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From: (no name) (no email)
Date: Sun Mar 23 2008 - 22:09:36 EDT
Ahoy Scott & List,
The following information is from Marinco marine power cord/plug company and
VERY PERSONAL OBSERVATION: Please allow me to explain.
During the night in August 2005, my dock mates two boats over from me were
screaming while they were hosing their flaming boat. I ran out and assisted,
the three of us luckily put out the flames and saved the boat, it suffered
severe damage in the main salon with moderate damage to the galley and
stateroom. I called the fire dept to inspect and assure all hot spots were
extinguished The owners had the boat refitted and are safe now.
First, yes, replace the lines, next, inspect both the receptacle & power
inlet from dock side and on your boat.
As explained to me from the power cord company, all power lines to household
electric service are inserted into lugs and TIGHTEN to assure a SOLID
CONNECTION. All wiring WITHIN homes, stores and boats are tightened with a solid
turn of a screwdriver or wrench. EVERY connection except the power cord.
Unlike the household connections to the power panel, we boater's rely on the
removable power cord with the inherent flaw that leads to the fire I
mentioned or "Warm" the connector you described.
The connection on both ends of the cord depends on the "spring" tension of
two metal clips "Pressing" into the one mating prong. Under ideal conditions,
the tension is ample to "Wipe" the mating surface to clean the inserted
prong. When humidity & salt coats the two surfaces, and/or when the tension
weakens, the "wiping" action fails and corrosion develops on all surfaces. (I
am speaking of ALL contact connections on each of the two ends of power cords.
Please refer to page 400 of the 2008 West Marine catalog.)
When this corrosion starts, it causes a snowball condition, i.e.,
contaminated surfaces caused the resistance to increase which causes the surface to
grow warmer which in turn increases the contamination and increases the
resistance & so on until the heat increases to a level which reached the flash point
on the hull of the boat, enough to start the fire. It was the A/C 30 amp
power cord which NEVER tripped the 30.
The solution is a Monthly inspection of each of the 4 connections, remove
the cord, use an emery board the clean the internal "clips", sand the prongs on
all surfaces, spray with circuit cleaner. Make periodic I/R temperature
measurements to determine when to replace the receptacles and/or the plugs.
If you wish a personal account of the conditions of that night, call or
email me off list
Offered here to promote safe boating.
Ciao Capt. Joe Guarino
KK 3673
In a message dated 3/23/2008 4:39:07 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
writes:
Is there a way I can determine if I'm at risk of the connector becoming so
hot it could start a fire?
**************Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on AOL
Home.
(http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15?ncid=aolhom00030000000001)
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