Electrical close call, electric gurus please reply

[Lholestine]

So I dropped my wife and camper off at her moms for the week while I was away at camp with my son. Her dad, an electrician kindly put in a 30 amp receptacle for our camper. He also installed 50 amp service for when her brother would bring his 5th wheel. I get a frantic phone call from her stating that the TV and the converter were smoking. Apparently, he assumed that my camper needed 220 service as well, not 110!! She told me that every thing worked except for the fridge, on electric, and the smoking TV. The day before I arrived she called and said the water pump was running constantly at a low rumble. I had an idea now of the problem, the converter was fried and my battery was now almost dead not giving the pump enough juice. Sure enough when I arrived the battery was almost dead. Luckily there was only a blown fuse on the fridge and it now runs on AC power. When I pulled the converter out there is a brown liquid all over in the compartment. I am assuming something blew up in there and converter is dead. I have opened all outlets and checked for melted wires. I checked where the power cord connects at the junction box. Everything appears to work except for the battery charging and the TV. Is there anything else I need to check, safety wise or just order new power converter? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks


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[notanlines]

I suppose I don't have to be an electrical guru to remind you to warn your brother-in-law to avoid this guy's 50 amp service at all costs, hurt feelings or not.

[cw3jason]

You need a new converter. The brown goo is most likely the capacitors leaking, they were probably blown due to the excess voltage. As you know tt30amp is single pole 120. Not double pole 240.

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[Lholestine]

Oh, believe me I know. He's still beating himself up about the whole situation. Could have been much worse, no fire and a $150 part on Amazon. Converter will be there Monday morning.


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[hankpage]

Check anything that was plugged in or connected at the time ...... Microwave, A/C, fridge ... there should not be any damage to circuits that had nothing connected at the time. JM2¢, Hank

[GMcKenzie]

Buy a surge protector.

The PI one I just installed would have shut power off to everything and saved the tv and converter. There would have been no power in the trailer.

So how did the 30 amp plug get plugged into the 50 amp socket?

[Sparky]

Another reason to use a Progressive Industries Surge protector. The good news is there was no fire or injuries.

https://cdn3.volusion.com/dxylq.nrud...jpg?1423748868

[hankpage]

Originally Posted by GMcKenzie

Buy a surge protector.

The PI one I just installed would have shut power off to everything and saved the tv and converter. There would have been no power in the trailer.

So how did the 30 amp plug get plugged into the 50 amp socket?

In the original post he says the 30a outlet was wired for 220v instead of 120v. I other words ...wired for a clothes drier not a trailer. Many electricians are not familiar with RV circuits. (although you would think they should be) JM2¢, Hank

[randy69]

Tell your father in law a 50 /110 volt for those bigger rv. Even thou 220 volt is the source, the recepital for a rv are wired different. Check out on Internet.

[Lholestine]

Thanks guys. Surge protector is definitely an upcoming purchase


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[cwray]

Even electricians can get confused. I know one licensed electrician who thought the 30A recepticle looked like a dryer connection and wired it appropriately. Another 220V disaster.

[jamesmc321]

x2 on the surge protector...

easy install (i have the hard wired version) and can save you 100's or 1000's.

Progressive Industries via Amazon..best price i could find.