Poor Install. Potential Fire

This repair was a Frigidaire Double Wall Oven with a blown control. I had not discovered the cause of the blown control, but after replacing it found I was missing power on one line. When I was not able to find the source of the issue, I eventually decided to pull the oven and check the electrical supply. This is what I found.

The electrician/installer 8 years earlier had used the wrong wire nuts and when he twisted them on, he pushed most of the wall oven wire strands out of the physical connection. There was enough contact for the oven to work but over time the amp draw through these poor connections began to heat up and melt out the nuts and eventually enough carbon built up to break the connection. The only thing that saved this customer from a house fire was the metal junction box (which curiously was also not correct = the installer used a Hexagonal Junction Box instead of the correct 4×4 Junction Box.)

Hiring the cheapest electrician (or appliance repairman) is not always the best option.