Fireplace electrical cord getting hot ?

Securityman

Active Member
So I have a 2015 cyclone 3110 and its a cold night out , so I put the fireplace on and it's been on for a few hours and just happen to touch the electrical cord where it's plugged in to the outlet and it seems to be really warm . But the cord isn't warm just the end of it where it plugs into the outlet . Strange , everything checks out ok. Wonder if it's just because it's next to it , also my furnace warms the piece of wood in that closet where the heater unit is behind it , really heats that wood up , little worry about how warm it gets , it sits right next to that wood.
 

rxbristol

Well-known member
Is there any arching (discoloration) on the metal prongs of the fireplace plug? If so, there is a problem with the outlet and it should be changed.
 

hoefler

Well-known member
Poor electrical connection. Stop using until BOTH the plug and receptacle are replaced. Check the connections at the breaker panel too.
 

danemayer

Well-known member
Probably a good idea to take some voltage readings to make sure you're not leaking voltage due to a poor neutral connection. You may get different readings from the ideal shown below, but Ground -- Neutral shouldn't be more than about 1/10 of a volt.
 

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sengli

Well-known member
I got out an amp meter and measured our electrical fireplaces current draw, and at 1500W it pulls like 11.6 amps. The plug end also gets so hot after its been on for hours its almost too hot to touch. Its not hot enough to melt anything, but its noticeable to the touch. The 120V roamex wiring inside the wall of the slide, that feeds this outlet was barely warm. We run outrs all the time we are camping, so as to not run the propane furnace as much.
 

Securityman

Active Member
Ok so I checked it all and everything is fine with outlet and plug , I let it run on 750 watts all night and in the morning it's not really warm , put it back on 1500 watts and it does it again , just thinking after running it at 1500 watts for hours it's pulling the max for the rating of this cord made in China I am sure, only at the plug is hot , maybe it's time to hot wire the fireplace without this cheap cord !!
 

wdk450

Well-known member
Ok so I checked it all and everything is fine with outlet and plug , I let it run on 750 watts all night and in the morning it's not really warm , put it back on 1500 watts and it does it again , just thinking after running it at 1500 watts for hours it's pulling the max for the rating of this cord made in China I am sure, only at the plug is hot , maybe it's time to hot wire the fireplace without this cheap cord !!

A. The outlets throughout RV's are a press in wire to a thin spring copper contact V, known as an Insulation Displacement Connector (think Scotchlok). These are not good for high current loads, as there is minimal electrical contact area between the outlet and the wlre. Somehow these are allowed by code, but not nearly as good as a conventional screw binding connection outlet. Read my previous thread on the subject: https://heartlandowners.org/showthr...placement-Connector-(IDC)-Electrical-Outlets?

Some far better NEMA 5-15 plugs (and outlets) you can get are designated "Hospital Grade". The contact pins are thicker, and the insertion/removal force needed is much greater than conventional plugs/outlets. These make a very positive contact for good grounding (for patient electrical safety) and current connections. Hospital grade is indicated by a green dot on the device. Many computer experts prefer hospital grade outlets/plugs for their power connections.
 

JohnD

Moved on to the next thing...
We have a light switch that turns on five ceiling lights in the livingroom/kitchen of the Prowler that gets pretty warm when turned on, and recently the switch seems very hard to flip on and off.

I pulled it out and checked the wires and connections, which seems to be OK.

I'm wondering if this is normal or if this switch needs to be replaced.
 

jbeletti

Well-known member
My guess is that Bill is correct - possible poor connection at the receptacle. Replacement should be pretty straightforward.

You will need:
  • New AC receptacle (screw-type)
  • New wall plate
  • Remodel style plastic electrical box
Basic steps will be:
  • Turn breaker off for fireplace and confirm that fireplace will not power up
  • Remove old receptacle from wall and cut wires free from it (then discard it)
  • Pull wire into new box, install box, wire in new receptacle, install in box and add new wall plate, then restore power
Of course, do not attempt any of this if you are not comfortable with this sort of project.
 

Jim.Allison

Well-known member
Might I suggest that the OP unplug the device and plug it into an appropriate off unit receptacle, in an effort to isolate the problem before assuming it is something in the rig. It would seem that if he plugged it into an household outlet, and it still indicated a hot cord, that he should test the unit for a bad connection or appliance cord. New appliance cords are readily available at lowes for just a few dollars. I think that the awg of the cord is a 16 and he may need a 14 or 12. - just saying
 

jbeletti

Well-known member
Might I suggest that the OP unplug the device and plug it into an appropriate off unit receptacle, in an effort to isolate the problem before assuming it is something in the rig. It would seem that if he plugged it into an household outlet, and it still indicated a hot cord, that he should test the unit for a bad connection or appliance cord. New appliance cords are readily available at lowes for just a few dollars. I think that the awg of the cord is a 16 and he may need a 14 or 12. - just saying

It's a good idea Jim. OP would need a decent gauge grounded extension cord as there's generally no other receptacle there and the cord is short. Still a great idea and worth grabbing a heavy extension cord and trying.

For the OP, bear in mind that the fireplace is a higher current device and per RVIA code, is on it's own circuit. If you decide to test the fireplace with another circuit, be sure other loads are turned off on that circuit. Also, most of the outlets in the 2 lower deck slides plus the outlets in the rear cap are generally all on one circuit. Exceptions are Fireplace, Microwave, Refrigerator and the outlets near the sink. Those generally do NOT share that other common circuit. That said, you may wish to unplug the microwave (in the cabinet above it) and plus that heavy extension cord there to test the fireplace.
 
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