Need an opinion on this pic

[Marc M]

In this pic I see the obvious loose connection at the feed (it was arching), and the heat generated in the center of the panel, but I was curious about the neutral which appears to be warm at the right side...

[Ron Bibler]

In this pic I see the obvious loose connection at the feed (it was arching), and the heat generated in the center of the panel, but I was curious about the neutral which appears to be warm at the right side...

Hey Marc... From you image everything else looks OK.

Can you go back into that photo and set your spot to the inside of that set screw of the center lug. and the set another spot on the insulation of the center wire just above the lug....

Reset your E. setting to around e=96

then set another spot on the Neutral you were talking about.

then repost that. then we will have some info. we can work with.

Best

Ron

[Marc M]

Hey Ron,
I did have emissivity set at E=1 but then switched to auto, I thought the busses were having an effect but still no difference in the two photos. No reflection off terminals or busses. Even by qualitative measures and just by comparing the other neutrals on that bus, definitely looks warmer, no? Or, even if emissivity was a factor, wouldn't then, the other same color conductors act in a similar manner? They are right next to one another.
BTW, This is a panel in a condo. Here's a color pic.

[Matt Fellman]

Just curious... I can't see anything from the regular picture. How can you differentiate heat that is a problem vs. heat from normal use when using a thermal imaging camera?

When one leg is hot as the photo shows couldn't that just be due to normal use?

[Marc M]

It was literally "sizzling". Call me green, but I didn't think that was normal. I'm pretty sure it is loose there. I've done this same condo model many, many times. Both with the panel loaded and also vacant, they are always pretty cool, maybe except the AC breaker or DW.
I'm more interested in the neutral on the right.
Hey Ron, also, if that conductor "was" reflecting anything from the line side, wouldn't the other conductors also reflect in a similar fashion as well as the terminals, busses etc...?
Just humor me. Lets say E=1, then what do you think it is?;)

[Ron Bibler]

[QUOTE=Marc M;131159]
Hey Ron, also, if that conductor "was" reflecting anything from the line side, wouldn't the other conductors also reflect in a similar fashion as well as the terminals, busses etc...?

Marc.....go back into that photo and set your spot to the inside of that set screw of the center lug. This will lock the e= as you should have close to zero e= on the inside of that lug...

Then set another spot on the cover of the cable. this should be close to zero e=.

then set another spot on the Neutral you were talking about. then save all that in a new image and repost that for us to look.

Your current image has the spot off the wire you are talking about:mad:

If we don't have proper spot setting then we have no information to work with.

Correct your sopt setting.

Best

Ron



Just humor me.

[Vern Heiler]

Mark, the way I see it the only way the main lug can get hot (sizzle) is to have current flow. It looks like the top left 240 breaker is drawing current, and the top conductor is drawing more than the bottom. If that is true, wouldn't the neutral (if there is one) also draw more current. The neutral you are looking at could be the neutral from this 240 circuit. Do you know what it supplies?