Accidentally plugged into 220v

[xnizstudio]

So yes I made a mistake and wired the RV outlet into a 240v dual pole breaker at the house . The converter is toast . I have a keystone Laredo fifth wheel .

I took the tv and microwave out and tested inside my house. They seemed okay. At the time of the overload , the AC was powered off. So I know that it’s hard
To say what else burned up. I’m hoping since the microwave and tv still work that nothing else was damaged . It was plugged In for about 20 seconds. Smoke was coming from the converter . The replacement converter will be here tomorrow. Hopefully this is the only damage.

I talked to my insurance company and they will cover any damage .

Just figured I’d post here and let you guys know how it goes.

At least I only have a $100 deductible 😕

Edit: The following page outlines the difference between 240v and 120v breaker layouts/installments.

https://www.thespruce.com/installing-a-240-volt-circuit-breaker-1824649

A 3-wire, 240-volt circuit has two hot wires—each supplying 120 volts for a total of 240—and an equipment ground wire. A 120-volt circuit has only one hot wire connected to the breaker plus a neutral wire connected to the neutral bus bar in the service panel.

The wiring was fine. I just had the incorrect breaker. You can wire a dual pole 240v breaker to only put out 110/120v but, thats not the best practice and will more than likely fail inspection. So before you reply and comment about incorrect wiring, the wiring was not the issue, having the incorrect breaker was the issue.

[twodownzero]

Ed_Gee wrote:

Yup....lots of ignorance here.....one does not plug anything into a 'breaker'. That device simply installs in your house breaker box. The question is what did you actually plug your RV into.....my guess is an electric dryer 220v outlet, many of which will unfortunately mate with an RV 30A 120VAC plug. But glad your damage was held to a minimum. Could have been far more costly!

If you're going to be critical, why don't you at least read the thread before running off at the keyboard?

[Ed_Gee]

westernrvparkowner wrote:

xnizstudio wrote:

Ed_Gee wrote:

kmb1966 wrote:
how can a 30 amp rv plug fit into a 220 outlet? I have never seen one that fits.

Lots of ignorance on this issue. Take a look at your 220V electric dryer outlet if you don't know how a 30A RV plug can fit into a 220 outlet.

Do you really think I’m stupid enough to force a plug into a socket that doesn’t fit ? I’m not that ignorant. It was an honest mistake that the guy sold me the wrong breaker

It isn't the breaker. The entire wiring is wrong. This isn't on the guy selling breakers, it is on whoever wired the breaker and wired the outlet.

Yup....lots of ignorance here.....one does not plug anything into a 'breaker'. That device simply installs in your house breaker box. The question is what did you actually plug your RV into.....my guess is an electric dryer 220v outlet, many of which will unfortunately mate with an RV 30A 120VAC plug. But glad your damage was held to a minimum. Could have been far more costly!

[htss]

Many modern appliances (like TV's) are designed to handle up to 265Vac (obviously the converter was not designed that way). Hope most of your equipment is OK!

[westernrvparkow]

xnizstudio wrote:

Ed_Gee wrote:

kmb1966 wrote:
how can a 30 amp rv plug fit into a 220 outlet? I have never seen one that fits.

Lots of ignorance on this issue. Take a look at your 220V electric dryer outlet if you don't know how a 30A RV plug can fit into a 220 outlet.

Do you really think I’m stupid enough to force a plug into a socket that doesn’t fit ? I’m not that ignorant. It was an honest mistake that the guy sold me the wrong breaker

It isn't the breaker. The entire wiring is wrong. This isn't on the guy selling breakers, it is on whoever wired the breaker and wired the outlet.

[xnizstudio]

STBRetired wrote:
Previous owner did that to my rig 6 years ago. Lost microwave, both TVs, video switcher, couple of alarm clocks. Converter survived as did the fridge and water heater. A/Cs were off so no issue there. If the fridge was off, or not actively cooling at the time, it will be OK. Same for the water heater. If it was not actively heating water it will be OK.

I installed a Progressive Industries EMS which verifies that the power is good before it connects it to the coach. It is an investment well worth the money. It also will disconnect power if the voltage gets too low where it might damage your A/C or anything else with a motor. Seems like every summer we run into a campground that has questionable power that the EMS protects us from.

That makes me feel a little better. I think I’m gonna be okay.

[ford_truck_guy]

xnizstudio wrote:

Ed_Gee wrote:

kmb1966 wrote:
how can a 30 amp rv plug fit into a 220 outlet? I have never seen one that fits.

Lots of ignorance on this issue. Take a look at your 220V electric dryer outlet if you don't know how a 30A RV plug can fit into a 220 outlet.

Do you really think I’m stupid enough to force a plug into a socket that doesn’t fit ? I’m not that ignorant. It was an honest mistake that the guy sold me the wrong breaker

Welcome to the wonderful world of RV.NET at it's finest... this is the exact reason why we are down to 1-1/2 pages .. When I joined in 2008, we had 5-6 pages daily...
Sorry for your mixup, hopefully not too much other stuff was ruined...

[STBRetired]

Previous owner did that to my rig 6 years ago. Lost microwave, both TVs, video switcher, couple of alarm clocks. Converter survived as did the fridge and water heater. A/Cs were off so no issue there. If the fridge was off, or not actively cooling at the time, it will be OK. Same for the water heater. If it was not actively heating water it will be OK.

I installed a Progressive Industries EMS which verifies that the power is good before it connects it to the coach. It is an investment well worth the money. It also will disconnect power if the voltage gets too low where it might damage your A/C or anything else with a motor. Seems like every summer we run into a campground that has questionable power that the EMS protects us from.

[time2roll]

Most other stuff is 12 volts and should not be harmed. If your 12 volt battery is getting low (12.2v or less) disconnect a cable or put a charger on it while you wait for the replacement converter.

[xnizstudio]

I’ll know tomorrow for sure what was damaged. Not much I can do until then. Everything was turned off in the camper when it was plugged in except whatever comes on when you give it power (refrigerator, microwave) I’m not sure what else powers on when you plug it in.

I do know the water pump, the lights, tv, and microwave. Still work. I’m concerned about the water heater, refrigerator and AC. Aside from that there is the electric fireplace. I’m not sure if there’s anything else I should worry about.

What are some other common electronics that can fry that may be hidden out of plain sight ?

[SoundGuy]

xnizstudio wrote:
Forgot to mention as soon as there was a bad smell and smoke from the converter, the guy monitoring the power box flipped all the breakers off which might have saved everything

If only that were true - believe it, damage occurs in an instant. :E Do yourself a favour and invest in an EMS that would have refused to connect to an incorrect power source.

[Harvard]

xnizstudio wrote:
Forgot to mention as soon as there was a bad smell and smoke from the converter, the guy monitoring the power box flipped all the breakers off which might have saved everything

In reality, it was probably all over in about 30 milliSeconds. Just takes time for the smoke to come out.

[xnizstudio]

Forgot to mention as soon as there was a bad smell and smoke from the converter, the guy monitoring the power box flipped all the breakers off which might have saved everything

[xnizstudio]

John Wayne wrote:
The converter converts 110 to 12 volt so it charges the battery when plugged into shore power but also powers all the 12 volt things, lights, water pump, circuit board for thermostat, refrigerator, hot water heater, etc.

After we unplugged the camper, the lights and water pump were still working. All the 12v stuff seemed to be working.

Technically, with just a battery plugged in, everything should still power on except the refrigerator ?

[time2roll]

Done is done. Glad to hear all is getting back together. May want to get out for a weekend and double check everything before you send all the receipts in for the claim.

Is it too soon to suggest an EMS protection device?
We seem to find a campground with issues every year.

https://www.progressiveindustries.net/ems-hw30c

[John_Wayne]

The converter converts 110 to 12 volt so it charges the battery when plugged into shore power but also powers all the 12 volt things, lights, water pump, circuit board for thermostat, refrigerator, hot water heater, etc.