can't remove power cord. suggestions?

I twisted turned pulled and pushed and it still won't come out. I had it out a few weeks ago. Do I really have to remove the whole assembly?

You have to unscrew the round black plastic piece first.

bligh said:

I twisted turned pulled and pushed and it still won't come out. I had it out a few weeks ago. Do I really have to remove the whole assembly?

Click to expand...

I would be really pissed too if I had four power cords and none of them would come apart. . .

HOLLYWOOD

What have you got there, a 50A cord into a 30A adapter? Have you over-juiced your system and welded the connector to the plug? Hot cord? Hot plug?

(I cleaned up your 4 duplicate images...no charge)

Sounds like you've welded the plug to the socket. Either by melting the plastic or metal parts together. Or both. Time to remove the socket. Then you more than likely will have to replace both parts.

What is that adapter? Is the power inlet a 30 amp or 50 amp inlet, what is the cord rated for 30 or 50 amp service. A quick picture of your main AC breaker panel might help us better understand the posted picture.
Bill

It looks like someone had replaced the female plug on the power cord and he slid back the cover. My votes with Capt.Bill.

Bligh: Can you see the back of the male receptacle for inspection? Till you get the plug and receptacle apart, to inspect them, I'd keep the power off.

Larry M said:

It looks like someone had replaced the female plug on the power cord and he slid back the cover. My votes with Capt.Bill.

Bligh: Can you see the back of the male receptacle for inspection? Till you get the plug and receptacle apart, to inspect them, I'd keep the power off.

Click to expand...

I'm with both you and Capt. Bill however I'm trying to understand what I'm seeing and what the inlet is rated for?
I'd bet the assembly is heat welded tight as well not a good situation at all.
Bill

It looks like a regular 30 amp cord and inlet to me. He has pulled the rubber cover out of the locking ring trying to get it out.

As Oliver pointed out, first you need to unscrew the black plastic ring by turning it counter clockwise. Then twist the hard yellow plastic part counter clockwise a little bit and pull.

Time to upgrade to a "Smart Plug" Features of SmartPlug Shore Power Products . Your insurer will give you a $125.00 rebate when you do, so the cost to upgrade is minor. Then you can say you planned to all along.

N4712 said:

You have to unscrew the round black plastic piece first.

Click to expand...

That's it. I'm pretty sure I remember screwing something in. I'll try that.

Billylll said:

What is that adapter? Is the power inlet a 30 amp or 50 amp inlet, what is the cord rated for 30 or 50 amp service. A quick picture of your main AC breaker panel might help us better understand the posted picture.
Bill

Click to expand...

Thsi is all new to me. But, what I do know is the PO said he put a 30 amp adapter on one end and a 50 amp adapter on the other end. Why, I dont know.
I'm pretty sure its not 'welded' as it does move around in the plug. I think , like N4 said, Its the retaining cap that screws onto the outlet holding it in there.
Gotta remember to wear my glasses.

FlyWright said:

What have you got there, a 50A cord into a 30A adapter? Have you over-juiced your system and welded the connector to the plug? Hot cord? Hot plug?

(I cleaned up your 4 duplicate images...no charge)

Click to expand...

LOL. I was using the android app. Every time I loaded a picture, I got an error that said the app crashed. I tried it a few times with the same result. I gave up thinking i would have to load the image on the PC. Then I saw all the images. I knew someone would get a kick out of it.

bligh said:

Thsi is all new to me. But, what I do know is the PO said he put a 30 amp adapter on one end and a 50 amp adapter on the other end. Why, I dont know.
I'm pretty sure its not 'welded' as it does move around in the plug. I think , like N4 said, Its the retaining cap that screws onto the outlet holding it in there.
Gotta remember to wear my glasses.

Click to expand...

Not sure if in the PNW that 50 A is more common then 30 A but if it is that probaly why so you don't have to carry another adapter around to convert a 50 A to a 30 A.

Can't be sure why that PO has that plug setup...but one of the reasons I like upgrading to a 50 amp 125/250 cord is the connectors...they feel way more secure (metal to metal sleeve) with locking "bumps" instead of 30 amp that hang by the prongs. If there's no ring or a cross-threaded locking ring ...a good wind can wiggle them so they arc and burn.

Plus for those of us with older Air Conditioning without soft starts (which for me to spend the time and money on at this point is foolish) and 2 units hooked to that second 30 amp panel...that 30 amp connector is destined to a short life. Even if I take care of my end...not every marina has a good PM program for where you plug in...or even appropriate wiring.

My friend's Catalina sailboat welded one power cord 2 years in a row. Everything would seem great...then just randomly weld. All factory installed equipment...

I couldn't get to where he lived so he finally had another knowledgeable boater with electrical skills change a few things....but then again he's been in out of the country for 2 years so I'm waiting till he returns and puts the boat back in the water for a summer season..

Smart Plugs may be the answer for 30A circuits (never really see the issue with 50A)...but I'm going 50A and not looking back.

That's one thing Mainship got correct in my opinion on the 40 Sedan Bridge the AC units are on separate 30 amp legs. I did install the soft start on the Salon unit because it's 30 amp main #1 had some heavier loading than the master stateroom 30 amp main on circuit #2. Also the salon unit ran more often because it has more windows and a large double glass door than the Master staterooms unit. I had all of my windows 95% tinted on the Mainship and installed insulated curtains. I will be doing the same on the Gulfstar.
I never could figure out why anyone or a builder would put (2) 16,000BTU AC heat pumps on the same 30 amp leg when both are required to keep the boat cool or warm depending on the season. I'm doing the same as I reconfigure and install my 2nd 30 amp leg on the Gulfstar and upgrade the primary AC panel and wiring.
However for AC and heat I'm going to install (1) 1 ton high SEER split heat pump unit and (1) 3/4 ton unit instead of marine AC units.
Instead of installing a 50 amp shore side inlet the ideal situation would be to upgrade to the to the new style cord sets and inlets made by SmartPlug. There is a great engineering article about the standard Marinco or Hubbel style 30 or 50 amp inlets compared to the surface area provided by the new 30 amp SmartPlug system.
I'll be installing 30 amp SmartPlug inlets and the boat's side power connector during my upgrade.
The price is higher for these inlets and cords but not as high as the 125/50A 50' cable or cordsets.
Bill

Some boaters also want the total wattage that only a 50 Amp 125/250 power cord can supply aside from the better connector, others are happy with 2 -30's with or without smart plugs.

There was a decent thread on the value of smart plugs not too long ago...interesting inputs.

psneeld said:

Some boaters also want the total wattage that only a 50 Amp 125/250 power cord can supply aside from the better connector, others are happy with 2 -30's with or without smart plugs.

There was a decent thread on the value of smart plugs not too long ago...interesting inputs.

Click to expand...

I agree, it seems in the North East dual 30 amp pedestals are found at most marina I have been to.
The SmartPlugs are a great concept.
Bill

50 amp (only) seems to be becoming more popular at transient slips. Some places loan adapters, some force you to rent them on top of their already outrageous electric fee. But the majority still have 30s someplace nearby.

Thus my concession in the 12/24V thread that ultimately I may work towards DC majority/independence...just to adopt the "just say no" mentality when the marina guy says "what type electric"

Did Smart Plug ever get UL and ABYC approval? Last I heard they had both refused to approve the design??

There were a couple of Smart Plug failures resulting in melt downs a couple of months ago that brought this all to a head. As I recall there was a problem with the plastic cable binding device in the boat end of the plug. And from that it was determined that the plug design was not UL approved.

Edelweiss said:

Did Smart Plug ever get UL and ABYC approval? Last I heard they had both refused to approve the design??

There were a couple of Smart Plug failures resulting in melt downs a couple of months ago that brought this all to a head. As I recall there was a problem with the plastic cable binding device in the boat end of the plug. And from that it was determined that the plug design was not UL approved.

Click to expand...

Great question and if it is not UL approved the inlets and cords are going back to the distributor. I'll find out and in the mean time I would appreciate it if anyone else finds out they post the UL Certification or link here.
Bill

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That is what their website has said all along. . .

It implies they meet UL and ABYC standards, but I just looked at it again and it still doesn't show a UL approval logo on their website, just an ETL approval. A local insurance agent did a little digging after one of their devices melted down and found some interesting information . . . No UL approval.

Go back to the previous discussion on Trawler Forum, below, and you can read the background behind the discussion.

http://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s4/melt-down-anybody-13704.html

It wouldn't be the first time tech passed muster (certification) until enough failures pulled their certs.

Of course smart plug stated off with the 90 degree plug concept that blows the old design away by a mile...

Sad that what we are left with suffers from way less than perfect performance...old and new.

The smart plug can't be UL approved because it isn't listed on NEMA WD-6. Since it isn't on WD-6, it isn't complaint with NFPA, 70, NEC, Article 555.

Has nothing to do with quality or suitability. It just doesn't meet to the letter an inflexible standard.

Well I'm sending mine back. I'm not saying this isn't a better connector than the current 30A standard but I'm not dealing with any potential insurance issues. We all should know that the current 30A inlets are the number 1 cause of fires on boats.
I'll just stay with Hubbel and change them out every 3 years like I did on my Mainship.
I had a 30A main breaker fail 2 winters ago while I was on my Mainship it was due to resistance that probably grew from moisture on the breakers surface that eventually allowed arching. I replaced both main 30A breakers after the one side failed.
The connections were tight, in addition the Mainship 40SB has transome mounted dual 30A breakers they did not trip and neither did the pedestal's breakers when this happened.

Just a note about the Intertek ETL they are the worlds largest independent testing and certification lab so it's not like Joe Scmoh tested this connector system.
Bill

Cpt Bligh, I had the black ring one time crossthreaded and it was very difficult to remove. Finally resorted to a pair of slip pliers and I got it loose. Did not replace it just was more carefull putting it on. Good luck.

Billylll said:

Well I'm sending mine back. I'm not saying this isn't a better connector than the current 30A standard but I'm not dealing with any potential insurance issues. We all should know that the current 30A inlets are the number 1 cause of fires on boats.

Click to expand...

Talk to your insurer first. Many of them enthusiastically approve of the smart plug and will give a discount for the first year with proof of installation.

They are OEM on a lot of new construction boats.

Why Boats Catch Fire - Seaworthy - BoatUS



Causes of Fires Started Aboard




Click on the links below for more information:

• 1) AC and DC wiring/appliance - 55%
• 2) Engine/Transmission Overheat - 24%
• 3) Fuel Leak - 8%
• 4) Miscellaneous - 7%
• 5) Unknown - 5%
• 6) Stove - 1%
  1) AC and DC wiring/appliance - 55%
  DC shorts/wiring - 30%
  DC engine voltage regulator - 12%
  AC appliance/heater 4% shore power - 4%
  AC wiring/panel - 2%
  DC battery charger - 2%
  AC power surge - 1%
  If you’ve noticed a lot of wiring and electrical articles in Seaworthy over the years, now you know why; the number one cause of fires on boats are DC wiring faults. In the last issue of Seaworthy, we talked about your boat’s DC electrical system and the fact that the most common electrical problem was related to wires chafing. Many fires are started by battery cables, bilge pump wires, and even instrument wires chafing on hard objects like vibrating engines or sharp-edged bulkheads.

Shore power can be a problem area as well; 11% of fires were started by the boat’s AC system, frequently at the shore power inlet. A few fires every year are caused by AC heaters and other household appliances that were brought on board.


I would like to know what the percentage of boats wired for both is...AC inlets could be a lot higher...just not sure how high....

Virtually every cabin boat fire I have been associated with was with an outlet/appliance connection.

N4712 said:

You have to unscrew the round black plastic piece first.

Click to expand...

If the cover is pulled back as it seems to be in the picture, the black ring is not holding on to anything so the plug should come out whether the ring is still attached to the socket or not.