Yesterday, the modem and desk lamp in my home office started flashing. I thought the power strip was failing. When I touched the outlet to unplug the power strip, the outlet was hot to touch!!!
I immediately shut the power off and upon examination of the outlet, a copper crimp had been used to pigtail off two black wires. The insulation on the wires and electrical tape had melted and the crimp fell to the floor when I removed the outlet.
This is the second time this has happened. We were fortunate to find this before major damage. The first time I had an electrician inspect the first incident and he made the repair. This one, I rewired with wire nuts and electrical tape. Now I plan to inspect EVERY outlet to remove these crimps.
Question:
House was built in 1978 in central CA. Was this normal procedure back then? If so, with new technology and gadgets, is that causing the failure of the crimps. Thank you. Bk.
Best Answer
Somewhere between the practice of soldering / taping and the use of wire nuts, Barrel crimps were used to make joints in smaller wire.
If they are done properly they should last a lifetime. Just as any other compression type lug lasts. Millions of ring/fork type lugs are sold and used every year without incident unless they are not crimped tight enough. Then they can heat causing expansion and contraction and eventual failure.
Inspecting the electrical system for more failures would be prudent but I wouldn't rush to replace every joint in the house. If the wires are tight and there is no sign of excessive heating of the joint then they outlast us all.
Good luck and stay safe!