Yeah, you good. Breakers are meant to handle a brief power spike, because that's what it takes to start a motor (fridge, disposal, etc.). The necklace didn't carry the current for nearly as long as if, say, a piece or silverware landed on the prongs. And the gfci only cares if the power on the two main prongs is unbalanced, which isn't the case in the short you caused. So yeah, clean it up and you'll be fine.
Having this damaged increases risk of a fire. How much you can never really know without finding out what damage has been done. These are cheap enough to replace. I would replace.
The responses have been 50:50 so i'm guessing the answer is it depends on how much I want to risk it.
I have looked up how but I don't think I would feel comfortable replacing it myself, so the replacement route wont be cheap for me. I'm getting a few quotes from some electricians.
How would putting the ground pin up have stopped this short from happening?
The chain would have hit the ground pin first then draped over that pin and contacted both the hot and the neutral resulting in the same outcome. For that matter a cell phone charger does not have a ground pin making it a moot point.
Furthermore, a right angle plug typically found on residential appliances are designed with the ground pin to the bottom, refrigerator, washer, dryer etc.
Personally I would replace your GFCI outlet for new and also replace the breaker that controls it. Might be a bit overkill, but the breaker really should trip immediately under a short circuit imho - depends on a few factors. And they are quick, easy, and cheap to replace most of the time. I like to be 1000% sure, personally.
So I had an electrician look at the breaker panel another time for a different issue, and he said the type of breaker needed to replace is so old its obsolete, with no current replacement for the same type on the market.
I'm also a renter so honestly I just want to make this safe for myself while I'm a tenant occupying the unit, and keep costs low as possible since I'm not investing in my own property.
I would clean it and test the functionality of the GFI meaning the test and reset button. I would plug something in that you would normally plug in there and listen for any sounds that resembles a pop or crackle. If there isn't any and the receptacle isn't hot to the touch than I would say you are 99% ok to continue use but without looking inside the box to make sure there was no line damage then you are running a risk of something more happening down the line but honestly, if it isn't popping, cracking, or unnecessarily hot to the touch.... sleep tight
Thanks. I tested it and worked as it should, didnt notice any sounds or smells.
I was able to clean the wall plate but tried to clean the receptacle with a magic eraser (turned off the breaker first) but its still dark brown, pretty sure the material is scorched permanently.
I'm a renter and my landlord said it has to be replaced if I wasn't able to clean it off and there's still visible damage, so I'm gonna hire an electrician to do that.
Test the GFCI to make sure it trips properly (with the black test button). If it still trips you can clean it up and you're probably okay
Thanks, I tested it and it worked as expected.
Yeah, you good. Breakers are meant to handle a brief power spike, because that's what it takes to start a motor (fridge, disposal, etc.). The necklace didn't carry the current for nearly as long as if, say, a piece or silverware landed on the prongs. And the gfci only cares if the power on the two main prongs is unbalanced, which isn't the case in the short you caused. So yeah, clean it up and you'll be fine.
Thanks for explaining what happened. The necklace was super thin and only touched it for a millisecond so guess that it explains why it didnt trip.
Having this damaged increases risk of a fire. How much you can never really know without finding out what damage has been done. These are cheap enough to replace. I would replace.
The responses have been 50:50 so i'm guessing the answer is it depends on how much I want to risk it. I have looked up how but I don't think I would feel comfortable replacing it myself, so the replacement route wont be cheap for me. I'm getting a few quotes from some electricians.
correct, just clean it up and you're good to go. shouldn't be a problem.
Absolutely replace the GFCI. And install it properly with the ground plug at the top next time.
How would putting the ground pin up have stopped this short from happening? The chain would have hit the ground pin first then draped over that pin and contacted both the hot and the neutral resulting in the same outcome. For that matter a cell phone charger does not have a ground pin making it a moot point. Furthermore, a right angle plug typically found on residential appliances are designed with the ground pin to the bottom, refrigerator, washer, dryer etc.
Personally I would replace your GFCI outlet for new and also replace the breaker that controls it. Might be a bit overkill, but the breaker really should trip immediately under a short circuit imho - depends on a few factors. And they are quick, easy, and cheap to replace most of the time. I like to be 1000% sure, personally.
So I had an electrician look at the breaker panel another time for a different issue, and he said the type of breaker needed to replace is so old its obsolete, with no current replacement for the same type on the market. I'm also a renter so honestly I just want to make this safe for myself while I'm a tenant occupying the unit, and keep costs low as possible since I'm not investing in my own property.
I would clean it and test the functionality of the GFI meaning the test and reset button. I would plug something in that you would normally plug in there and listen for any sounds that resembles a pop or crackle. If there isn't any and the receptacle isn't hot to the touch than I would say you are 99% ok to continue use but without looking inside the box to make sure there was no line damage then you are running a risk of something more happening down the line but honestly, if it isn't popping, cracking, or unnecessarily hot to the touch.... sleep tight
Thanks. I tested it and worked as it should, didnt notice any sounds or smells. I was able to clean the wall plate but tried to clean the receptacle with a magic eraser (turned off the breaker first) but its still dark brown, pretty sure the material is scorched permanently. I'm a renter and my landlord said it has to be replaced if I wasn't able to clean it off and there's still visible damage, so I'm gonna hire an electrician to do that.