Findings library
Critical overload at an apartment building house panel
A 20-amp two-pole breaker feeding a crawlspace heater, severely overloaded and failing to trip, at 393.6°F inside an apartment building house panel. Repaired within the hour.
What was found
This apartment building house panel had extreme heat concentrated around a 20-amp two-pole breaker feeding a crawlspace heater. The breaker was left on, overloaded, and did not trip as expected. The heat was severe enough that the upper portion of the panel showed significant thermal activity.
Why it mattered
This panel supported fire alarm equipment and exterior lighting for the apartment building. If the panel had failed, it could have caused a loss of critical building systems. Due to the extreme heat, the issue also created a serious fire concern.
Potential consequences
Loss of fire alarm power, loss of exterior lighting, panel failure, outage, or fire risk.
Recommendation
Replacement of breaker is suggested.
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