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

1st. item to check is the wire connections to ensure thry are tight.

The amperage draw running through it is too high regardless of what it's rated for and therefore it's heating up. You may have a problem depending on how hot it actually is. Warn you can live with but Hot is something different. Bill

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.In addition, I would get a 50amp male to 30amp female adapter and use that to plug into the pedestal on the 50amp side. That outlet is usually in much better shape and won't destroy your expensive 30amp cable and plug. I use mine all the time. There is no danger to your rig from using that adapter.Barney

Problem is we are on our last night at a state park. likely the maintenance is not as up to par as a private park. I do not have any other adapters to try, and they do not have 50 amp service. Dont wanna butn my camper up :)

hot electric plug | Good Sam Community

CavemanCharlie
Explorer III
Aug 08, 2017
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
Explorer
Aug 07, 2017
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
Explorer
Aug 07, 2017
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
Explorer
Aug 07, 2017
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
Nomad III
Aug 07, 2017
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
Explorer III
Aug 07, 2017
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
Nomad
Aug 07, 2017
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
Explorer II
Aug 07, 2017
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
Nomad
Aug 07, 2017
Before your next outing, get a 50to 30 dog bone adapter.
theoldwizard1
Explorer II
Aug 07, 2017
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 !