> My question is, why didn't this trip the breaker? And why did
> it keep working for some period of time? (How long does it
> take for a rodent to become a skeleton inside a wall?) There
> was clear evidence of arcing -- the paper that wraps the bare
> ground wire was charred. I replaced the breaker, on
> principle, but it is a bit worrying.
Just a WAG ... I'd say the "short" was through part of the mouse and high
enough resistance that it never drew enough current to trip the breaker.
Most likely the wire was not chewed through all the way, only partially, and
it later broke from thermal flexing or whatever (same thing that makes old
floors creak when no one is walking on them).
Randall
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