Breaker box in Bathroom

[AJH]

A few months ago my apallo half time and convection quit working. A few days later I noticed that that the cover to the breaker box in the bath had started to melt. I took of the cover, and the coating on the big elect wire, had been burned to a nice dark black about 3 inches up. Also the two wires next to it were singed. The microwave and oven started working again, but the wires continued to get hot, (not to the point of melting but hot). Then all of a sudden it all stoped and everything worked fine and I had not more problem with the wireing in the bath. Still afraid to put the cover back on the box. Has anyone ever experenced such a thing?

[firetrucker]

Flag, flag, flag!!! Poor connections caused the heating of those wires, and I wouldn't go another day without having it checked!!

The next person to check it might be the fire department, after you've had a fire!!

It's not unusual to have loose connections, and many people have routinely gone to the breaker panel and tightened everything in sight.

Please have it checked out immediately.

Bob

[NCFischers]

Listen to Bob. Pull the plug on your trailer and get this looked at by a competant electrician or an RV dealer ASAP!! You have a serious problem that can be fixed if it doesn't go any farther. DON'T use the electric in the trailer until this is remedied!

[AJH]

Dang I am a smart one. Thats exactly what I did when it over heated. I cleaned the wires and tightened them down. Some were loose expecially the BIG white one. Hadn't had any problem since, but was still neverous about puting the cover back on. OH by the way what is the BIG white one for? It runs all the way to my hitch.

[camper4]

The big white one is the 'common' leg. It gives your 'hot' legs the 'return' path they need to complete a circuit. It is tied to ground but is not your ground wire. The ground wire is green.

[noneck]

Typically in house wiring its the Neutral (current return leg). So..."if" the color code is consistent with house wiring then you will have Black (phase 1), Red (phase 2), White (return or neutral) and Green (ground) all current sent to devices returns on that white wire. As the Black and Red are out of phase from each other you get 240vac across them and each to White will give you 120vac. VERY IMPORTANT to have all of them tight and likely being loose was allow arcing, resistance which generates heat...cleaning off the carbon then re-tighten and now not getting hot sounds like you fixed it.

[AJH]

Thanks Camper4. I approciate the reply, but I am afraid it went over my head. Most homes have 3 wires Black (HOT) White (return) and copper (ground) I take it this does not apply in RV's. I did notice on in the box, that there is 2 bars alway been a bit confused about them. Says one is nutral,and other is ground. What am I missing

[NCFischers]

I'll repeat this again, HAVE YOUR PROBLEM INSPECTED BY A COMPETENT PROFESSIONAL!!!! Cleaning and tightening is probably not sufficient. Wires and lugs that have been heated as you described are probably compromised and may not necessarily conduct electric current as they should and can heat up again. What you are missing is a basic knowledge of electricity and that is why you need to have it looked at. I don't mean to sound confrontational but you are playing with fire, literally. I don't want to read about your trailer catching fire or worse. PLEASE have your wiring looked at.

[camper4]

It is the same as the house.
Coming in to your house main panel box you have the same configuration you do in the Montana.
For the Montana you have two separate 'hot' legs coming in. One services 120 volts for half the circuits in the rv. The other serves the other half.
Voltage measured between those two 'hot' wires is 240 volts.
Things in your rv run on 120 volts. For that to happen, you need the common (white) wire.
Between each 'hot ' wire and the white wire is your 120 volts.
The 4 wires, common, 2 hot, and one ground are delt with in your circuit breaker box.
If you are not knowledgeable about the circuit breaker box, it is very dangerous and should be worked on by a trained electrician.
If you have an interest in electrical circuits, please get some training on it. It is way too complicated to learn in this format.
Sounds like you fixed this problem but please get some training.
Thanks

[AJH]

I will look into it. Thanks and approciate everyones concern

[jpkelpe]

Look at our post about the transfer switch. We now have a new one. we were lucky we found it while there was just a little bit of smoke coming out of it.. IT NEEDS to be checked immediately, as Jim has said.