10 mins in to Boil this happens YIKES !!!.....

[setmash]

Those are 60 Amp rated blocks and max 44 Amps was going through them..took me 40 mins to make the repair and wort had cooled to 78 degrees. Once I fixed I did a normal boil from the start (initial hops were already in the wort).....Its in the fermenter and bubbling away, anybody have any ideas if the beer will be affected by the interruption and temp drop ?

[Hairybiker]

Doubt the beer will be bothered.
I have had similar, with 20A ones with 10A running through them. Found out 1st time when the fuse blew, 2nd time the top of the case was getting hot, so switched off and checked.
I blame poor Chinese quality.

[Pinto]

You sure those are 60 amp rated blocks ? Those look like 30A ones to me - especially if thats a single 6mm2 cable going into the LHS; true 60A blocks are HUGE (as in three of them near fill a 100mm round junction block) - should be able to accommodate 16mm2 cables

Thing is once they start to tarnish and charr with 40A being pulled through em, its a runaway process and you're lucky that wasnt a full blown fire.

I've seen cheapy chinese blocks "rated" to 60A and i've seen exactly what happened to yours when they're used too...

On your main question tho - as long as you resumed the boil and finished it, the worst that would happen is under-utilisation of the hops and slightly lower bitterness.

[Jim]

I'm not saying this is the case here, but if a connector is not fully tightened up, it is more likely to heat up under high current flow.

[lord groan]

doesn't matter what the rating is, if the connected wire doesn't have all its individual filaments screwed down tight and a lot are effectively loose in the choccy block then its going to overheat. Maybe some of the copper strands escaped around the side of the clamping screw as it was tightehed?

Reminds me -I was site manager at an office block years ago, the lights were flickering, had been for weeks! Long story short -the phase 'tail' coming from the substation hadn't had the bolt screwing it down fully tightened, result = reduced contact = reduced capacity = a copper cable roughly 1-1.5" in diameter being red hot and dripping liquid copper onto the floor. I'd never seen a sparky turn white and run away before! He pushed me out of the plant room and shouted that everything - computers, lights, everything had to be powered off NOW!

All was well in the end but that taught me all about making certain that screwed down wires have all strands fully clamped down

[Fil]

fwiw i bought some 15a blocks off ebay and got what looks like 5a jobbies.. till reading this i was thinking wtf use em anyway.. Now i think i will back off that plan..

[boingy]

I'm not saying this is the case here, but if a connector is not fully tightened up, it is more likely to heat up under high current flow.

This.

[Fastline]

I think setmash is happy/not bothered with the cause of the melt down just more worried about his beer

Looking at that lot must have a good idea about electrickery

Think problem is you need more buttons more timers more overloads and more shiney

Keep up the good work i see no problem here just a small overload nothing to see here keep going nothing to see here...

[chris_bobuk]

You'd be better of investing in some klippon block or even better din rail mounted gear by them. Also I see you have not crimped solid terminal on the cables, when using stranded cable it is best practice to crimp the ends before putting into the terminal.
Don't get get me wrong all the smaller size cables I'm guilty of not doing this but when your pulling 44amps I would be crimping them as you get a better clamp onto them, even tin them with solder is better then nothing.

[setmash]

Thanks guys for the feedback.I was going to originally install a DIN system but didnt have space in the box. Im going to upgrade to Ceramic high powered blocks and yes I will crimp the cables this time I thought the blocks looked a bit crap when I put them in, el' cheapo Chinese.

Thanks for the feedback on the beer, it sounds like it will be fine.

[themadhippy]

even tin them with solder is better then nothing.

is about the worst thing you can do when using screw down terminals.Over a short period of time,regardless of how tight you do the terminal up IT will work loose.

[chris_bobuk]

even tin them with solder is better then nothing.

is about the worst thing you can do when using screw down terminals.Over a short period of time,regardless of how tight you do the terminal up IT will work loose.

Under pressure the solder can creep over time, as a maintenance procedure you should be checking all terminals are tight anyway as all loosen off over time be it tinned or crimped.
On high current ends I like to crimp then add a touch of solder to seal and make a better connection.
Everyone will do it their own way and at the end of the day we are only offering advice.

[themadhippy]

Under pressure the solder can creep over time

About a month if the current project is anything to go by, but have yet to find a properly crimped and tightened termination working loose.
Although it aint made the uk regs there are a few places were tinning cable ends on screw terminals is against the local rules,germany dos not like any solder connections on mains cabling,a pain in the rear when your lighting socas are all soldered

[chris_bobuk]

Fully agree with you that crimped are far better for not working loose, I've seen a 0.5mm2 with a boot lace crimp work loose and shutdown a whole oil rig as well.
The only thing I would say if you go the crimp route is to check the profile of the new connector block, if it is round use a pin type end crimp not a flat end as these take much more force to bend to the shape and will loosen if not done right.
Ceramic block from all the ones I've used are square terminal so you would use a flat crimp for them which are usually grooved on one side so that they grip well and are not easily pulled out.

[boingy]

Definitely, definitely do not solder ends that are going into screw terminals. You need a bit of springiness to keep the screw tight.
Crimps/ferules are fine, or get blocks that include a spreader plate.

It's also worth considering separate housing for high and low voltage stuff. That way if a mains wire does work loose (or melt loose...) it is not going to land on your control board.