This discussion raises an interesting question in my mind, that is --
what do the 'dog bone' 50 to 30 amp adapters do with the round pin ground
lead?
I have a dog bone adapter that I often use, and I'll get a meter and see
over the weekend where it goes.
The potential problem for electrocution would occur if the 30 amp circuit
were improperly wired. That's one level of potential problem.
Beyond that, (and I'm just thinking out loud here) I also often use a 220 by
30 amp to 110 by 15 amp adapter. If the 15~20 amp duplex circuit is wired
incorrectly, that would put the 'hot' side of the circuit in the wrong
place.
Darren, that's what got everybody all riled up.
Don't take offense -- none of us want to see you get fried. I read Emery's
response much more literally, *dead* as in not living.
Such a tragedy with the story of the girls... and so easily prevented had
the power source for the camper been a GFI, or they used an in-line GFI.
I just really have to wonder now where the third wire ground is going....
does it make it through this rube goldberg mess? I'd suspect that there are
a lot of us that have used this arrangement over the years, and maybe we
were always 'lucky'.
My wife lost a professional co-worker last summer, (our area's leading
gynecologist) when he was hooking up a small battery charger to a jet-ski.
Such a tragic loss, compounded by the fact that he had replaced the broken
GFI at his home with a 39 cent duplex outlet.
One thing I know for sure, I'm going to get an in-line GFI like we use on
job sites and make it a part of my power supply system. Today.
This is a short extension cord like device that puts a GFI (shock stopper)
in the power system when on 110 shore power at a campground that may not
have GFI's. I'll report back on my findings of availability and price, but I
don't expect to have a problem finding one.
I've worked around power for a long time, AC/DC and RF, and I've already
used up about 7 of my 9 lives. (I chalk this up to the invincibility of
youth, by the way.) An in-line GFI looks like a cheap investment to me.
Just offering my observations.
Mark
| -----Original Message-----
| From: owner-gmcmotorhome
| [mailto
wner-gmcmotorhome]On Behalf Of
| RickStapls
| Sent: Friday, July 02, 1999 3:46 AM
| To: gmcmotorhome
| Subject: Re: GMC: Temporary Shore Power
|
|
|
| > Does this mean that the ground in the panel in the RV be
| grounded to the
| > chassis
| > and not to the shore plug? Does the neutral wire have to be
| connected to
| > shore
| > power? The generator is self explanatory, as the genset can only be
| grounded
| > to
| > the frame. What happens to the ground wire in the shore power plug?
|
| Daren,
| The GROUND wires (bare/green) in the RV are grounded to the
| chassis AND
| through the shore plug ground wire, IIRC. The neutral wire MUST
| be connected
| to shore (if shore power is being used) as it is one half of the
| shore power
| circuit. (Neutral and hot.) (Ignoring the special case of 240V
| appliances
| in the coach.)
| Perhaps the point to be emphasized is that the NEUTRAL and
| GROUND are two
| separate wires with separate functions. The neutral wire is part
| and parcel
| of the power supply circuit. When plugged into 120V power, it
| carries the
| full current being used (with a 240V campsite the current it
| carries varies
| up to the full load.)
| The GROUND wire NEVER carries any current unless there is a problem
| (short-circuit). The ground and neutral are ONLY connected to
| each other at
| the house or campground main entrance, and only there can the neutral be
| considered "ground".
| HTH.
|
| Rick Staples
| '75 Eleganza
| Louisville, CO
|
what do the 'dog bone' 50 to 30 amp adapters do with the round pin ground
lead?
I have a dog bone adapter that I often use, and I'll get a meter and see
over the weekend where it goes.
The potential problem for electrocution would occur if the 30 amp circuit
were improperly wired. That's one level of potential problem.
Beyond that, (and I'm just thinking out loud here) I also often use a 220 by
30 amp to 110 by 15 amp adapter. If the 15~20 amp duplex circuit is wired
incorrectly, that would put the 'hot' side of the circuit in the wrong
place.
Darren, that's what got everybody all riled up.
Don't take offense -- none of us want to see you get fried. I read Emery's
response much more literally, *dead* as in not living.
Such a tragedy with the story of the girls... and so easily prevented had
the power source for the camper been a GFI, or they used an in-line GFI.
I just really have to wonder now where the third wire ground is going....
does it make it through this rube goldberg mess? I'd suspect that there are
a lot of us that have used this arrangement over the years, and maybe we
were always 'lucky'.
My wife lost a professional co-worker last summer, (our area's leading
gynecologist) when he was hooking up a small battery charger to a jet-ski.
Such a tragic loss, compounded by the fact that he had replaced the broken
GFI at his home with a 39 cent duplex outlet.
One thing I know for sure, I'm going to get an in-line GFI like we use on
job sites and make it a part of my power supply system. Today.
This is a short extension cord like device that puts a GFI (shock stopper)
in the power system when on 110 shore power at a campground that may not
have GFI's. I'll report back on my findings of availability and price, but I
don't expect to have a problem finding one.
I've worked around power for a long time, AC/DC and RF, and I've already
used up about 7 of my 9 lives. (I chalk this up to the invincibility of
youth, by the way.) An in-line GFI looks like a cheap investment to me.
Just offering my observations.
Mark
| -----Original Message-----
| From: owner-gmcmotorhome
| [mailto
| RickStapls
| Sent: Friday, July 02, 1999 3:46 AM
| To: gmcmotorhome
| Subject: Re: GMC: Temporary Shore Power
|
|
|
| > Does this mean that the ground in the panel in the RV be
| grounded to the
| > chassis
| > and not to the shore plug? Does the neutral wire have to be
| connected to
| > shore
| > power? The generator is self explanatory, as the genset can only be
| grounded
| > to
| > the frame. What happens to the ground wire in the shore power plug?
|
| Daren,
| The GROUND wires (bare/green) in the RV are grounded to the
| chassis AND
| through the shore plug ground wire, IIRC. The neutral wire MUST
| be connected
| to shore (if shore power is being used) as it is one half of the
| shore power
| circuit. (Neutral and hot.) (Ignoring the special case of 240V
| appliances
| in the coach.)
| Perhaps the point to be emphasized is that the NEUTRAL and
| GROUND are two
| separate wires with separate functions. The neutral wire is part
| and parcel
| of the power supply circuit. When plugged into 120V power, it
| carries the
| full current being used (with a 240V campsite the current it
| carries varies
| up to the full load.)
| The GROUND wire NEVER carries any current unless there is a problem
| (short-circuit). The ground and neutral are ONLY connected to
| each other at
| the house or campground main entrance, and only there can the neutral be
| considered "ground".
| HTH.
|
| Rick Staples
| '75 Eleganza
| Louisville, CO
|