Earth plug burnt?

[Martiv]

Hey there im running an extension to my shop/shed heavy duty rated it powers 2x 400watt hallogens which i use in my chicken brooders
There on a timer so they come on at normal day time and at night time it swaps to 2 red heatlamps.

My bulb was making a whistle noise normally means replace it. So i did. Then i see the timer on the earth has brown marks on it melted plastic slightly..

I checked my lights and there transformers there all new and working for last year under 5year guarantee but i back traces it to the wall and i saw the plug socket at the wall has a crack through the socket hairline bit its cracked through the 3 holes.

Could this be why my timer further up the line has burbt on the earth?

I checked rarings and i am safe i run 4amp on a 1.5mm 13amp heavy duty work cable which goes toa heavy duty contactor timer then to my lights if anything over safe apparently cause it could tske somuch more

Ive moved the babys into a makeshift brooder in the house but il have another 30 eggs hatching any day..


I will change the plug socket of course.
And the timer.

But i want to know if this crack would be the cause of the timer burning on the earth terminal 14 meters down the extension?
And if so why didnt the plug burn but the timer?

I want to know if this is the problem anf why and how so i can learn.
And i want to know if i change the plug socket if i am then safe to continue and basicly that my lighting units will be safe ive no idea how i isolate this issue without knowledge

I csnt afford an electrician to come out at the moment i am skint but chicks need heat

 

[davesparks]

If the earth terminal is burned then that is a sign that you may have a serious and potentially very dangerous problem.
In normal use there should be no current flowing in the earth, if it has indeed got hot and burned then it has current flowing through it.

You need to isolate all of the equipment that was plugged in to that socket and not use that socket until you can get this checked by a professional.

 

[richy3333]

Out of interest how many chicks and why not use a proprietary brooder? 800W sounds a lot, are you warming them or doing your own KFC?

 

[littlespark]

Perhaps the heat is tracking from the live or neutral and only showing at the earth from the outside? Look inside the the socket, with the power off of course, and see if theres any damaged cabling there.

As mentioned, the earth should not carry any current normally... only if there's a fault

Maybe a forum member could help if local to you. You only have UK as your location.

 

[pc1966]

Some photos might help. But obviously you need to take great care if opening anything that it is really off and safe first.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

Post some good quality pics of the damaged items. Burnt parts such as plug pins are usually caused by localised bad contact e.g. within the plug or the socket it's plugged into, rather than any remote factors. However, a burnt earth connection is very unusual and could signify a problem elsewhere, including a serious one as Davesparks says.

My hunch is that the burn on the timer was caused by an overheated part inside that has nothing to do with the earth connection, it's just nearby, and even less to do with the cracked socket outlet. But it's all speculation until we see pictures.

Oops, post crossed with PC1966

 

[Martiv]

Out of interest how many chicks and why not use a proprietary brooder? 800W sounds a lot, are you warming them or doing your own KFC?

Its a 350w infra red and a 400watt chick brooder lamp apparently with a vitamin release.
There normaly in the shed which csn get to 5degree and colder in winter. Chicks need 35 degree and drop by 5 each week. Or they die so to stop any heat drop we run these through the night we had 250watt but they didnt heat it up enough so instead of using 2 at 500watt we got 1 400 lol.
The infra red light couldnt find in 400 but 350 is working nice. We have 30 to hatch this time round and another 200 to bring over the nex weeks not alot but want it perfect of course.



The pics looks fine to me i cant see any burn inside the timer its at the edge of the plastic...?

Ill get pics in the socket soon as i turn the power off
Later kids gona go nuts without the internet lol

 

[pc1966]

The pics looks fine to me i cant see any burn inside the timer its at the edge of the plastic...?

No, looks perfectly good inside!

 

[Lucien Nunes]

Am I supposed to be seeing something burnt? I can see some tiny discolouration to the plastic near the earth aperture but it's not caused by the pin overheating, otherwise it would be only be brown where in contact with the metal. Maybe I'm missing something.

 

[richy3333]

As ahas been said. Can we see the plugs that have been used?

 

[davesparks]

We need to see a picture of the burned earth connection.

All I can see from that is a bit of dirt near the earth socket and what looks to be a timer made by Fisher price.

 

[GBDamo]

What does the plug look like?

 

[Julie.]

Can I just ask, are the lamps/heaters metallic and fixed to any metal going into the ground, such as the metal fabric of the shed, or stands in contact with the ground, or water pipes, - basically any connection between the earth from the socket outlet/plug and the earth in or near the shed in any way?

 

[Martiv]

We need to see a picture of the burned earth connection.

All I can see from that is a bit of dirt near the earth socket and what looks to be a timer made by Fisher price.

Im uploading pics soon. Sorry for the wait ive baught a plug tester with 14 wire configs by megga. Wanted to test broken socket to get a reading first. I pick it up at 9. Baught the new socket 2gang 13amp too. And new metal box plate


Timer was off amazon says its a heavy duty contactor for lighting and stuff with really good reviews by lumii they make them for greenhouses ponds etc so thaught it would be good it was only ten wuid.
I got then from advice as i had cheap bnq timers.
Told they can burn out.

Got 4 chicks hatch today lol kids wont leave their sides

 

[Julie.]

is the wiring/fittings connected in any way to the ground in the shed?