# Heat gun, hot plug



## Aukai (Aug 16, 2020)

I have a heat gun that the plug gets hot to the touch, which means to me resistance. I pulled the wall outlet, and cut the push in wire,and did a wrap the screw instillation. it is still getting hot, do I need a better plug for the gun, it's a Wagner 1200 watts?


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## darkzero (Aug 16, 2020)

Well don't plug it in then!   

Like how hot to touch, pretty warm or uncomfortable to touch hot? I would expect a 1200W heat gun's cord to get warm if used for a while. When you were messing with the outlet did you check to see if the outlet is actually still good, like tight connection, not worn? Outlets are so cheap if I suspect one is having issues & has got some age to it or lots of use I'll just replace it. I doubt replacing the cord or plug is going to make much difference unless it's damaged or has been abused.


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## darkzero (Aug 16, 2020)

I know you've got M18 so you could always get this. No more stinkin hot plugs to worry about!


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## Aukai (Aug 16, 2020)

The house was built in 89, same outlet, and it still has tension/feels good. It was very hot/uncomfortable before the change. It is max warm/ getting hot to me. the gun is new, and needs to be on 30-40 min.


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## darkzero (Aug 16, 2020)

Our house was built in 89 also. I've replaced most of the outlets already, high usage ones more than once. I don't know much about electrical but I hate those push in connections which all the original outlets were. I've had a number of em fail at those connections.

30-40 mins is a pretty long time to keep a heat gun on for though.


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## mmcmdl (Aug 16, 2020)

I have " hot gloves " here at home Mike !  They're good for 525 degree dies .


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## Flyinfool (Aug 16, 2020)

There are cheap outlets and expensive outlets. All of the cheap ones in my shop and kitchen were getting warmer than I like. After all an outlet is an outlet as long as it has the same ratings right?  I changed them to better quality ones and they do not get hot anymore. Now I know better.


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## SLK001 (Aug 16, 2020)

It's more likely the plug heating up.  It's not unusual for a plug to heat up when pulling 10 amps or so.  Everything is a resistor and every resistor will heat up with high current draws.  It feels hot to the touch, but it is still within its design range.


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## addertooth (Aug 16, 2020)

If your house is 89, are you confident the wiring is not Aluminum?  Over time Aluminum oxidizes and creates higher resistance joints.  There was a huge lawsuit years ago over house fires caused by aluminum wiring.  

Sources of heat CAN include the surface of the Socket, where it meets the Spades that slide into the socket (the plug), over time the spring loaded contacts can become worn, and provide minimal contact, which also makes for a high resistance (high heat) connection. 

Do you have a Multimeter?


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## matthewsx (Aug 16, 2020)

That's probably just the electricity doing it's work. If the plug is melting or smoking something is definitely wrong but as has been noted the whole tool is basically a resistor with a fan attached. Yes, you can pursue this question with new outlets, cords, plugs, etc. but I bet you'd much rather be making stuff. As long as the breaker is sized right for the circuit I wouldn't worry.

John


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## johneezreno (Aug 16, 2020)

Most commonly home replacement outlets are 15amps. Because they are cheap. If it's a primary outlet getting used with high amperage devices, you need to pay the extra buck twenty-five and put in a 30amp plug. Also check the gage going to the outlet. Aluminum is bad. Copper is good. With higher amp draw you'll want a thicker gauge wire. Besides the plug getting hot, your outlet is getting hot, which more than likely the wires feeding the outlet are getting dangerously hot as well. Go big or go.....get a fire extinguisher.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk


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## markba633csi (Aug 16, 2020)

You did good on the outlet, the screw terminals have less resistance than the push-ins.  Now just put a better quality plug on the heat gun. 
-Mark


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## RJSakowski (Aug 16, 2020)

I do not use push in connections for anything, period.  A push in connection is just a point contact.  Resistance is proportional to comnductor length and inversely proportional to conductor cross section.  Although the effective length is small, so is the localized cross sectional area.  Add oxidation over time and it's a recipe for disaster. 

A 1200 watt heat gun is drawing 10 amps.  While it isn't trivial, it shouldn't be enough to cause a hot connection.  I would try another outlet.  If the hot plug goes away, rewire the outlet.  If the plug is still hot, cut it off and replace with a proper plug.


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## Bi11Hudson (Aug 16, 2020)

Right up front, it is normal for electrical appliances to run warm. Just how warm is "warm" is the issue to deal with. A plug and socket connection is a different matter. It should never be warmer than ambient temperature. A quick test would be to run the blower until the cord plug heats up, quickly unplug the cord and see if the socket is as hot to touch as the plug. If it's warm, the socket is worn. There is a possibility that the cord is too light. If the cord gets hot it's too light. But I would be most concerned about the socket, properly known as the receptical.

"Specification" grade sockets are the norm for residential construction. Then there are the cheap ones from the hardware store that often show up as replacements. They both *will* wear out as the stabs lose spring tension. Your best bet is to *replace* any one that is questionable. To me, "hospital" grade is the minimum for a shop. Better still, a "30 Amp" socket has even stiffer springs. You won't have any more capacity, that's controlled by the breaker and should not be increased. But check that the wiring is tight at the breaker, a good practice for any circuit. The limitation there is that the "30 Amp" plugs only have 1 outlet on a strap.

Then there's the wiring in the structure. . . The date of construction indicates a possible usage of aluminium wiring. Further, it indicates possible branch circuits of 15 Amp capacity. Use of aluminium wire was outlawed(but "grandfathered") because the difference of expansion rates of aluminium wire and copper wire. As they "work" they expand and contract. Over time this yields "loose" connections which gives even more heat which in turn causes still looser connections. Basically, a forward feedback situation, getting worse with time. A loose connection will get looser over time. Yes, I repeat myself, intentionally. Another thing is that if the wiring* is aluminium*, be sure to use the conductive grease when replacing the plug.

Now, to more personal insights. When I bought my house (1975) I rewired it throughout. With *copper*. . . Because I use electrical circuits heavily, I used 20 Amp branch circuits throughout. Such eventually became code, but later. The original wiring pre-dated "Romex" cable, hell it predated cables, period. I installed a number of 30 Amp plugs so I could use heavy appliances throughout the house. At the time, I worked for an electrical contractor and lost the job because I didn't like Al wire. . . And said so, many times. The only Al wiring I have is the service entrance and the range plug. And 20 years later, *aeriel* cables to the shop and barn. I have replaced a number of sockets for worn springs over the years, it happens. Nothing lasts "forever".

Bill Hudson​


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## CluelessNewB (Aug 16, 2020)

I don't know of any 120V *30* amp receptacle that accepts a standard NEMA 5-15P style plug.


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## Bi11Hudson (Aug 16, 2020)

They do exist. . . I don't know the part designation but they are common in hardware stores. Just like a 240V 30A receptical, but the "T" is on the opposite side and the other slot is vertical.

.


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## RJSakowski (Aug 16, 2020)

Virutally every portable appliance uses a molded plug.  Molded plugs have crimped connections.  A bad crimp can cause a high resistance connection which would cause localized overheating.


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## Aukai (Aug 16, 2020)

Great insight guys, when I pulled the wall fixture the first time, the plug was hot enough to not be able to hold it after pulling. When I changed the wire to the screw down type(same outlet) it is much, much better, but warm enough to make me ask about it. The wire is copper, and I want to change out the outlet, but my choice here is Home Depot. I would rather get a quality one online if I knew what to order, and probably retrofit the house one by one. I do have a multi meter, but my electrical abilities are limited, I do know what 110v feels like though, and I do drop it much faster if it's a spark plug wire


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## markba633csi (Aug 16, 2020)

Home Depot has some good stuff, you just have to pay a little more.  Sounds like the outlet was the biggest part of the problem
-Mark


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## CluelessNewB (Aug 16, 2020)

Bi11Hudson said:


> They do exist. . . I don't know the part designation but they are common in hardware stores. Just like a 240V 30A receptical, but the "T" is on the opposite side and the other slot is vertical.
> 
> .



If you mean like this, it is a* 20 *amp.  NEMA 5-20


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## westerner (Aug 16, 2020)

darkzero said:


> I hate those push in connections which all the original outlets were.


Yup. Those sort of connections were common in the automotive (DC) world a few years back. They are gone, and for good reason. 
The bloody 'Scotch Locks" persist, until I become President. At that point, simple 'possession' will be a hanging offense....


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## Bi11Hudson (Aug 16, 2020)

That is indeed a 20A receptical. In the advertisments it is referred to as "hospital" grade. It is also "*duplex*", having two sockets on the strap. Look for the same socket configuration with a larger overall, single, round connector. There is one that is rated 30A. They will be identified on the box as such. Home Depot had some for sale some three or four months back so I know they're still aqvailable. 
*Leviton*, a good brand. I needed one and it was right there, front and center. There is also one even larger but it's a 50A and the next size larger strap. They fit an older Lincoln buzzbox, the one with copper windings. A little smaller than a range plug. Don't confuse the two.

Just for general information, hospitals are often wired from a 120V, 3 phase, delta connected transformer. There is no neutral, either side of the plug is above ground, some 55 volts. If they vary, one up, the other down, there is a problem in the supply. Handy for troubleshooting but a pain in the wazoo for working with. But it helps with having the "line" so low to ground with all the instrumentation a hospital has connected. Getting "zapped" doesn't hurt as bad.

.


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## CluelessNewB (Aug 17, 2020)

The 30 amp NEMA 5-30 is a larger connector and will not accept  a standard NEMA 5-15P style plug. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NEMA_connector#:~:text=All NEMA 1 devices are,inch (12.7 mm) apart.


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## markba633csi (Aug 17, 2020)

I liked Eagle electrical products, good quality and value.  Swept away by unrelenting economic forces
-Mark


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## pontiac428 (Aug 17, 2020)

A 20 amp outlet from Leviton or Eaton will do nicely.

Here is something to consider, since you plug (if it's not the receptacle) is overheating.  Wagner is a German company, and those appliances were originally specified with 230v power.  When they design for the North American market, they upgrade the wire and components, sort of.  The wires are still pretty skinny.  The crimping process may be the same for the 110v and 130v version of the appliance.  Just saying.  I have a lot of European appliances, this can be a problem.  After replacing your outlet, if you still get heat, try replacing the appliance cord and plug with good 12 ga stuff.


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## Aukai (Aug 17, 2020)

Thank you I'll check on it


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## graham-xrf (Aug 17, 2020)

RJSakowski said:


> I do not use push in connections for anything, period.  A push in connection is just a point contact.  Resistance is proportional to comnductor length and inversely proportional to conductor cross section.  Although the effective length is small, so is the localized cross sectional area.  Add oxidation over time and it's a recipe for disaster.
> 
> A 1200 watt heat gun is drawing 10 amps.  While it isn't trivial, it shouldn't be enough to cause a hot connection.  I would try another outlet.  If the hot plug goes away, rewire the outlet.  If the plug is still hot, cut it off and replace with a proper plug.


In general, you are right - but when you need a compact, low insertion force, very high current plug/socket pin contact, there are technologies that ensure you end up with more than three small area high pressure points of contact. The patent expired long ago, but they look like *THESE*. Much loved by the military.

For in the shop, where possible, connect via hard-wired rated isolator box mounted on the wall, or wherever. I use "SY" flexible armored cable. It has a steel braid under a tough transparent jacket.

The use of 110V of course runs double the current, and 4 x the heating losses as compared to a power socket in the UK, but even so, it should not run uncomfortably hot. A UK system puts the fuse inside the plug, and runs a thermo-magnetic trip switched ring main. The current gets to the socket from both ways around the ring, of 2.5mm^2 , or 4mm^2 conductors, depending on route length. I don't know the norm for US wiring, but I would think that if there was no fuse in the plug, it would be "star" network distribution, with the cables protected at the distribution box source.

Warm is OK, but if you cant keep your hand on it, it's too much!


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## BGHansen (Aug 18, 2020)

Do you have an electric hair dryer you can plug into the same outlet?  I think ours is 1500 watts.  That'd let you split the dictionary between the wall plug and the appliance.  If both appliances get hot at the plug, try a different outlet.  If cooler there, problem is the outlet.  If one appliance gets hot and not the other, problem is in the plug of the hot appliance.

Bruce


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## Suzuki4evr (Aug 18, 2020)

darkzero said:


> Well don't plug it in then!


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## Aukai (Aug 18, 2020)

Thank you Mr Hanson, much more constructive than SOME people


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## BGHansen (Aug 18, 2020)

Aukai said:


> Thank you Mr Hanson, much more constructive than SOME people


I'm sure you'd get lots of offers for a "house call" this winter.  Especially if you paid the air fare.

Bruce


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## westerner (Aug 18, 2020)

BGHansen said:


> I'm sure you'd get lots of offers for a "house call" this winter.


Hell, Ya! My test equipment will fit easily into a small bag, and will certainly pass thru security. You have all we need anyway....

As the snow piles up, my reluctance to travel diminishes proportionately.


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## Aukai (Aug 19, 2020)

I won't be going anywhere for awhile.


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## SLK001 (Aug 19, 2020)

BGHansen said:


> I'm sure you'd get lots of offers for a "house call" this winter.  Especially if you paid the air fare.
> 
> Bruce



I believe that Hawaii is on complete lock-down.


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## Aukai (Aug 19, 2020)

14 day mandatory quarantine traveling into Hawaii, 14 day mandatory quarantine if I leave Kauai to visit another island even upon returning.


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