# Anyone Had Problems With These Outlets?



## swimmer (Mar 19, 2011)

I installed this Leviton 30A 3-Prong surface mount outlet for a customer about 3 or 4 months ago. The tenant smelled smoke yesterday and I found the burned wire and terminal. I measured the electric cloths dryer at 20A on the burned terminal which is well within spec of this outlet.

Home Depot says this outlet is a R50-0504-000 but the "50" looks fishy to me. Can't find any info on Leviton website.

Hard to tell where bad connection was because plastic is first to melt regardless of the origin.

Has anyone had a similar experience with this outlet?


----------



## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Looks like the heat originated in the termination of the conductor.


----------



## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

After you put the wire in the terminal you need to tighten down the little screw.


----------



## oldtimer (Jun 10, 2010)

swimmer said:


> I installed this Leviton 30A 3-Prong surface mount outlet for a customer about 3 or 4 months ago. The tenant smelled smoke yesterday and I found the burned wire and terminal. I measured the electric cloths dryer at 20A on the burned terminal which is well within spec of this outlet.
> 
> Home Depot says this outlet is a R50-0504-000 but the "50" looks fishy to me. Can't find any info on Leviton website.
> 
> ...


 
Never had a problem with them , but it is 30 amp , not 50 amp !


----------



## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

They are not making the tab that secures the lugs long enough anymore to properly engage the slot it slides into. Cheapo manufactuing process tactics have snuck in. That same type of surface range outlet constructed 40 years ago was built a whole lot stronger and better, except the plastic used in the process wasn't as good as today's product. But the internal connecting mechanisms were ten times better.


----------



## guest (Feb 21, 2009)

480sparky said:


> Looks like the heat originated in the termination of the conductor.





sbrn33 said:


> After you put the wire in the terminal you need to tighten down the little screw.


Yep..look at the clean threads on the top part of the screw, and the obvious arc mark on the base of the wire pad area.

Installer error in this case.


----------



## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

mxslick said:


> Yep..look at the clean threads on the top part of the screw, and the obvious arc mark on the base of thew wire pad area.
> 
> Installer error in this case.


The screw is fully seated in the lug. Look again. Notice the difference from the burnt lug and the two other's which are not fully seated. I bet the tab came out of the slot and that will loosen and gap the connection.


----------



## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

It almost looks like the screw may have been stripped in the threaded area which conducted a lot of heat to the connector. Something was loose- either from the factory or in the field.


----------



## kbsparky (Sep 20, 2007)

That's a Leviton 5054. 

30 Amp NEMA 10-30R surface mount non-grounding receptacle, commonly used for dryer circuits in older homes.


----------



## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

Hey, I mentioned range outlets..... oops. 

Same cheapo quality issues for today's dryer outlets as range ones.... albiet it is much easier to secure the lugs when its a solid #10 conductor going in it than a stranded 6.


----------



## niteshift (Nov 21, 2007)

I never had a problem with the outlets themselves.
Like others said the tabs loosened/were loose that provide tension was the cause. Have seen this same thing though too.


----------

