I had to replace my hot water heater electrical element, so I switched off the breaker for the Hot Water Heater. Safety first. Stuck my screwdriver on the screw for one of the wires connected to the element. POW!! ZAAAP!
HUH?? Luckily it tripped the shore power breaker for the plug we were plugged into. Replaced the element and started to trace wiring. The AC wiring is backwards. Neutral is 120V above ground, the live (black) wire is at ground, neutral and ground are NOT connected together as required by the National Electrical Code.
What does this mean? None of the circuits are protected by the breakers since they are in the neutral leg. If you short out the white wire on any circuit (which should be the neutral leg) you will suck as much current as the shore power can provide, not limited by the breaker. You could suck 50 A through a 15 A set of wires, or until the wires overheated and melted.
Now I have to figure out where the cross over has occurred. I can't join the neutral and ground since that would be a dead short across the input power. The is some mixup between the shore power plug and the circuit breaker panel. Any thoughts on how to proceed?? I have wired the last four homes that my wife and I built, so I know what I am doing, but this is our first RV and I don't want to toast it.
Jim Graziano
(Mt Hermit)
Hotchkiss, CO
HUH?? Luckily it tripped the shore power breaker for the plug we were plugged into. Replaced the element and started to trace wiring. The AC wiring is backwards. Neutral is 120V above ground, the live (black) wire is at ground, neutral and ground are NOT connected together as required by the National Electrical Code.
What does this mean? None of the circuits are protected by the breakers since they are in the neutral leg. If you short out the white wire on any circuit (which should be the neutral leg) you will suck as much current as the shore power can provide, not limited by the breaker. You could suck 50 A through a 15 A set of wires, or until the wires overheated and melted.
Now I have to figure out where the cross over has occurred. I can't join the neutral and ground since that would be a dead short across the input power. The is some mixup between the shore power plug and the circuit breaker panel. Any thoughts on how to proceed?? I have wired the last four homes that my wife and I built, so I know what I am doing, but this is our first RV and I don't want to toast it.
Jim Graziano
(Mt Hermit)
Hotchkiss, CO