Marinco power cord damage November 13, 2008, 03:02:41 pm Yahoo Message Number: 97233Just noticed today when plugging in that on of the flat prongs had signs of heat damage. On the plug head where prong exits it was black about 3 mm wide and there was slight sign of melting. It seems to be working OK. Is it safe to continue to use it? Also, any ideas as to what would cause this?Jim C[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: Marinco power cord damage Reply #1 – November 13, 2008, 08:10:05 pm Yahoo Message Number: 97235I should add that I have a Progressive Ind built
Re: Marinco power cord damage Reply #2 – November 13, 2008, 09:02:07 pm Yahoo Message Number: 97236"On the plug head where prong exits it was black about 3 mm wide and there was slight sign of melting. Is it safe to continue to use it?"Overheating of the type you describe can be caused by a poor connection within the plug (for example, due to broken strands in the cable, or a failing solder or crimp joint); by a poor connection within the socket; or possibly by oxidation of the prongs, though this is the least likely cause.Regardless of the cause, your plug is damaged, and I'd recommend replacing it as soon as possible to prevent the possibility of a dangerous meltdown and/or fire. Make sure you get the right type--not all 30A plugs have the same physical prong configuration.Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Re: Marinco power cord damage Reply #3 – November 13, 2008, 09:02:38 pm Yahoo Message Number: 97237Jim, One of the things that might cause prong damage is plugging the cord into a live outlet and then connecting the cord to the rig. This would especially be a problem if a heavy power load, such as say the air conditioner, is already turned ON. But, even the converter, which is always ON, is not a trivial load if the house batteries are not fully charged. While the power cord is being slowly connected to the rig, all the current is trying to pass through a small area of contact. Small area of contact equates to higher electrical resistance and hence heat. The small area of contact will have arcing which may leave the black marks and pitting on the prong. To avoid the problem turn OFF the circuit breaker at the outlet. Then it doesn't matter whether you first plug the power cable into the outlet or attach it to the rig. A solid connection will be
Re: Marinco power cord damage Reply #4 – November 13, 2008, 09:08:41 pm Yahoo Message Number: 97239Jim, The burning or melting of the plug material is caused by heat (obviously). The heat is caused by a poor or "high resistance" connection. This could be the connection inside the female receptacle into which you are plugging in the male plug (e.g. the contacts in the receptacle are not pinching down on the blade properly, or they have surface corrosion etc). Or, it might be the inside the male plug, where the blade is attached to the wire, there is a poor or broken connection. I wouldn't recommend using the plug until you find and correct the cause. Worst case would be a fire.bumper
Re: Marinco power cord damage Reply #5 – November 14, 2008, 05:39:59 pm Yahoo Message Number: 97257I think the common cause of this problem is old/fatigued/damaged sockets at the pedestal. Of course damage is also done to the plug. I would agree that you need to replace the plug if there is significant damage. I have seen quite a few bad 30A sockets over the years and have reported them to the operators/owners. Of course who knows if they were replaced. Jack
Topic: Marinco power cord damage (Read 3 times)
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Topic: Marinco power cord damage (Read 3 times)
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