Forum Discussion

Calkidd's avatar
Calkidd
Explorer
Sep 01, 2015

220 Volt mishap

I went to plug in my RV inside my parents shop my dad had wired. The outlet is a 220 volts with three prongs. Something similar you would plug in a welder or compressor. I used the 30 amp RV receptacle adapter and plug in the trailer. The trailer is set up for 50 amp service also.

I think I screwed something up. When I plugged it in the transfer switch began to buzz really loud. I quickly unplugged it and plugged back in the 15 amp 110 volt plug.

I was told the 30 amp side of the RV is NOT 220 unlike the 50 amp service side.

Every other electrical appliance and plug still work, EXCEPT the frig. It will not work on AC, but will work on gas. There is power to the plug in the access panel. I took out the electrical board and none of the two tube type fuses were blown nor did I see and evidence of a burnt electrical board.

Although I didn't see any evidence of damage does it sound like I fried the board?
  • sch911's avatar
    sch911
    Explorer
    Sep 01, 2015
    I think you burned out the 120V AC heating element. If it works on Gas the board is most likely good.
  • ccxnola's avatar
    ccxnola
    Explorer
    Sep 01, 2015
    This is why you should ALWAYS install one of these:
    http://tweetys.com/electrical-management-system-hardwire-50-AMP.aspx
    Clickey
    This little box has saved my 'bacon' on more than one occasion!!
  • KD4UPL's avatar
    KD4UPL
    Explorer
    Sep 01, 2015
    The outlet in your Dad's was likely a 240v 50A outlet for a welder. The 30 amp adapter for your RV shouldn't have fit very well. Sometimes people forget that just because you can get something to jam into an outlet doesn't mean you should.
    If your RV is a 50A service and you used a 30A male to 50A female adapter you would have had 240v between the hot legs of the 50A service and the neutral. That would likely burn out the frig. element. If your converter is a dual voltage input it's probably not damaged. If your AC unit was off it's likely not damaged either. I would suspect if you had a microwave plugged in it may have suffered.
    I agree that if the ref. works on gas the board should be fine. I'd check out everything thoroughly including the converter, TV, etc.
  • RoyB's avatar
    RoyB
    Explorer II
    Sep 01, 2015
    OUCH!

    Most often the on-board converter/charger unit is the first thing that blows... Most folks lose controllers for their fridge, microwave unit, and air conditioner units. Hopefully your optional 50AMP system protection electronics may have saved a bunch of high dollar failures...

    Most trailers are wired for 120VAC. The 50AMP RV is usually just two zones of 120VAC... A very few of the high-end RV Motorhome/trailers actually use 220VAC for the built-in Clothes Dryers.

    Most of the time it takes about $3000 dollars to get everything back to normal working order when this happens... Immediately pulling the cord out is not fast enough. That stuffs travels at the speed of light....

    You hear alot of this when the local unknowing Electricians are hired to wire up pedestals for the RVs... Thank goodness the good ones are bonded and have insurance.

    Roy Ken
  • Dave_and_Sue's avatar
    Dave_and_Sue
    Explorer
    Sep 01, 2015
    You were lucky this time.I just lost about $1000.00 in damages from a no neutral 50 amp plug.Lost my surge protector,micro wave and my convertor.My surge protector passed the 240 into the 5 er.Dealing with the camp grounds insurance company now.I went ahead a bought the progressive ems 50 amp portable unit this time.Have had to replace everything as we are leaving on a long trip next week.Hope the settle up quick.Get and use you some protection.
  • time2roll's avatar
    time2roll
    Nomad
    Sep 01, 2015
    Calkidd wrote:
    Although I didn't see any evidence of damage does it sound like I fried the board?
    Board is probably fine. Heating element is probably toast.

    Dad needs to install a NEMA 14-50R for you to plug in.

    BTW check your converter is putting out 13.6 volts.
  • Calkidd's avatar
    Calkidd
    Explorer
    Sep 01, 2015
    KD4UPL wrote:
    The outlet in your Dad's was likely a 240v 50A outlet for a welder. The 30 amp adapter for your RV shouldn't have fit very well. Sometimes people forget that just because you can get something to jam into an outlet doesn't mean you should.
    If your RV is a 50A service and you used a 30A male to 50A female adapter you would have had 240v between the hot legs of the 50A service and the neutral. That would likely burn out the frig. element. If your converter is a dual voltage input it's probably not damaged. If your AC unit was off it's likely not damaged either. I would suspect if you had a microwave plugged in it may have suffered.
    I agree that if the ref. works on gas the board should be fine. I'd check out everything thoroughly including the converter, TV, etc.


    Correct the two 30 amp plugs do look similar, but the 30 amp RV has two angled prongs, while the household has straight prongs. I would have damaged the plugs before I forced them together. It's too long of a story to explain how I connected the two and doesn't really pertain to this. Since we have established I screwed up.

    Your explanation of using the adapter is correct, that's what happened. Of course I know this now after it was explained to me.

    The converter is a Progressive Dynamics. So far everything AC is working properly except for the frig.

    Second question. Someone said to wire the 50 amp receptacle with the two hot leads from the current 220v and the ground, and drop the neutral (common) wire. But there is another post here where a trailer was damaged because there was no neutral.

    I understand this is not the way to correctly do this, but will I damage my trailer (again)?
  • Calkidd's avatar
    Calkidd
    Explorer
    Sep 01, 2015
    smkettner wrote:
    Calkidd wrote:
    Although I didn't see any evidence of damage does it sound like I fried the board?
    Board is probably fine. Heating element is probably toast.

    Dad needs to install a NEMA 14-50R for you to plug in.

    BTW check your converter is putting out 13.6 volts.
    I bought one today, but I asked the question if it is necessary to have the neutral. Now the more I type about it I realize this is a stupid question. Of course it is necessary how else can the power return? I would think it would go back through the ground God knows what else I would have damaged.

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