Anybody seen a 30 amp to 15 amp adapter that's cheaper than the $30+ I see in the W Marine catalog? Just seems outrageous to pay that much for a simple adapter...
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Rick Webb
Make One
Visit the hardware store for a 30 amp plug the other end is simple. I used an extension cord to make mine it was cheaper than buying the wire and plug. While your ther pick up the littledoodad that checks your outlets. It has three lights on it and will tell you if everything is wired correctly or if there is power at all.
Visit the hardware store for a 30 amp plug the other end is simple. I used an extension cord to make mine it was cheaper than buying the wire and plug. While your ther pick up the littledoodad that checks your outlets. It has three lights on it and will tell you if everything is wired correctly or if there is power at all.
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Jonathan Costello
Maybe you could make one?
Rich, You might be able to make one, but by the time you by the 30 amp male connector and the 15 amp female and the piece of heavy guage (12 guague or larger) two conductor with ground wire you will be up around the price of the pre fab one. I did make one but I already had the 30 amp male connector so it was cheaper for me. If you go this route PLEASE ensure your polarity is correct. Crazy Dave will attest to the fact that it is vitally important to ensure correct polarity due to a friend getting electrocuted and dying because of incorrect polarity. Also, just because your polarity is correct doesnt mean the Marina's is. Be careful.
Rich, You might be able to make one, but by the time you by the 30 amp male connector and the 15 amp female and the piece of heavy guage (12 guague or larger) two conductor with ground wire you will be up around the price of the pre fab one. I did make one but I already had the 30 amp male connector so it was cheaper for me. If you go this route PLEASE ensure your polarity is correct. Crazy Dave will attest to the fact that it is vitally important to ensure correct polarity due to a friend getting electrocuted and dying because of incorrect polarity. Also, just because your polarity is correct doesnt mean the Marina's is. Be careful.
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colin
Use caution
The 30 amp socket is proteted by the 30 amp breaker in the marina panel and every after that should be rated 30 amps. by making an adaptor to go to a 15 amp plug you will probably be using cords that are rated less than 30 amps. If there is a short somewhere, the cord will fail before the breaker trips then something will go up in smoke!
The 30 amp socket is proteted by the 30 amp breaker in the marina panel and every after that should be rated 30 amps. by making an adaptor to go to a 15 amp plug you will probably be using cords that are rated less than 30 amps. If there is a short somewhere, the cord will fail before the breaker trips then something will go up in smoke!
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Rich Lewis
So which leg is which?
Anybody have an idea which is positive, negative, and ground? Making one is worth saving $10, but not my life. Thanks in advance...
Anybody have an idea which is positive, negative, and ground? Making one is worth saving $10, but not my life. Thanks in advance...
There is no positive and negative with ac
The white wire is "hot", black is return and green is ground. Make sure you put a power strip that has a 15amp breaker in between the load and source
The white wire is "hot", black is return and green is ground. Make sure you put a power strip that has a 15amp breaker in between the load and source
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Jonathan Costello
You have it backwards Scott
White is neutral/return and BLACK is HOT. If you want to confirm this look in your breaker panel in your house or open up any light switch in your house. All the black wires are connected to the breaker and the whites are connected to a common bus as are the ground wires. I believe Colin is correct in that it would take more to trip a 30 amp breaker. It was recommended by someone in one of the discussions to at least put a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI)in the circuit not just some cheesy power strip like you connect all your computer stuff to. A good one can be purchased at any home improvement warehouse. Realize though that it must be somewhat of an accepted practice to switch from 30 amp to 15 amp with an adapter if it is manufacturerd and UL listed.
White is neutral/return and BLACK is HOT. If you want to confirm this look in your breaker panel in your house or open up any light switch in your house. All the black wires are connected to the breaker and the whites are connected to a common bus as are the ground wires. I believe Colin is correct in that it would take more to trip a 30 amp breaker. It was recommended by someone in one of the discussions to at least put a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI)in the circuit not just some cheesy power strip like you connect all your computer stuff to. A good one can be purchased at any home improvement warehouse. Realize though that it must be somewhat of an accepted practice to switch from 30 amp to 15 amp with an adapter if it is manufacturerd and UL listed.
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Robert Avent
Add a 15 amp fuse or breaker
If overload was a concern, you could add a 15 amp fuse or breaker at the adapter.
If overload was a concern, you could add a 15 amp fuse or breaker at the adapter.
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Ross Terry
30 to 15 amp adapter
black is SUPPOSED to be hot, white is neutral, green is ground. Because 120 volts is derived from splitting a 240 volt waveform, 120 volt circuits do have polarity, 240 volt circuits do not. If you check voltage potential to ground in a correctly wired 120v circuit you will see 120v from black to ground, 0 volts from white to ground. If you use a 15 amp outlet or plug in a 30 amp circuit it should be protected with a 15 amp overcurrent protection device somewhere upstream of the adapter. If a fault resulting in a dead short occurred it would trip a 30 amp breaker, but you still could draw more than 15 amps through a 15 amp circuit or connector resulting in overheating and a potential fire could result. There should also be GFI protection in the circuit. The easiest fix would be to replace the 30 amp breaker with a 15 amp GFI breaker if the marina will let you. You want to do it right, electricity, especially around water needs to be respected. You could end up dead or burnt up or both. It's not worth a few bucks to take shortcuts.
black is SUPPOSED to be hot, white is neutral, green is ground. Because 120 volts is derived from splitting a 240 volt waveform, 120 volt circuits do have polarity, 240 volt circuits do not. If you check voltage potential to ground in a correctly wired 120v circuit you will see 120v from black to ground, 0 volts from white to ground. If you use a 15 amp outlet or plug in a 30 amp circuit it should be protected with a 15 amp overcurrent protection device somewhere upstream of the adapter. If a fault resulting in a dead short occurred it would trip a 30 amp breaker, but you still could draw more than 15 amps through a 15 amp circuit or connector resulting in overheating and a potential fire could result. There should also be GFI protection in the circuit. The easiest fix would be to replace the 30 amp breaker with a 15 amp GFI breaker if the marina will let you. You want to do it right, electricity, especially around water needs to be respected. You could end up dead or burnt up or both. It's not worth a few bucks to take shortcuts.
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Rick Webb
Rich, What Is It For?
Sparks start to fly when the topic has anything to do with electricity here. I do not pay attention to what is hot neutral or ground I just match the green wire to the post that says green same for white and black. Then check it with my tester doodad. If you are trying to just plug in a battery charger or something simple temporarily two plugs and a piece of wire will work. A more permanent use might be better served by using a 30 amp shore power cord to the boat with a GFI device and the 15 amp plug you are looking for inside the boat. There was a real hot discussion a while back about something called a shock buster being used on the boat. I see a number of boats plugged in with what looks to be no more than lamp cord and they do not spontaneously combust nor do they create a mushroom cloud over the marina. If you do not have a pretty good idea of what you are messing with there is a potential for significant disaster. All this because you wanted to save a few bucks on the adapter. The $30 adapter is not going to give you any of the protection the good folks here are suggesting and making one with the proper parts from the supply house for $15 will not create any. Just be careful with what you plug into the other end which ever way you go.
Sparks start to fly when the topic has anything to do with electricity here. I do not pay attention to what is hot neutral or ground I just match the green wire to the post that says green same for white and black. Then check it with my tester doodad. If you are trying to just plug in a battery charger or something simple temporarily two plugs and a piece of wire will work. A more permanent use might be better served by using a 30 amp shore power cord to the boat with a GFI device and the 15 amp plug you are looking for inside the boat. There was a real hot discussion a while back about something called a shock buster being used on the boat. I see a number of boats plugged in with what looks to be no more than lamp cord and they do not spontaneously combust nor do they create a mushroom cloud over the marina. If you do not have a pretty good idea of what you are messing with there is a potential for significant disaster. All this because you wanted to save a few bucks on the adapter. The $30 adapter is not going to give you any of the protection the good folks here are suggesting and making one with the proper parts from the supply house for $15 will not create any. Just be careful with what you plug into the other end which ever way you go.
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george s smith
last i knew
Black=hot white=neutral/return green=ground Black under brass screw white under silver ground under green ground is bare at times
Black=hot white=neutral/return green=ground Black under brass screw white under silver ground under green ground is bare at times
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crazy fart blossom dave
adapter
Rick and Jonathan pretty much summed it up. When you are making an adapter, it will cost more but if you are trying to go from a 30 to a 15 amp service, the potential for overload without any type of breaker will cause the wires to heat and a fire will ensue. I am not aware of an adapter that has such a breaker for reducing ampherage but if you have shore power with GFI, then you are in great shape. IF you do get an adapter that you can plug the extension cord into, just be careful what you do with it. The old saying is not to overload or you will load up.
Rick and Jonathan pretty much summed it up. When you are making an adapter, it will cost more but if you are trying to go from a 30 to a 15 amp service, the potential for overload without any type of breaker will cause the wires to heat and a fire will ensue. I am not aware of an adapter that has such a breaker for reducing ampherage but if you have shore power with GFI, then you are in great shape. IF you do get an adapter that you can plug the extension cord into, just be careful what you do with it. The old saying is not to overload or you will load up.
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Jonathan Costello
This should do the trick
Check out the link. It is a 15 Amp breaker. It can be purchased at Lowes.
Check out the link. It is a 15 Amp breaker. It can be purchased at Lowes.
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Rich Lewis
What I'll use it for
I planned on using a small 110v Pelonis heater in the cabin when I'm aboard. I have the waterproof 30 amp extension cord and my '95 26 Hunter has the 30a receptacle, but the previous owner rewired it so that the engine plugs into the battery through that receptacle. Gotta wonder what he was thinking... Someday I'll fix that and install a breaker box and 110v outlet in the cabin, but am looking for an interim solution. I like the suggestion regarding GFI device. I checked the link suggested below, but came up with "no longer available". Thanks anyway...
I planned on using a small 110v Pelonis heater in the cabin when I'm aboard. I have the waterproof 30 amp extension cord and my '95 26 Hunter has the 30a receptacle, but the previous owner rewired it so that the engine plugs into the battery through that receptacle. Gotta wonder what he was thinking... Someday I'll fix that and install a breaker box and 110v outlet in the cabin, but am looking for an interim solution. I like the suggestion regarding GFI device. I checked the link suggested below, but came up with "no longer available". Thanks anyway...
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Jonathan Costello
Rich
The orevious owner probably did not rewire it. Actually my boat came with a 30 amp recepticle but it was originally installed that way specifically for the motor because of the electric start on my motor. It might of actually came that way from the factory that way. It must be commonly used for a battery connection because it is a heavy duty plug and because ofthe cranking amps (maybe?). With regards to the GFCI that I linked. Just go to any Home Depot or Lowes, etc. to get one. You especially need one if you are using a heater because of the amps that a heater draws. Good luck.
The orevious owner probably did not rewire it. Actually my boat came with a 30 amp recepticle but it was originally installed that way specifically for the motor because of the electric start on my motor. It might of actually came that way from the factory that way. It must be commonly used for a battery connection because it is a heavy duty plug and because ofthe cranking amps (maybe?). With regards to the GFCI that I linked. Just go to any Home Depot or Lowes, etc. to get one. You especially need one if you are using a heater because of the amps that a heater draws. Good luck.
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Pat
15 amp breaker a must
There are very good suggestions posted here on this topic. BUT PLEASE NOTE: I am looking directly at the instruction sheet for a Leviton(R) GFCI receptacle, quoting it, "A GFCI receptacle does NOT protect against circuit overloads, short circuits, or shocks. For example, you can still be shocked if you touch bare wires while standing on a non-conducting surface, such as a wood floor." In summary, I want to add my vote that it is critical if you are down sizing from the 30 amp power supply to the 15 amp wiring that you add the 15 amp circuit breaker close as possible to the 30 amp supply outlet. Otherwise the smaller gage wiring will be subject to overload during a short. Also, I agree that the GFCI receptacle is needed to protect personnel from a faulty appliance. The GFCI will protect against a ground fault but will not protect against an overload or a shock under certain conditions. I recall that a couple years ago I saw a power supply box at an RV supply store that included a 30 amp plug with a short 30 amp cord to a small weatherproof circuit breaker box (that would stay near the shore power outlet). The box contained a 15 amp circuit breaker and a couple weatherproof 15 amp GFCI outlets. It would need to be evaluated to ensure that it was suitable for marine use. Also, use the electrical outlet tester each time you plug the system into the dock power. This is a little long winded but it is important stuff.
There are very good suggestions posted here on this topic. BUT PLEASE NOTE: I am looking directly at the instruction sheet for a Leviton(R) GFCI receptacle, quoting it, "A GFCI receptacle does NOT protect against circuit overloads, short circuits, or shocks. For example, you can still be shocked if you touch bare wires while standing on a non-conducting surface, such as a wood floor." In summary, I want to add my vote that it is critical if you are down sizing from the 30 amp power supply to the 15 amp wiring that you add the 15 amp circuit breaker close as possible to the 30 amp supply outlet. Otherwise the smaller gage wiring will be subject to overload during a short. Also, I agree that the GFCI receptacle is needed to protect personnel from a faulty appliance. The GFCI will protect against a ground fault but will not protect against an overload or a shock under certain conditions. I recall that a couple years ago I saw a power supply box at an RV supply store that included a 30 amp plug with a short 30 amp cord to a small weatherproof circuit breaker box (that would stay near the shore power outlet). The box contained a 15 amp circuit breaker and a couple weatherproof 15 amp GFCI outlets. It would need to be evaluated to ensure that it was suitable for marine use. Also, use the electrical outlet tester each time you plug the system into the dock power. This is a little long winded but it is important stuff.
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Nick Maggio
RV -STORE
I don't know how much but I have a short 30amp to 15 amp adapter for my rv which plugs into nomal 120 plug. nick
I don't know how much but I have a short 30amp to 15 amp adapter for my rv which plugs into nomal 120 plug. nick
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Stephen Fierro
You guys really like doing things the hard way
Wow. You guys are talking about hot/ground wires and making your own adapter. My question is Will it Rust? Normally when I get electrical components from a hardware store they have steel connectors to clamp the wires. Rust. I got the same exact adapter going for $45 at west marine on EBAY for $5 and $2 S&H. How is that for cheap? And a whole lot easier than trying to screw around with a live 30 amp wire. You guys are nuts, but if that is what you are into, have fun. I've electrocuted myself enough times in life. Stephen Fierro, Captain of Calamity
Wow. You guys are talking about hot/ground wires and making your own adapter. My question is Will it Rust? Normally when I get electrical components from a hardware store they have steel connectors to clamp the wires. Rust. I got the same exact adapter going for $45 at west marine on EBAY for $5 and $2 S&H. How is that for cheap? And a whole lot easier than trying to screw around with a live 30 amp wire. You guys are nuts, but if that is what you are into, have fun. I've electrocuted myself enough times in life. Stephen Fierro, Captain of Calamity
GFCI vs Breaker
A GFCI is a ground fault circuit interrupter. It basically measures the current in the black wire and compares it to the current in the white wire. A difference in these currents indicates that current is going somewhere it shouldn't (such as through you). If the amount is different by more than a few milliamps (it should say in the documentation how many) the circuit will trip. This helps protect against shocks to ground (ie water and conductive surfaces). A person can die from currents far below what would trip a circuit breaker so these provide additional protection. It provides no protection against a short circuit since the current will still normally be the same in both wires. It also provides no protection from shocks that occur from somehow touching both sides of the circuit. A circuit breaker or fuse works by tripping (or blowing) if more than a certain amount of current flows in the black wire. It doesn't care where the current is going. Both of these provide very different types of protection and the proper use of both together can improve safety. Keep in mind that these are mechanical devices that can fail to provide protection if they become corroded and can't trip properly. Also, AC power does not have any polarity that I am aware of. A 240 volt circuit is 1 phase of the 3 phase power generation and distribution system used by utilities. Because of the way that the step down transformers are wound, they have 2 identical circuits that are 180 degrees out of phase with each other. The black "hot" wires of both oscillate between positive and negative 60 times per second (60 hz). They are set up so that when one circuit is at it's negative peak the other is at it's positive peak. Connecting across them then leads to 240 volts. Connecting between either one and ground leads to 120 volts. Other than timing however there is no difference between them. AC voltage is also not measured by it's peak voltage but rather by it's RMS (Root Mean Square) voltage. By using this many of the familiar formulas work regardless of whether or not you are using AC or DC. This is more useful for calculations and if I remember correctly for a sine wave RMS voltage is approximately 2/3 of peak voltage. The same holds true for AC current. (See what all those electrical engineering courses lead to!! LOL) One more note, the connection of the engine starting circuit to the shore power may actually be "bonding". This is done for safety reasons. Basically the "ground" leg of the DC circuit is connected to the "ground" line of the AC circuit guaranteeing that both are at the same level and reducing the risk of shock that could come from touching both systems at once if there were faulty insulation.
A GFCI is a ground fault circuit interrupter. It basically measures the current in the black wire and compares it to the current in the white wire. A difference in these currents indicates that current is going somewhere it shouldn't (such as through you). If the amount is different by more than a few milliamps (it should say in the documentation how many) the circuit will trip. This helps protect against shocks to ground (ie water and conductive surfaces). A person can die from currents far below what would trip a circuit breaker so these provide additional protection. It provides no protection against a short circuit since the current will still normally be the same in both wires. It also provides no protection from shocks that occur from somehow touching both sides of the circuit. A circuit breaker or fuse works by tripping (or blowing) if more than a certain amount of current flows in the black wire. It doesn't care where the current is going. Both of these provide very different types of protection and the proper use of both together can improve safety. Keep in mind that these are mechanical devices that can fail to provide protection if they become corroded and can't trip properly. Also, AC power does not have any polarity that I am aware of. A 240 volt circuit is 1 phase of the 3 phase power generation and distribution system used by utilities. Because of the way that the step down transformers are wound, they have 2 identical circuits that are 180 degrees out of phase with each other. The black "hot" wires of both oscillate between positive and negative 60 times per second (60 hz). They are set up so that when one circuit is at it's negative peak the other is at it's positive peak. Connecting across them then leads to 240 volts. Connecting between either one and ground leads to 120 volts. Other than timing however there is no difference between them. AC voltage is also not measured by it's peak voltage but rather by it's RMS (Root Mean Square) voltage. By using this many of the familiar formulas work regardless of whether or not you are using AC or DC. This is more useful for calculations and if I remember correctly for a sine wave RMS voltage is approximately 2/3 of peak voltage. The same holds true for AC current. (See what all those electrical engineering courses lead to!! LOL) One more note, the connection of the engine starting circuit to the shore power may actually be "bonding". This is done for safety reasons. Basically the "ground" leg of the DC circuit is connected to the "ground" line of the AC circuit guaranteeing that both are at the same level and reducing the risk of shock that could come from touching both systems at once if there were faulty insulation.
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