've all had it happen I bet. So if you can explain why an outlet that IS going to get hot is allowed on a circuit ...I'm all ears. But if you just are searching this ? on google and do not understand the actual WHY ...I've already done that. The theory of electricity is a very complex thing.
Even this ... with all matched this 15 amp line, outlet and cord will get hot running a 1500 watt heater.
For those of us non technical people, how do we know what kind of outlets we have? Like I ASSUME my house has what is appropriate because there have been renovations in recent years, but what should I look for?
I've been to the big box stores and seen all the bins full of electrical stuff. I wonder how many DIYers actually read about the outlet they're buying, or just grab one out of the bin.
The room this mishap occurred in was originally a car port. My son-in-law enclosed it and it's now my bedroom. I have no idea what outlets he bought and installed, and I wonder if he actually shopped. He's a plumber by trade.
So because enough times I have melted a surge protector rated for 15 amps, Burned a wall outlet rated for 15 amps, and Burned the cord on an Oil filled radiator that says 1500 watts which is less than 15 amps when we realized we needed to turn this Guest House into a Tortoise House I ran new 10 gauge wire with new 20 amp outlets in each room.
I am really trying to participate while others are here.....
This is why I posed the question ....of why a 15 amp outlet that IS going to get hot is allowed on a 20 amp line. going to grab some outlets
can't find em right this second.....
So a outlet will say ALMOST always ONLY on the packaging the amperage. But when buying you look for 20 amp outlets. They are more and usually only 1 color, they will look identical as far as Prongs. There is a 20 amp only outlet that is used when there is ONLY 1 plug/outlet on the line and it has a horizontal prong, vertical and then ground.
most likely 15 amp. the 'holes' tell you which type of outlet you have. 2 vertical and round ground is 15. if one hole looks like a sideways "T", its 20 amp.
arc fault breakers are more important than 20 amp outlets. and don't use cheap plug strips
