GFCI Melted!!??!!

[jcampagna42]

Had a power surge the other day, due to high winds on power lines. Tripped 3 circuits in the house. Office/hallway lights, fridge and dishwasher. Reset the fridge and d/w, but the office lights circuit breaker kept tripping. Pulled it out, ordered a new one. (none in stock locally, supply chain......., ugh). Went to plug in the hedge trimmer at the outside GFCI yesterday and found it in this condition. Seems like the GFCI did its job, but would like an opinion. Coincidental that the office circuit breaker malfunctioned at the same time the GFCI burned up? House built in 2012, reputable builder (aren't they all?) Dual 200 amp panels.

 

[AC Power]

The power surge likely had nothing to do with the burnt out GFCI. People like to blame power surges on things. Power surges produce an extremely short surge in voltage, not current (ampacity). It's ampacity that heats and burns equipment, not voltage.

This GFCI is burnt from prolonged overheating (ampacity). If the GFCI did not continually trip when you used it before, then it was doing its job. If you had no upstream breakers (in either panelboard) tripping neither, they too were doing their job.

I've been in the service industry for 26yrs now, these things happen. Simply put.....buy a new one and put it in identically. Tighten your terminations well.....sometimes things (like you've pictured) happens when the original installer accidentally forgets to torque down the termination screws moderately tight.

Hope the best!

 

[He who knows]

Power surges produce an extremely short surge in voltage, not current (ampacity).

And a voltage surge will produce a current surge.

It's ampacity that heats and burns equipment, not voltage.

I=V/R

 

[AC Power]

True, I=V/R, but in the fraction of a second that the voltage "spikes", the current will not be sustained enough to melt things of a GFCI's size. Small electronic components might be burnt.....but, in theory, your right.