Had a close call last night

[dirtlooter]

it was about 9:45 pm or so and we were about to go to bed when we heard pop and saw a bright flash from the hallway area. We jumped up and tried to figure out what had caused it but everything was on and looked fine. I went into the utility/wash room (the door was open but normally closed) and started looking for thrown breakers or whatever. I had minutes earlier, turned the central heat from 70 to 73 and so I pushed down on the breaker to make sure it was on. instantly one heck of a shower of sparks shot out the bottom of the box. I flipped the breaker off but seconds later it did it again so I flipped all of the breakers near it off. It sparked again as I hurried out to the pole and turned all the power completely off to the house.

It was a cold dark night, yeah we had flashlights and a couple of candles but it was still cold. We sat up and kept watch to make sure nothing fire wise happened. We had gone outside to check the pump and wiring and the wife smelled what she said was a very strong "electrical burning smell." I have a stopped up nose but it smelled more like someone had been burning trash down from us. Anyways, kept going out every 20-30 minutes to make sure no fire. We are also set up for propane heat and cooking but we were in process of changing companies and no longer had a tank, so no heat that way either.

Anyways, this morning a friend (Maintenance man for several large factories in town) came by and helped me find two loose 6 gau wires that had melted. He checked everything but that was it and then the new propane guys showed up with new tank and filled it up so we now have power and gas. Was very thankful that we were home to catch it, that the utility door was open and we were still up and saw it. it is amazing as to how quickly things can go sour. Yes, I am a very blessed man in a million different ways. Still have a home too!

 

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[Ogre1190]

Whew!!!! Close call. 🙌 Glad all is ok now!

 

[fish1on]

That is the only reason my wife keeps me around...I am an electrician!

Glad all is well for ya, arc flash from faulty wiring is deadly let alone the fire hazard.

 

[Oddjob]

Hope it did not cost too much. House fires are no fun.

 

[kingskid1611]

Oh the Blessing you have been Blessed with....

 

[Duckshot]

Glad you are still living indoors Dirtlooter.

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Thank God you and your family are OK...glad to hear the house is still in one piece.

 

[dirtlooter]

Oh the Blessing you have been Blessed with....

Totally! in so many ways in so many times. I feel like Job in the bible, my latter life has been blessed even more than my earlier life.

 

[dirtlooter]

Glad you are still living indoors Dirtlooter.

you and me too!

 

[dirtlooter]

had a busy day yesterday, got power back on, the propane and figured out that the starter was out on the jeep. The jeep had been giving tons of problems but we figured out that the computer was bad. I got the replacement one in the day before but the jeep suddenly wouldn't start. I was going to take the starter out to get it rebuilt( we have this awesome guy that rebuilds starters and alternators and cheap too!) but alas it is raining and the jeep is outside. this is minor stuff, I just have to take the wife to work and pick her up. Getting to sleep in bed and also use my Cpap machine was awesoooooome! Yeah, could have lost the house to an electrical fire and I know several people that have and met another one yesterday. One friend went last Christmas with his family to visit other family across the state (three day trip) and his house burned down on the 3rd day, lost everything and two vehicles. So I am extremely blessed.

 

[sandchip]

Glad that you, your bride and yo' crib are okay. God is good.

 

[Mudflap]

Don't ever PO the wifey. They sell a special muffler adapter that goes jeep to CPAP. Grin

 

[cactusman]

Wow, that's a close call. A few years back I was renovating a home I bought to rent out when I smelled plastic burning through the floor vents, so I ran to the AC unit intake, and sure enough, sparks and smoke everywhere. I ran outside and tossed the main breaker and that shut it down, but that was one close call that I'll never forget.

Sometimes you get lucky like this -- I shudder to think what may have happened had you not been home, or if I had not been there when my AC unit had that issue.

Now whenever I am renovating I install smoke detectors right off -- even an extra second could make a difference.

 

[Hawks88]

First I’m glad you and your wife are ok. Hope everything is back to normal now. This is not the time of year to be without heat and electricity. Take care and Merry Christmas.

 

[fyrffytr1]

That is the only reason my wife keeps me around...I am an electrician!

Mine keeps me because I was a fire fighter!

 

[Truth]

Looter I so happy everything worked out. [emoji1317]

I’m still surprised you weren’t warm with those candles and flashlights.

 

[dirtlooter]

Looter I so happy everything worked out. [emoji1317]

I’m still surprised you weren’t warm with those candles and flashlights.

you should have been up here in the mountains, cools down right smartly. Not quite finished with the electric but is already better. A couple of weeks ago, lightening knocked out my internet (AT&T).

 

[Truth]

you should have been up here in the mountains, cools down right smartly. Not quite finished with the electric but is already better. A couple of weeks ago, lightening knocked out my internet (AT&T).

At least you don’t have to worry about flooding....or do you guys have land slides or something else?

 

[dirtlooter]

flash floods but they are usually gone in a day or so. I just got thru with the previous answer to you and my wife texted me, she has tried to go higher up the mountain to take my father his mail with the 4 wheeler. unfortunately, she tried to do it in 4th and let it die, electric shift and we couldn't get it to shift again. got it pushed off to the side so people and barely get around it. got too cold and windy plus dark to keep messing with it. so will wait until daylight to see what can be done. Told her 1st or second but she has that lead foot and had to try but slowed down. believe me, for older people, way to high a gear in the 1st place.

 

[dirtlooter]

forgot, we tend to get tornadoes here but no hurricanes (so far)