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.

[SoundGuy]

xnizstudio wrote:
The camper was purchased last week and it was delivered the same day it was plugged in to the outlet. I’ve never owned a camper or RV.

Yet you plugged it in anyway. :?

Would you pull up to a gas pump and without knowing which was gas & what grade or which was diesel just go ahead and pump it into the tank anyway? :S Regardless of who wired this power source incorrectly you as the trailer owner are ultimately responsible for knowing the difference and making sure it's correct. Good luck to you, time to edumacate yourself on all things RV as there are many other UH OHs in trailer ownership that are also just waiting to smack you again. 😛

[red31]

xnizstudio wrote:
The wiring job was fine. It was wired properly for 220v.

We'll have to disagree on that! The TT 30A receptacle is not made made to be wired for 220v so it was wired incorrectly.

http://www.myrv.us/Imgs/PDF/30-amp%20Service.pdf

"The TT–30 is a 30A, 120-volt recreational vehicle standard sometime it is called simply RV 30. Frequently it is confused for a NEMA 10–30 (see below) with disastrous results. Due to the appearance of the TT-30 plug, many people assume that it is to be wired for 240-volt, but this is a 120-volt device."

[xnizstudio]

twodownzero wrote:

xnizstudio wrote:

twodownzero wrote:

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?

It was plugged into a 30amp RV outlet wired directly to a dual pole 30amp breaker putting out 220v. It was not a **** electric dryer outlet

I know, I read the thread.

I also am going to say that it has nothing to do with the breaker. If dual pole breaker had been wired to only one side with the other side on the neutral where it belonged, this would have never happened. Obviously double breakers are not made to be installed this way, but it would have worked and provided 120 v to the outlet. The problem was not the breaker; it was the wiring job.

And again... had we knew it was 110v we would have never plugged it in and found the proper way to wire it. But , had I got the single pole breaker as originally planned, this would have never happened. The wiring job was fine. It was wired properly for 220v. Had I plugged a house dryer into it, it would have been fine. There was no wiring issue aside from the fact it should have been a single pole or the wiring could have been hacked to put out 110v had we knew it needed 110v.

If you have no better advice related to surge protector systems or ways I can test for damaged appliances, then I respectfully request for you to mind your own business. Thank you.

[xnizstudio]

ItsyRV wrote:

xnizstudio wrote:
We didn’t know the camper needed 110v until after it was fried.

With all due respect, how do you own an RV and NOT know the volts and amps? That's like saying you don't know if the stove is electric or propane.

The camper was purchased last week and it was delivered the same day it was plugged in to the outlet. I’ve never owned a camper or RV.

[Optimistic_Para]

Well said, sir!

Or as Theodore Roosevelt said:

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles; or where the doer of deeds could have done them better ..."

[MEXICOWANDERER]

The OP has learned several bitter and expensive lessons from this. He not only hasn't burdened anyone with his problems he didn't even try to blame others for a failed project.

I have a habit of not kicking someone walking with me who has just tripped and fallen.

Offer suggestions instead of useless criticism. The only productive manner in which to treat this is to try and prevent the next guy from doing the same thing.

Never EVER rely on advice from a basic wage employee. Have you ever dealt with a 30-amp electric stove and outlet? The helper was correctly identified as a "guy", not an "electrician".

If the OP was really lowbrow he wouldn't have attempted to post his errors as a warning. Several respondents have offered great suggestions. But as far as people, in general, are concerned...

I have had knotheads spout off that they knew my job better than I did...

So OP, keep rolling. Brush the dust off and keep smiling.

The critics are the people in a casino who just dumped several grand at the tables waiting an hour or two in line, to save a few dollars for chow-hall food. I just described them I didn't criticize. Get the point 🙂

[twodownzero]

xnizstudio wrote:

twodownzero wrote:

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?

It was plugged into a 30amp RV outlet wired directly to a dual pole 30amp breaker putting out 220v. It was not a **** electric dryer outlet

I know, I read the thread.

I also am going to say that it has nothing to do with the breaker. If dual pole breaker had been wired to only one side with the other side on the neutral where it belonged, this would have never happened. Obviously double breakers are not made to be installed this way, but it would have worked and provided 120 v to the outlet. The problem was not the breaker; it was the wiring job.

[ItsyRV]

xnizstudio wrote:
We didn’t know the camper needed 110v until after it was fried.

With all due respect, how do you own an RV and NOT know the volts and amps? That's like saying you don't know if the stove is electric or propane.

[xnizstudio]

Big Katuna wrote:

beemerphile1 wrote:
If the electrician bothered to actually look at the receptacle, it is clearly marked as to how it is to be wired. It is the electrician's fault.

I agree. It wasn’t the under paid, under trained clerk at Lowe’s job to design your circuit.
I’ve heard of many miswiring stories around 30a wiring. It resembles the old three wire 220 receps used for small welders and it looks similar. So it’s assumed they’re 220 and wired as such.

And I’m glad you have insurance.

The untrained clerk was apparently doing the same set up st his house. I originally picked the single pole breaker and he advised to get the dual pole. So yes, I am blaming the Lowe’s employee. Had I just got the single pole, I would have been fine. We didn’t know the camper needed 110v until after it was fried. Otherwise, I would have never plugged it in. We knew there was 220v coming out because we tested. But it’s a bit too late to stress about it now .

[xnizstudio]

twodownzero wrote:

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?

It was plugged into a 30amp RV outlet wired directly to a dual pole 30amp breaker putting out 220v. It was not a **** electric dryer outlet

[xnizstudio]

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.

I was told by two different people I need a single pole 30amp breaker. Not a dual. It was wired up as of it was going to be set up for indoor appliances which is what the dual pole breakers are mainly used for. A single pole breaker should cut the voltage in half to 110v. The wire ran from the dual pole breaker directly to 30amp RV outlet . There may have been a way to wire the dual pole breaker to only put out 110v but it’s a bit too late now.

[ItsyRV]

kmb1966 wrote:

beemerphile1 wrote:
If the electrician bothered to actually look at the receptacle, it is clearly marked as to how it is to be wired. It is the electrician's fault.

exactly! My question is, what did they do with the 2nd 120V leg? Did they twist them together and put it on the 1 hot leg of the 30 amp outlet? There are only 3 wire locations on the outlet, the hot, the neutral and the ground. What did they do with the other hot wire? I guess they didn't have a neutral or a ground and just made them both hot 120v legs. wow.

Yep, they usually connect the RV 30amp outlet's hot and neutral to each leg of the 220 breaker and just ground the ground wire leaving no real neutral connection.

[kmb1966]

beemerphile1 wrote:
If the electrician bothered to actually look at the receptacle, it is clearly marked as to how it is to be wired. It is the electrician's fault.

exactly! My question is, what did they do with the 2nd 120V leg? Did they twist them together and put it on the 1 hot leg of the 30 amp outlet? There are only 3 wire locations on the outlet, the hot, the neutral and the ground. What did they do with the other hot wire? I guess they didn't have a neutral or a ground and just made them both hot 120v legs. wow.

[Big_Katuna]

beemerphile1 wrote:
If the electrician bothered to actually look at the receptacle, it is clearly marked as to how it is to be wired. It is the electrician's fault.

I agree. It wasn’t the under paid, under trained clerk at Lowe’s job to design your circuit.
I’ve heard of many miswiring stories around 30a wiring. It resembles the old three wire 220 receps used for small welders and it looks similar. So it’s assumed they’re 220 and wired as such.

And I’m glad you have insurance.

[beemerphile1]

If the electrician bothered to actually look at the receptacle, it is clearly marked as to how it is to be wired. It is the electrician's fault.