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Can an electrical fire occur at a receptacle outlet that has no load plugged into it?

April 26, 2017electrical load occur outlet plugged receptacle

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Can an electrical fire occur at a receptacle outlet that has no load plugged into it?

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Yes. In a electrical branch circuit, wiring is connected from one outlet to another via the feed thru straps on the binding head screw terminals. If a thermal fault exists at a loose wiring screw connection on a outlet that is not drawing current from a load plugged into its outlet, but has current passing through its screw connections from a load in a outlet located on the downstream side of the branch circuit, then, fire could start in the “faulted outlet”. It is recommended that each standard outlet in a branch circuit be replaced with a BSafe TFCI™ outlet.