We just parked in a RV park that has no breaker at the site pedastal. What problems can occur because of this situation? I've never encountered this before, so how much protection do I lose with no pedastal circuit breaker?
Mods: I think this is the proper forum for this question, but if it's not please move it. Thanks.
Have a surge protector? A way to check polarity/correct wiring? Circuit breaker on any pedestals nearby?
Check with the office if they can turn power on and off? Really need power? If so, make sure everything in the coach is turned off before hooking up to the pedestal if you really have to.
They have the pedestal protected somewhere & at what size is unknown. They could have a distribution panel with the breaker in it protecting everything. You have a main breaker in your RV so your RV is protected and that main is in a sense protecting your cord.
The only thing you need to watch out for is when you plug into the pedestal if you are plugging into the 50 amp receptacle. Make sure you have your AC's turned off first. You want to make the connection fast so you do not accidentally connect the two phase conductors without the ground being made at the same time. It is not likely but never say never. If the two phase connectors connect first before the neutral prong it is possible to overvoltage something and burn it up.
Might look around, have used this type setup, they have all the breakers in a central Location, with a few central locations depending on size of facility,.
I have surge protection and I did check the polarity and leg voltages prior to plugging in. I'll check with the office as to where the breaker is.
One problem with no breaker is that your wire from pedestal to coach isn't protected or at least not obviously. Your internal protection for surges and all is always needed no matter what the situation.
On one of the comments, how can you get the two hot prongs into the receptical without getting the neutral in at the same time? I've gone out and looked and I just can't see how that can be done. Left and right flat blades and top flat blade really must enter together. Just don't see it happening.
OK, easy to protect your shore power cord from arcing since you can not turn off power to the outlet:
Turn off your coach main 120 Breaker(s). That way when you plug in, there will be zero amps and so no/materially reduced arcing.
I personally would not plug in and request a different site that does have one. You have no protection when you do plug in your rig or when unplug it. That is 220 volts if it is a 50 amp site and extremely dangerous even if it is 30 amps. Side on the cautious side.
Bob
Run onto them quite often, most likely the breaker is located at a central panel. I do as Brett says just turn off the breaker at the panel in the coach. I seriously doubt an RV park has any unprotected wireing.
We've stayed at nice campgrounds (don't remember where at the moment) that had 30 amp receptacles without local circuit breakers. We had good power but did accidentally use more than 30 amps. The centrally located breaker did indeed trip but automatically reset itself after about 15-20 seconds.
I have camped at an Elks lodge with 30A power and centrally located breakers. I needed to hunt down the campground host when I tripped the breaker. Protected, yes. Convenient, no.
My only real concern is the unlikely possibility of making L1 or L2 contact before making neutral contact. But the neutral pin is longer, so this should not occur.
It is not that a park has an unprotected line. Rather, you want to be as close as possible to that breaker when you plug in. Imagine having three to four rigs on the same line. A short with your body as the ground may not be enough to trip a breaker that has branded out to several rigs. Who really knows what size breaker the line you are going to plug into if it is not available to you to see.
Bob