Ohhh yeah! Flashback!
I had a call to a childrens daycare center once... Partial power problem (wish I had the cam back then!
) Anyways, the place had an addition put on the back in the 70's adding some AL romex & a new panel, subbing the old panel...
I get there & open up the 2 panels (Zinsco service equiptment & FPE Sub) & read power on all circuits (Now we know better than to think an FPE would trip, right?
)
Everytime I go near those panels I'm getting wiffs of "that electrical burning" smell... I put the tone trace on the bad circuit & lo & behold, I find another whole panel! (Square D XO) This panel is ½ sandwiched in the wall where the addition was put on.. the homeowner was told it wasnt in use anymore... Busted the wall out to open the panel & a nice poof of smoke came out & one of the breakers were in full internal meltdown...
I sat the deceased XO on a trash can behind me, replaced it & went to test everything.. Circuits back on... Im inside for about 30-45 mins going over ideas to clean up the panel mess they have (Aiming at 86ing all 3 old boxes & using a 200A 40 space for everything) Anyways, I go back out to button everything up & I start getting that wiff again....
sniffing around the panel, not as strong there... Where's that friggin smell coming from now? I open all panels back up, a couple J boxes... Start going through the AL wiring on the other side of the wall in the addition... about 2 hours of searching & it dawns on me... the stinky XO is on the trash can
Ive never had a breaker go out & make an odor THAT strong! I NEVER would've gotten to sleep that night if I hadn't figured that smell out!
-Randy