Got really lucky last night

Joe Griffin · 07-25-2007, 04:22 PM

If I wasn't home last night, we probably would have lost everything we own. Writing a report last evening, I heard our Nighthawk CO Detector chirping. I pulled it out of the wall, reset it, but it wouldn't stop acting weird.

About that time, the wife asks if I can help her with our newfangled Plasma TV in the bedroom, she couldn't get it to come on. I turn on the bedroom light, and the light goes brilliant, and then pops. HMMMM......
Meanwhile, the TV is clicking on and off, on and off.

I proceed to the hall light, it does the same thing, heavenly light from a 40 watt bulb, then nothing. I then smell the unmistakable smell of an electrical fire upstairs somewhere. In my son's room, his 32 inch TV is smoking. I yell to the wife and daughter to get out of the house, I unplug the TV, and carry it out of the house.

I mistakenly assumed the TV was the problem, until I saw some lights upstairs still flickering, and going out one by one. I immediately shut the main and called the FD. They used an IR to shoot the walls of the affected rooms (4) and the attic. Nothing real hot, except one partially fried outlet.

Well the full tally is: Two window unit AC's, two alarm clocks, One 36 inch picture tube TV, one cable TV box, and my son's Computer. Hopefully we can scavenge the info on the hard drive. Not bad considering the alternatives. I just returned from a week's vacation this week.

Cause: A neutral sprung loose in the 1973 service panel in our basement and contacted a hot wire nearby. And yes, I tightened everything up in the panel today. Got lucky.

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**Erby Crofutt** · 07-25-2007, 05:20 PM

You were lucky! Glad to hear it was only personal property that was lost and that your family and home survived.

**Rick Hurst** · 07-25-2007, 05:28 PM

Glad to hear you, the family, and the plasma TV were saved.

**wayne soper** · 07-25-2007, 05:48 PM

I'll bet your son just can't wait to see what you find on his hard drive.

Richard Rushing · 07-25-2007, 06:35 PM

Joe,

Glad to hear that you and the family weren't caught by this in the middle of the night when no one was awake. Things could have been alot worse--just glad they were not.

The good news is... football season is starting this week!!

Rich

Joe Griffin · 07-25-2007, 07:38 PM

Thanks guys. All good points. Oh, and I checked my smoke detectors. Found one that tested with the horn, but no reaction to smoke. Made a trip to HD, all new hard wired 50/50's all around. I urge all of my peers here to get into your own panels and check em good. I assumed that nothing would just loosen up of it's own volition. But I guess without loctite on the threads, it's bound to happen. Also check those smokes, I assumed I was ok for five years or so, but one didn't make it.

**Jerry Peck** · 07-25-2007, 08:33 PM

Joe,

You indeed were lucky.

Good for you.

Richard Rushing · 07-25-2007, 09:04 PM

I do plan on getting real lucky toinght... if only my wife will approve my absence.

RR

**Jerry Peck** · 07-26-2007, 05:25 AM

Originally Posted by Richard Rushing

I do plan on getting real lucky toinght... if only my wife will approve my absence.

RR

What's that song which says 'who's messing around with your woman while you're out messing around with another woman'?

Now, figure out 'who got lucky'.

**Scott Patterson** · 07-26-2007, 07:32 AM

Glad you all made it out safely and that the house was saved. Don't forget to call your insurance agent, all of that stuff should be covered. They might even cover the recovery of info off the hard drive.

John Steinke · 07-28-2007, 09:31 AM

Add that CO detector to the list of damaged stuff. They're not meant to be 'voltage alerts.'

Every GFI is likely to be bad.

This is one reason I like surge suppressors at every major appliance. A $10 power strip, with suppressor, is a lot cheaper than a $2000 TV set. Easire to replace as well.