blue spark?

[Punch]

I have a new basement remodel,I have done the electrical ( this is my third wiring job on different basements), and also I have had the wiring inspected by the required electrical inspector (he said I did a better job then most electricians).

Anyway, 3 days after he left and passed the wiring, I plugged in a shop light, and a large blue spark shot out of the outlet, I tried a different outlet and the same thing happened, any ideas whats going on???

The inspector just looked at the wiring and plugged in one of those tester that light up, and said all was good (he also opened up the fuse panel and checked the wiring there)

thanks

[C G]

Since the outlets are testing ok, I can think of two possibilities:

1. Normal results when plugging in a live electrical device. It's not unusual for some amount of spark when you plug in a live device. Try the same test with some other light. Bring the shop light to another part of the house, such as a bedroom, after dark and try the same test. Try it with a vacuum. It's possible they've always done this, but you just never noticed. This is the reason I tend to plug these puppies into some kind of switchable outlet so I can turn them on and off.
2. Something wrong with the light.

[Joseph Meehan]

I'm betting on a bad plug on the light you are plugging in.

It's natural to assume anything that happens soon after you are done was the result of something you did, but in this case, I doubt it.

[barry martin]

Punch:

P > I have a new basement remodel,I have done the electrical ( this is my third P > wiring job on different basements), and also I have had the wiring inspecte

P > by the required electrical inspector (he said I did a better job then most P > electricians). P > P > P > Anyway, 3 days after he left and passed the wiring, I plugged in a shop P > light, and a large blue spark shot out of the outlet, I tried a different P > outlet and the same thing happened, any ideas whats going on??? P > P > The inspector just looked at the wiring and plugged in one of those tester P > that light up, and said all was good (he also opened up the fuse panel and P > checked the wiring there)

I'm thinking the spark is normal. Is the shop light 'on' when it is being plugged in? Does it have a higher-wattage bulb? Electricity will spark (think lightening or the brush contacts of a motor).

- ¯ barry.martinþATþthesafebbs.zeppole.com ®

• Yo Mama's so old when God said let there be light, she flipped the switch

[AJScott]

I probably don't pay close enough attention to every bit of unremarkable minutiae that happens in my life, but for some reason, it strikes me that I've seen this same small blue spark plenty of time when plugging in an appliance, but only with appliances that have a two-prong plug -- and never the ones that have the three-prong (ground/ed?) plug.

If that's indeed the case, perhaps grounding (or lack of it) in the plug may be the cause and, from all indications, a pretty normal occurrance that has no reflection on how good or bad the actual wiring job in the wall was -- unless maybe flames start shooting out of the socket or something afterward.

AJS

[barry martin]

A.J.:

A > > I'm thinking the spark is normal. Is the shop light 'on' when it is A > > being plugged in? Does it have a higher-wattage bulb? Electricity A > > will spark (think lightening or the brush contacts of a motor). A > I probably don't pay close enough attention to every bit of unremarkable A > minutiae that happens in my life, but for some reason, it strikes me A > that I've seen this same small blue spark plenty of time when plugging A > in an appliance, but only with appliances that have a two-prong plug -- A > and never the ones that have the three-prong (ground/ed?) plug.

I'd venture to guess there are qui8te a few sparks we don't notice. Normally the switch is off so there is no electricity flowing. If the device is one the spark occurs in the outlet or the ambient light is bright enough we don't notice the spark.

I'd guess the ground prong (or lack of) doesn't have anything to do with the occurrence or lack of of the spark. My soldering iron has a three prong plug and I have not seen it spark when plugging in. I've plugged in the radio but haven't seen it spark. The radio has a two- prong cord.

A > If that's indeed the case, perhaps grounding (or lack of it) in the plug A > may be the cause and, from all indications, a pretty normal occurrance A > that has no reflection on how good or bad the actual wiring job in the A > wall was -- unless maybe flames start shooting out of the socket or A > something afterward.

IMO the spark is due to the electricity jumping to complete a circuit. If the air has sufficient conductivity and the device being plugged in has sufficient current draw then there will be a spark. ...Seems like one should see a spark with a three-prong device if there is sufficient static electricity, otherwise there isn't supposed to be a direct connection between the current-carrying conductors and the ground conductor.

- ¯ barry.martinþATþthesafebbs.zeppole.com ®

• Anagram! Slot Machines: Cash Lost in em

[David Combs]

By "live", you mean that "lights up" (for a lamp) as soon as you plug it in, eg that the lamp's own switch was left on when UN-plugged?

Given that, *why* the spark.

(I understand the spark when you *un*-plug eg a motor or transformer -- the created magnetic-fields "collapse" when you do -- ie, they *move* when collapsing, and *generate* emf in the coils they collapse through.)

But on switching *on*, I'd like add to my very-weak knowledge of this stuff. So thanks for the (coming?) explanation!

David

[donald girod]

You can get a spark with either the make or break of the connection. Agreed, the spark is going to be stronger on disconnect, but if the current draw is heavy, and there is some oxidation on the socket or plug, you get sparks. However, a shop light should not be making big blue sparks, unless it is one of those 500w halogen lights. Take it upstairs and plug it in an outlet you believe in. Do you still get a spark? does the light work normally? For that matter, does the light work normally once you get past the spark stage in the basement? If so, I wouldn't worry about it. It doesn't have anything to do with your wiring, though your outlets might be funky in some way.

[David Combs]

Are you saying that the spark-on-connect is due to it burning-through that oxidation-stuff -- that that burning *looks like* one or more (electric) sparks?

Or perhaps it's the effect of (partial, actually a tiny amount of, compared to what's there) magnetic/electric field-collapse, the field being the one way back at the *generator*, (hundreds of?) miles away?

If not one of those two, I still don't get it. Probably it's something totally obvious to everyone else here, and maybe would be to me too, once someone points me at the answer/concept/whatever...

And thanks for what you'vd said so far.

David