Live wire overheating - Triton Rapide 1?

Power down. Remove the wire. Clean the ring terminal and terminal using glasspaper. Refit the wire and tighten the screw fully.

garryk
October 2009

A wire will get hot if it takes too much current -or- if a contact point is dirty (often through sparking when not properly tightened) a high resistance joint acts as a localised heater. Sparks over time build up a layer of soot and the little heater becomes ever more efficient.

If a joint has a resistance of just 1 ohm the power dissipated at a dirty junction in an 8.5kW shower is a frightening 1.3kW (Power Watts = I² R)

Given that the breaker has not tripped I suspect the second reason - but I just guess.

To be fully compliant with safety rules and common sense a qualified electrician might be best.

Peccavi
September 2009