hot electric plug

[leatherhead612]

Any ideas as to why my electric cord going into the service connect is hot? The plastic around the plug and about 1 foot of cord is hot coming out of the box. It is 30 amp service. Been hot today and ran AC most of the day. Thanks in advance

[CavemanCharlie]

Reduce loads. The crock-pot was not helping at all. Put the fridge and water heater on gas. Then see if it gets cooler.

A simple plug in volt meter is a good idea to keep an eye on things.

[Lynnmor]

myredracer wrote:
It's a good idea to have a voltmeter to check voltage and best is an LED voltmeter permanently mounted inside. If the voltage gets down to 105 volts, you need to shut the AC off otherwise it will get damaged and without a voltmeter you won't know if this is happening.

This is more than a good idea, it is a must for anyone!

[bguy]

Heavy load for prolonged period will cause things to heat up as will high resistance at the connection. As long as it doesn't get hot enough for the housings to get soft and the heat goes away once the load is reduced everything should be fine. If resistance is the issue you may need a new male end on the cord.

[Sam_Spade]

pianotuna wrote:
Voltage has a LOT to do with this.

CAN.....not a given that it DOES in any given example.

If current flows through a bad connection, it WILL heat up regardless of the voltage supplied.

[pianotuna]

Voltage has a LOT to do with this. As the voltage drops the air conditioner motor will draw more and more amps. This may cause the receptacle to heat. That may reduce the contact area and cause even more heating.

I have had 30 amp plugs melt when on a 15 amp circuit. The Cameco female outlets appear to be especially susceptible to this low voltage problem.

[MitchF150]

enblethen wrote:
Before your next outing, get a 50to 30 dog bone adapter.

That's what I use when 50a is available... When it's not, and you only have the worn 30a plug, the adapter is of no use..

So, the suggestion to also use the 20a connection for things like the crock pot or hair driers, toasters, coffee makers, etc would be the next best thing to do..

Good luck!

Mitch

[ScottG]

myredracer wrote:
Besides what's already mentioned, voltage can be part of the issue if you're are running an AC unit. Low volt causes an AC unit to draw more current and then cause more heating at the plug/receptacle connection.

Not in this case.
While low voltage can sometimes cause an AC to draw a little more current, it's only in the neighborhood of a couple of amps. That would make a total that is far under the 30A circuits capacity and well within the capacity of the plug. Even if the OP were dwawing way too much power, the fact that the plug is hot tells us it's the problem. It should pass current fine and without excess heat right up until the breaker trips.
Excess heat at a plug is caused by a poor connection at the plug and not by a couple of extra amps pulled by the AC.

OP, you should certainly monitor the voltage level but your issue is with the receptacle.
The heat always comes from the weakest part of the circuit and those 30A receptacles are notorius for being worn.
Best advice here is the 50 to 30 dog bone.

[myredracer]

Besides what's already mentioned, voltage can be part of the issue if you're are running an AC unit. Low volt causes an AC unit to draw more current and then cause more heating at the plug/receptacle connection.

Low voltage is not uncommon and it's worse in the summertime with everyone running AC units and it's in older CGs where it's usually worse. It's a good idea to have a voltmeter to check voltage and best is an LED voltmeter permanently mounted inside. If the voltage gets down to 105 volts, you need to shut the AC off otherwise it will get damaged and without a voltmeter you won't know if this is happening.

If experiencing a hot shore power cord like that, you need to reduce your loads as much as possible until you figure out what is going on.

You should always shut the power off at a pedestal before you plug in otherwise the converter causes pitting on the blades which in turn attracts dirt, leading to a bad plug/pedestal connection and heat.

[enblethen]

Before your next outing, get a 50to 30 dog bone adapter.

[theoldwizard1]

BarneyS wrote:
Most likely the 30amp connection in the box is worn and not allowing good contact. This generates a lot of heat and can even melt the plug. As already mentioned, warm is ok but hot is something to be concerned about. Make sure your plug on the 30amp cord is clean and bright so good contact can be made inside the receptacle.

CONCUR !

[leatherhead612]

Thanks guys for your help. Always nice to have help so fast. This site is great

[wrgrs50s]

Put your fridge on propane and/or hot water heater and use the additional 15/20 amp plug at the power pole for the crock pot.

It's just from running too many things at one time most likely. With this heat the AC uses a lot of juice. I have had the same problem and just running my Water heater on propane and usually relieves the draw enough to keep the plug from overheating.

[3oaks]

Yep, the 30amp outlets gets the most use and is probably worn and doesn't secure the male end of your cord snug enough. That is the most likely source of your hot cord problem.

[ScottG]

Voltage has nothing to do with this. The receptacle is simply worn out.
In a case like this, where ever you feel heat there is a bad connection.