Watt Microwave
Several years back, I worked for a well known marine supply in Seattle, Washington on the store's engine and electrical parts counter. It was while working there, that I witnessed some truly scary occurrences with shore power cords and all were ONE HUNDRED PERCENT preventable.
One of the biggest offenses I witnessed was, at intervals of every couple of weeks, someone would come in looking for a replacement 50 amp shore power cord end. This always raised red flags at our counter. Inevitably, we'd find out that the customer had fished a "perfectly good" 50 amp shore power cord from the dumpster. convinced that the scorched/burned/melted end was all that was wrong, they were just looking to replace the end. Folks, it was probably in the dumpster for a reason. We repeatedly explained to customers, and even demonstrated on more than one occasion, that many times the insulation on the wire had become embrittled from the heat and would crumble to dust for several feet back up the cord. This would likely lead to a short circuit after a few flexes and potentially a fire.I know no one wants to pay $500+ dollars for a shore power cord, but sometimes it's not only necessary but highly recommended for safety and prevention of marina fires.
We'd also see people wanting to replace their 30 amp shore power ends because the ends had become charred/melty/ or something similar. This usually occurred during the winter months (sometimes even with 50 amp cords). The culprit? Usually some combination of electric heater being used aboard the boat. Think about it. If you are on a 30 amp service and you have two 1200 watt electric heaters. Divide 1200watts by 110 volts and you get pretty close to eleven amp, multiply that by 2 (remember we have two heaters) and that means we have a draw of about 22 amps, assuming the dock actually is 110 volts. Sometimes they're less which means even more current draw. So, with the load of 22 amps, that leaves us 8 amps in ideal conditions, i.e. no corrosion in the shore power connector or no loose fit in the connector. Now factor in even the use of a microwave at about 1200 watts and you can see we're past the limits of the shore power and we haven't even factored in lights or hot water (assuming an electric hot water), or even cooking on a range or in an oven(also assuming electric).
In addition to the issues above, many would still totally overlook their boat side shore power connector, which had also become burned/scorched/ or melty. Also not good.
The remedies for this? There are several.
- Always use new, UL approved marine shore power cords with the PROPER shore power end.
- Do not use electric heaters on boats. Consider a diesel heater or some other boat specific heater.
- Check your shore power cord ends quarterly. Make sure they fit snugly and the connectors don't show signs of corrosion or heat discoloration. Also check for strange kinks or torn sheathing. If in doubt, replace it.
- Check your dockside and boatside connections as well.
- Put some lubricant such as LPS 1 or Dielectric grease on the boots and in the connectors as both can help keep out the salt air and help in the battle against corrosion.
- Be mindful of your electrical demands. Remember, watts /volts= amps
- If any doubts exist in your mind, consult a qualified ABYC(American Boat and Yacht Council) certified marine electrician.
What do you do if you do have a dockside or boatside connection issue, such as a melted connector? For a dockside outlet, contact your marina management immediately. A good marina manager will appreciate this. If it's a boatside connection, contact a qualified certified ABYC marine electrician. If you're familiar with the ABYC code, you could do it yourself, but if you have even the slightest doubt, go with the pro. If you tackle it yourself. Be sure to get the right fitting (both Hubbell and Marinco offer them) and be sure to check the wiring from the outlet to the distribution panel as well as heat could have caused embrittlment of this insulation as well. Replacing this wire could well be cheap insurance.
Hope this helps some out there. And happy cruising!
CE Benz
http://www.boat-led.com
Boat-LED.com is headquarted in the greater Seattle area and run by people with close to 20 years of experience in the marine industry and an unnatural fascination with lighting, particularly LED. Article authored by Cameron Benz. Background includes about 10years in the marine industry with a focus on engine parts and marine electrical systems.
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