50 amp service problem

notanlines · 06-03-2016, 02:10 PM

Our electric side of the water heater has quit working. Propane works fine. The surge protector (Surge Guard brand) reads "open ground." This water heater has worked great for seven months until we got to this RV park in Wisconsin. Park manager knows less than I do. I have a test light with me, but not much more electrically. Any ideas where to start?

**sourdough** · 06-03-2016, 02:23 PM

Sounds like a bad 50amp plug on the park side. Ask them to move you to another site. If you have a VOM you can check the plug. If you read from either hot side to ground (not neutral) I'll bet you see zero volts - that would just confirm what your surge guard is telling you. Unless he changes the plug, which it doesn't sound like he will, he needs to move you - it's not a good thing to operate without a ground.

Edit; it logged that you said you didn't have much for test equipment. If the park manager doesn't either then you could.....gasp! take your surge guard to a new site to assure the plug there is OK. Of course, if it's hard wired that won't work either; you would just have to move the trailer and cross your fingers.

**chuckster57** · 06-03-2016, 02:25 PM

50 amp service will have 2 "legs" of 110V. Your surge protector should say which leg has the open ground. I would or start at the pedestal. Can you plug into the next space.

Looks like sourdough was typing at the same time.

**sourdough** · 06-03-2016, 02:34 PM

http://rvtravel.com/uploads/1/50_Amp_240V_metered.JPG

Hopefully the link above will work and you can see how the 50 amp plug is wired. The surge guard is telling you the "ground" lead is bad at the plug. In many cases the 110 will work using the neutral as a return and I've witnessed lots of 30 amp trailers do it. It can however cause some dangerous situations because the neutral is not wired exactly like the ground, which is for your safety.

notanlines · 06-04-2016, 07:43 AM

The electrician is supposedly coming by on Monday. I have since used the 50 to 30 amp adapter and will go with that until then.

**sourdough** · 06-04-2016, 08:24 AM

If the ground is missing from the 50 amp plug it is still missing using the 30 amp adapter. You are operating using the neutral - IMO it is still unsafe. I have passed up many sites due to a missing or broken ground at the plug. If you have to wait until Monday just be very careful messing around with any electrical items.

notanlines · 06-04-2016, 08:58 AM

Thanks to all of you. I'll pass on what the action is.

**sourdough** · 06-04-2016, 09:26 AM

Good luck and let us know.

Outback 325BH · 06-09-2016, 09:06 AM

An open ground is a safety issue, however it would not prevent operation (unless your Surge Guard is shutting things down due to the open ground).

Under normal electrical operations, only the hot and neutral are "used". (In true 240 volt operations, both hots are "used"). The ground, under normal conditions, is not "used". When there is a fault of some sort, the ground comes into play for safety.

If the Surge Guard is not shutting off power and everything works except your water heater, the open ground is not THE problem... although and open ground IS A problem.

If your Surge Guard is cutting power because of the open ground, the open ground must be fixed or you must move to another pedestal.

The host probably doesn't know about the problem because an open ground, although a safety concern, does not alone prevent normal power operations. People without Surge Guards simply aren't aware of the problem. I would think GFCIs would trip though.

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