Quick question for any electricians

[vonmises]

Can anyone tell me what the black thing of the right side is on this electrical box?

http://imgur.com/VvgoW.jpg

Thanks

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

I'm not an electrician but, it's got a power, neutral and, ground going to it. Some kind of plug in?

 

[seemingly random]

Interesting. I'm no electrician but have done quite a bit of personal work. I haven't seen anything like it - but then I don't work for any intelligence organizations.

 

[vonmises]

I'm not an electrician but, it's got a power, neutral and, ground going to it. Some kind of plug in?

From what I can tell, its just like a black cylinder with no outlet. The box goes to three ceiling lights.

I've never seen it, and I've asked a few people who have no idea what it is.

 

[Colt45]

Ask the FBI.

 

[Zepper]

Maybe an unused lighting stub. Hard to tell, but I seem to see a lot of unprotected ends there. Very unsafe unless the box isn't live.

.bh.

 

[olds]

Can't really tell from that pic.

 

[boomerang]

What country do you live in?

The point being that nobody knows what it is. This makes me think you don't live in the U.S., so the majority here will not recognize it.

Some months back someone posted pictures of plumbing and asked what a certain component was. Everybody was confused. The poster was from Canada. I was surprised how differently things were done there.

 

[AlienCraft]

Can't really tell from that pic.

Yeah, I'm with you. Can't see what's hanging out of "the black stump".
AND what the end looks like.
Could be a cut off lamp wire.

 

[Number1]

This is not a regular electrical box. What does it connect to? Is it a light box?

 

[bruceb]

Wild, but educated guess, that box is going to or is for an attic vent fan and that thing is an ambient temp sensor. When it gets over the temp setting, it closes the circuit to the fan. It could also be a photocell sensor to turn the circuit on or off when dark or light out.

 

[DrPizza]

Not the right angle to see from, but I'm guessing it's just the short part of a couple of rods that connect together so the box can be secured between two adjacent areas. The other rod that would slide over that one is missing.

 

[LTC8K6]

Temp sensor?

Current/wattage limiter?

Little black doohickey?

 

[vonmises]

I'm in the US. The wires running into it are two hot and one neutral. The end fells like a solid piece of metal, though I can't see it. The wires aren't normally exposed like that, I was seeing where I was getting power to.

It connects to the recessed ceiling lights in my finished attic, so I can't teal The light this connects to stopped working, but other two still work. Someone mentioned a temp sensor, and I'm thinking that is a good guess.

 

[bruceb]

You just answered your own question. It is a Thermal Overload Protector for the recessed lights so they do not overheat and cause a fire.