Shore Power Cord connector replacement

[pablosgirl]

Hi All,

Six years ago I replaced the shore power inlet and boat cable end with the SmartPlug kit for 30A 125v single phase.  I was checking where this cable meets the 50A "Y" adapter and found that those pin connections are starting to discolor despite my regular maintenance of cleaning and applying dielectric grease to slow down the corrosion.

I was hoping that SmartPlug would have made a male cable end that would go with their female cable end and I could just replace the cable ends on the shore power cord and the "Y" adapter.  I don't want to replace the connectors with the replacement twist lock cable ends because I will end up back in the same position.

I have been looking at pin and sleeve connectors as a possible replacement.  These are what I was considering: http://www.elecdirect.com/pin-sleeve-devices/30-amp-pin-and-sleeve-devices/ip67-iec309-pin-sleeve-connector-30a-125vac-2-pole-3-wire-watertight  and http://www.elecdirect.com/pin-sleeve-devices/30-amp-pin-and-sleeve-devices/ip67-iec309-pin-sleeve-plug-30a-125vac-2-pole-3-wire-watertight  They are IP6y rated as "watertight".  Has anyone else tried this or have you just replaced the cables or the cable ends with the standard NEMA twist lock marine connectors?

Thanks,
Paul & Cyndi

[KWKloeber]

(Edited)

Paul what equip are you running off of the 50a Y?

Are there cord-end female ends for your Y available on those type connectors?

[KWKloeber]

Paul

SmartPlug is developing a whole line of shore power pedestal products and pigtail adapters. The unfortunate part is a male cord end retrofit is not in the planned mix. But there will be an adapter pigtail fm twist x male SP.  And could do a fm SP cord end back into the 50a Y adapter. Very backasswards but you would be plugging in/out using the SP, and have the TL adapter if you take the cord cruising.

There WILL be SP x SP shore cords, but not retrofit ends. Kinda leaves current cord owners out to dry. I've complained about it to the VP, but it will take current SP owners raising hell until SP comes up w/ a retrofit male plug.

What are you pushing thru the (2) 30 cords?

[mdidomenico]

i don't really have an understanding of what you're trying to do.  but i wanted to note and make sure you knew (if you hadn't handled one before) those pin/sleeve connectors are really quite sizable.  i use the 60a-3p ones routinely for my computer work, which are probably a little larger then the 30a ones you're looking at, but not by much.

[KWKloeber]

Paul:

The SmartPlug VP and I have been goin back 'n forth a lot about the lack of a male retrofit plug, and why they need one.  So it turns out and what I can share is that SP has it "in development" but the VP didn't know about it.  I can't share any additional info about it, but if you can hold on for a while and not replace your twist locks (or replace them temporarily) you will see another option down the pike.

-ken

[pablosgirl]

Hi Ken,

The Marina has 240v 50A at the dock.  I use the Marinco 250V 50A male to 2 x 125V 20A Female "Y" adapter to the two shore power cords that connect to our boat.  One is dedicated to the 16,000 BTU AC. and the other is for the rest of the boat ( 110v outlets, battery charger, water heater, etc.).  We are on the Texas Gulf coast and live aboard.  Because it is hot the AC gets a lot of use.  Previously I installed the SmartGuage kit for the boat end of the AC shore power cord due to corrosion induced over heating of the female cord end and the male end fixed to the boat.  Now the male end of the cord that mates with the female end of the "Y" adapter is showing signs of overheating.  It is not bad yet but I want to replace it soon before I really start using the AC in the dog days of summer. 

In a previous job I managed a large data center where we had hundreds of L6-30 (208v 30A single phase) power cords feeding the server racks.  When it came time to replace equipment at the end of life/lease, invariably we would find the male plug fused to the female receptacle boxes.  We started converting those connections to the IEC pin and sleeve connectors. The size of the connection does not bother me as long as it is not going to burn up the cord or dock.

My first though was that SmartGuage would have long thought of this problem/opportunity for them and built a plastic housing that would incorporate the male components of the shore power inlet fixture.  You can purchase a replacement gasket and male insert kit, why not a plastic hood to go with it?  I even thought of buying the kit and 3D printing the plastic hood myself.  But I would rather spend my time sailing than re-engineering their product.

Thanks for the hope that they might have figured this out by now.  I just hope that it happens sooon.

[KWKloeber]

Psul

Are you pulling too much thru each twist lock?  Really they should be limited to like 25 amp max.

Don't expect the male cord end in time for your hot time this year.

[mdidomenico]

In a previous job I managed a large data center where we had hundreds of L6-30 (208v 30A single phase) power cords feeding the server racks.  When it came time to replace equipment at the end of life/lease, invariably we would find the male plug fused to the female receptacle boxes.  We started converting those connections to the IEC pin and sleeve connectors. The size of the connection does not bother me as long as it is not going to burn up the cord or dock.

haha, been there.  we just pulled out our last l6-30 a few months ago.  everythings now CS8365 plug

[pablosgirl]

Hi Ken,
It is not so much the amps but the small surface area of the contacts and some salt/corrosion that works its way into the connection driving up the resistance of the connection and causing it to heat up.  Same problem that occurred at the boat end of the cord before I replaced it with the SmartPlug kit.  I have been checking the "Y" connections about once a quarter.  Another contributing  factor is the long run time.  With the full boat cover up shading my gray deck I can keep the boat at 70 deg.  And the unit will cycle on/off up till about 2pm after that the AC will run continuously till about 7pm.  But it will keep the boat at 70.  Without the boat cover, the AC struggled to get down to 79 deg and slowly climb above 80.

When I had the AC unit serviced a few years back, the tech put an amp meter on the supply wire and said it was pulling 18 amps running.  Well within the limit . The SmartPlug at the boat end does not show any signs of corrosion or over heating and the plug/cord does not feel warm when the AC is running.

The other cord is still the original twist lock connector but does not show any signs of overheating.  But the current draw is low.