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#1
posted to rec.boats,rec.boats.building,rec.boats.cruising
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??? upgrading shore power to 50A 220V
I've been on 30A 120V power at the dock for years and would now like to upgrade
to 50A 220V, or what they refer to as 50A 250V at the marina office. I haven't put a meter on it yet but so far suspect it's closer to 220 than 250. The socket on the pedestal is like the one pictured he http://www.catagle.com/68-153/CWD_Ar...uyersGuide.htm They say it's 3-pole 4-wire. I'm guessing X and Y are the two hot legs and W is the neutral. Between X or Y and W would be 120V+/- and between X and Y is the 220/250V. Right? How does the ground tie into it though? With only 3 poles do we run a separate wire from the boat to the pedestal, and if so how do we tie in? Also can anyone suggest the cheapest place to get a plug like that? So far the best price I've found is $68.18 he http://www.ktool.net/servlet/the-581...-63CR65/Detail Thank you for any help! David |
#2
posted to rec.boats
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??? upgrading shore power to 50A 220V
On 3/17/2014 6:01 PM, david@righthere... wrote:
I've been on 30A 120V power at the dock for years and would now like to upgrade to 50A 220V, or what they refer to as 50A 250V at the marina office. I haven't put a meter on it yet but so far suspect it's closer to 220 than 250. The socket on the pedestal is like the one pictured he http://www.catagle.com/68-153/CWD_Ar...uyersGuide.htm They say it's 3-pole 4-wire. I'm guessing X and Y are the two hot legs and W is the neutral. Between X or Y and W would be 120V+/- and between X and Y is the 220/250V. Right? How does the ground tie into it though? With only 3 poles do we run a separate wire from the boat to the pedestal, and if so how do we tie in? Also can anyone suggest the cheapest place to get a plug like that? So far the best price I've found is $68.18 he http://www.ktool.net/servlet/the-581...-63CR65/Detail Thank you for any help! David The plug is 10-20 bucks at home depot or lowes, Scottys whatever you have. It's a dryer plug basically... As to the wiring, I forget but I have a book I always use when I do the wiring.. It was about 20 bucks at home depot, I have had it for as long as I have owned a house... |
#3
posted to rec.boats,rec.boats.building,rec.boats.cruising
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??? upgrading shore power to 50A 220V
On 3/17/2014 6:01 PM, david@righthere... wrote:
I've been on 30A 120V power at the dock for years and would now like to upgrade to 50A 220V, or what they refer to as 50A 250V at the marina office. I haven't put a meter on it yet but so far suspect it's closer to 220 than 250. The socket on the pedestal is like the one pictured he http://www.catagle.com/68-153/CWD_Ar...uyersGuide.htm They say it's 3-pole 4-wire. I'm guessing X and Y are the two hot legs and W is the neutral. Between X or Y and W would be 120V+/- and between X and Y is the 220/250V. Right? How does the ground tie into it though? With only 3 poles do we run a separate wire from the boat to the pedestal, and if so how do we tie in? Also can anyone suggest the cheapest place to get a plug like that? So far the best price I've found is $68.18 he http://www.ktool.net/servlet/the-581...-63CR65/Detail Thank you for any help! David The ground is the outside metal band on the plug. |
#4
posted to rec.boats,rec.boats.building,rec.boats.cruising
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??? upgrading shore power to 50A 220V
On 3/17/2014 6:01 PM, david@righthere... wrote:
I've been on 30A 120V power at the dock for years and would now like to upgrade to 50A 220V, or what they refer to as 50A 250V at the marina office. I haven't put a meter on it yet but so far suspect it's closer to 220 than 250. The socket on the pedestal is like the one pictured he http://www.catagle.com/68-153/CWD_Ar...uyersGuide.htm They say it's 3-pole 4-wire. I'm guessing X and Y are the two hot legs and W is the neutral. Between X or Y and W would be 120V+/- and between X and Y is the 220/250V. Right? How does the ground tie into it though? With only 3 poles do we run a separate wire from the boat to the pedestal, and if so how do we tie in? Also can anyone suggest the cheapest place to get a plug like that? So far the best price I've found is $68.18 he http://www.ktool.net/servlet/the-581...-63CR65/Detail Thank you for any help! David My suggestion is to learn more about what you are thinking of doing. If your boat is currently set up for a 30 amp, 120 volt service, there's more to it than just replacing the plug to get 50 amps. The 50 amp services are, as you stated, more like the power service to your house. 240 volts between the hot legs and 120 volts between either of them and neutral. There's 50 amps available for each of the distributed legs or a total of 100 amps. The power panel in a boat designed for a 50 amp service distributes the two 120 volt legs equally to power the boat's electrical system. Any 240 volt items runs off a double pole breaker. Frankly, I've never seen a 240 volt appliance on a recreational use boat. Not saying they don't exist. I've just never seen one. The last boat I had had a 240 volt, 50 amp service. It had a washer and dryer. The dryer ran on 120 volts, not 240. The wiring on your 30 amp service is sized from the inlet jack to the power panel for 30 amps. There should be a 30 amp main breaker in your power panel that would trip if you draw over 30 amps, so there's no benefit. If you replace the main breaker in the power panel with a 50 amp breaker, you run a risk of fire due to overloading the wiring between the power inlet plug and the power panel, so you would need to replace that wiring with a bigger gauge. Some boats have *two* 30 amp services and power panels. That might be an easier way to go if you are trying to add more available amps. |
#6
posted to rec.boats,rec.boats.building,rec.boats.cruising
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??? upgrading shore power to 50A 220V
On Mon, 17 Mar 2014 18:01:06 -0400, david@righthere... wrote:
I've been on 30A 120V power at the dock for years and would now like to upgrade to 50A 220V, or what they refer to as 50A 250V at the marina office. I haven't put a meter on it yet but so far suspect it's closer to 220 than 250. The socket on the pedestal is like the one pictured he http://www.catagle.com/68-153/CWD_Ar...uyersGuide.htm They say it's 3-pole 4-wire. I'm guessing X and Y are the two hot legs and W is the neutral. Between X or Y and W would be 120V+/- and between X and Y is the 220/250V. Right? How does the ground tie into it though? With only 3 poles do we run a separate wire from the boat to the pedestal, and if so how do we tie in? Also can anyone suggest the cheapest place to get a plug like that? So far the best price I've found is $68.18 he http://www.ktool.net/servlet/the-581...-63CR65/Detail Thank you for any help! David If you are currently getting 120 V on the 30 amp outlet, you should get 120 V from each hot to neutral on the 50 amp outlet, and 240 volts between the two hot wires. If the dock outlets are supplied three-phase power, you may get 208 volts between the hot wires, but most marinas should provide single phase 120/240 to the dock outlets, although the marina's main supply will be three-phase. -- Peter Bennett, VE7CEI Vancouver BC peterbb (at) telus.net Vancouver Power Squadron: http://vancouver.powersquadron.ca |
#7
posted to rec.boats,rec.boats.building,rec.boats.cruising
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??? upgrading shore power to 50A 220V
On Mon, 17 Mar 2014 18:01:06 -0400, david@righthere... wrote:
I've been on 30A 120V power at the dock for years and would now like to upgrade to 50A 220V, or what they refer to as 50A 250V at the marina office. I haven't put a meter on it yet but so far suspect it's closer to 220 than 250. The socket on the pedestal is like the one pictured he http://www.catagle.com/68-153/CWD_Ar...uyersGuide.htm They say it's 3-pole 4-wire. I'm guessing X and Y are the two hot legs and W is the neutral. Between X or Y and W would be 120V+/- and between X and Y is the 220/250V. Right? How does the ground tie into it though? With only 3 poles do we run a separate wire from the boat to the pedestal, and if so how do we tie in? Also can anyone suggest the cheapest place to get a plug like that? So far the best price I've found is $68.18 he http://www.ktool.net/servlet/the-581...-63CR65/Detail Thank you for any help! David === You've gotten some fairly good advice from most sources but let me emphasize that this is not a job to be undertaken by an an amatuer DIY electrician. A 50 amp shore power outlet is capable of delivering about 12 kilowatts of electricity and that is way more than what is needed to start a fire or electrocute someone. The parts are readily available from West Marine or your local electrical distributor but this is not a trivial project. In addition to rewiring your dock, you also need to totally redo your boat's electrical system from the shore power connectors right through to the breaker panel. You will totally void your insurance policy if the job is not done to professional standards. If you'd like to learn more from a reliable source, I'd suggest you start with this book by Nigel Calder: http://www.amazon.com/Boatowners-Mechanical-Electrical-Manual-Essential/dp/0071432388 |
#8
posted to rec.boats
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??? upgrading shore power to 50A 220V
On 3/17/2014 7:57 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 3/17/2014 7:14 PM, wrote: On Mon, 17 Mar 2014 18:19:42 -0400, KC wrote: On 3/17/2014 6:01 PM, david@righthere... wrote: I've been on 30A 120V power at the dock for years and would now like to upgrade to 50A 220V, or what they refer to as 50A 250V at the marina office. I haven't put a meter on it yet but so far suspect it's closer to 220 than 250. The socket on the pedestal is like the one pictured he http://www.catagle.com/68-153/CWD_Ar...uyersGuide.htm They say it's 3-pole 4-wire. I'm guessing X and Y are the two hot legs and W is the neutral. Between X or Y and W would be 120V+/- and between X and Y is the 220/250V. Right? How does the ground tie into it though? With only 3 poles do we run a separate wire from the boat to the pedestal, and if so how do we tie in? Also can anyone suggest the cheapest place to get a plug like that? So far the best price I've found is $68.18 he http://www.ktool.net/servlet/the-581...-63CR65/Detail Thank you for any help! David The plug is 10-20 bucks at home depot or lowes, Scottys whatever you have. It's a dryer plug basically... As to the wiring, I forget but I have a book I always use when I do the wiring.. It was about 20 bucks at home depot, I have had it for as long as I have owned a house... Not true at all, sorry. This is a non-NEMA twist lock 50a plug, that is corrosion resistant. A dryer plug is a NEMA 14-30 straight blade that would go south pretty quickly on a pier. Yup. I think Scotty should stick to building websites and not wiring boats. Why, cause I took a quick look and made a mistake? I have done a lot of wiring in my time including my whole house to code in Essex from moving in with full Knob and Tube... I have done barns, and wells. When you have a 100 year old house you tend to pick up stuff. You should see me sweat a pipe.... even if I don't know all the right terminology. Either way, that's why I always keep my electrical book with me to check my own work as I go.... |
#9
posted to rec.boats
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??? upgrading shore power to 50A 220V
On Tue, 18 Mar 2014 00:22:52 -0400, KC wrote:
On 3/17/2014 7:57 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote: On 3/17/2014 7:14 PM, wrote: On Mon, 17 Mar 2014 18:19:42 -0400, KC wrote: On 3/17/2014 6:01 PM, david@righthere... wrote: I've been on 30A 120V power at the dock for years and would now like to upgrade to 50A 220V, or what they refer to as 50A 250V at the marina office. I haven't put a meter on it yet but so far suspect it's closer to 220 than 250. The socket on the pedestal is like the one pictured he http://www.catagle.com/68-153/CWD_Ar...uyersGuide.htm They say it's 3-pole 4-wire. I'm guessing X and Y are the two hot legs and W is the neutral. Between X or Y and W would be 120V+/- and between X and Y is the 220/250V. Right? How does the ground tie into it though? With only 3 poles do we run a separate wire from the boat to the pedestal, and if so how do we tie in? Also can anyone suggest the cheapest place to get a plug like that? So far the best price I've found is $68.18 he http://www.ktool.net/servlet/the-581...-63CR65/Detail Thank you for any help! David The plug is 10-20 bucks at home depot or lowes, Scottys whatever you have. It's a dryer plug basically... As to the wiring, I forget but I have a book I always use when I do the wiring.. It was about 20 bucks at home depot, I have had it for as long as I have owned a house... Not true at all, sorry. This is a non-NEMA twist lock 50a plug, that is corrosion resistant. A dryer plug is a NEMA 14-30 straight blade that would go south pretty quickly on a pier. Yup. I think Scotty should stick to building websites and not wiring boats. Why, cause I took a quick look and made a mistake? I have done a lot of wiring in my time including my whole house to code in Essex from moving in with full Knob and Tube... I have done barns, and wells. When you have a 100 year old house you tend to pick up stuff. You should see me sweat a pipe.... even if I don't know all the right terminology. Either way, that's why I always keep my electrical book with me to check my own work as I go.... === Scott, just my 2 cents worth, but when a guy is asking for advice on a potentially critical/high powered electrical issue, I think it deserves more than a quick look. |
#10
posted to rec.boats
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??? upgrading shore power to 50A 220V
On 3/18/2014 12:22 AM, KC wrote:
On 3/17/2014 7:57 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote: On 3/17/2014 7:14 PM, wrote: On Mon, 17 Mar 2014 18:19:42 -0400, KC wrote: On 3/17/2014 6:01 PM, david@righthere... wrote: I've been on 30A 120V power at the dock for years and would now like to upgrade to 50A 220V, or what they refer to as 50A 250V at the marina office. I haven't put a meter on it yet but so far suspect it's closer to 220 than 250. The socket on the pedestal is like the one pictured he http://www.catagle.com/68-153/CWD_Ar...uyersGuide.htm They say it's 3-pole 4-wire. I'm guessing X and Y are the two hot legs and W is the neutral. Between X or Y and W would be 120V+/- and between X and Y is the 220/250V. Right? How does the ground tie into it though? With only 3 poles do we run a separate wire from the boat to the pedestal, and if so how do we tie in? Also can anyone suggest the cheapest place to get a plug like that? So far the best price I've found is $68.18 he http://www.ktool.net/servlet/the-581...-63CR65/Detail Thank you for any help! David The plug is 10-20 bucks at home depot or lowes, Scottys whatever you have. It's a dryer plug basically... As to the wiring, I forget but I have a book I always use when I do the wiring.. It was about 20 bucks at home depot, I have had it for as long as I have owned a house... Not true at all, sorry. This is a non-NEMA twist lock 50a plug, that is corrosion resistant. A dryer plug is a NEMA 14-30 straight blade that would go south pretty quickly on a pier. Yup. I think Scotty should stick to building websites and not wiring boats. Why, cause I took a quick look and made a mistake? I have done a lot of wiring in my time including my whole house to code in Essex from moving in with full Knob and Tube... I have done barns, and wells. When you have a 100 year old house you tend to pick up stuff. You should see me sweat a pipe.... even if I don't know all the right terminology. Either way, that's why I always keep my electrical book with me to check my own work as I go.... Scott, the OP didn't say if he was re-wiring his *boat* for a 50 amp, 240v marine split service. He might be just trying to use one leg of it to supply 50 amps to his existing 30 amp, 120v boat panel. If so, he's taking a big risk because it's not just the plug in question. The primary feed wires in the boat that run from the power inlet to the power panel needs to be changed at a minimum. Plus, if the existing power panel has a 30 amp main, supplying it with 50 amps isn't going to do him any good. If he changes that to a 50 amp breaker without doing any changes to the wiring, he could overheat the primary feed wiring in the boat, causing a fire. My comment was more than pointing out that a split, 50 amp marine service plug is not a dryer plug. I did what I think he is trying to accomplish on the Grand Banks we had. It had a standard, 30 amp, 120v service. I wanted to add two air-conditioning units to the boat. Rather than change everything over to a 50 amp, 240v split service I simply added another 30 amp, 120v marine inlet connector, wiring (marine type) and a small, dedicated breaker box with two 15 amp breakers in it, one for each of the AC units. I don't know a lot about many things and nothing about some things however electrical power distribution and wiring happens to be one thing I *do* know something about. I'd hate to see someone hurt or killed because they received bad input. Now, I have a question for you. Let's say your house has a 200 amp service. Your main breaker is a double pole, 200 amp per pole breaker. There's 240vac between the two "hot" legs and 120vac between either of them and neutral. Each hot leg from the utility pole is sized for 200 amps for each side of the service, yet the neutral is also only sized for 200 amps. Why isn't it sized for 400 amps, the sum of both sides of the total service? See if the answer is in your "electrical" book. |
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