Had a weird power surge fry a brand new panel in a Phoenix attic

I was finishing an install in a 90 degree attic last month, just about to power up a fresh DSC Neo panel. I plugged in the transformer, heard a pop, and saw smoke. The whole thing was dead. Turns out the homeowner had a faulty AC unit on the same circuit that was sending random voltage spikes. I had to pull the whole panel, drive 40 minutes to the supplier for a new one, and rewire everything on the spot. The worst part was explaining the delay and extra cost. Now I carry a basic outlet tester and check nearby loads before I plug anything in. Has anyone else run into weird power issues like that in an attic?

3 comments

3 Comments

matthew_wilson224mo ago

Man, that's brutal. I've had a cheapo motion sensor get cooked from a bad ground in an old house, but a whole new panel is next level pain. That drive back to the supplier alone sounds like a special kind of torture, especially in that heat. It makes total sense to start checking the outlets now, I might have to steal that idea. Just a really expensive way to learn a lesson.

betty_scott184mo ago

Yeah, that drive back is the worst part. Makes you want to just sit in the parking lot and stare into the middle distance.

verab282mo ago

Drove an hour back to the supplier three times in one week because of a stupid faulty breaker I swore was the issue. Ended up just sitting in the parking lot blasting the AC and staring at the dashboard like a zombie before finally heading home. That moment when you're too drained to even process the rage, you just exist in the heat and the silence.