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Old 09-25-2022, 10:15 AM   #1
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Thumbs up 30A / 120V plug

I recently had a 30A 2pole circuit breaker added to my home circuit breaker panel with a new RV 30A plug attachment. My RV was plugged in while the electrician did a full home circuit breaker check. About 10 minutes later, my fridge and microwave no longer worked. Everything else seemed ok. I removed the GFI electrical socket and found it was a 20 AMP 2 pole unit, 120 VAC. This socket has been in my rig for 10 years with no issue. Now that I’ve explained the back story, these are my questions and or concerns.
#1. Because my RV was plugged in during the house circuit breaker electrical test, was it possible that a surge may have disabled this GFI plug source causing the fridge and microwave to not work?
#2. The GFI plug socket clearly is a two pole 20 AMP / 120 VAC. Is the 20 AMP socket truly suitable for this type of electrical current. Or should 30AMP 2 pole 120 VAC be used instead and can it be used safely instead of a 20 AMP socket. Any advice or info is greatly appreciated.
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Old 09-25-2022, 11:02 AM   #2
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Originally Posted by Falcon Ryder View Post
I recently had a 30A 2pole circuit breaker added to my home circuit breaker panel with a new RV 30A plug attachment. My RV was plugged in while the electrician did a full home circuit breaker check. About 10 minutes later, my fridge and microwave no longer worked. Everything else seemed ok. I removed the GFI electrical socket and found it was a 20 AMP 2 pole unit, 120 VAC. This socket has been in my rig for 10 years with no issue. Now that I’ve explained the back story, these are my questions and or concerns.
#1. Because my RV was plugged in during the house circuit breaker electrical test, was it possible that a surge may have disabled this GFI plug source causing the fridge and microwave to not work?
#2. The GFI plug socket clearly is a two pole 20 AMP / 120 VAC. Is the 20 AMP socket truly suitable for this type of electrical current. Or should 30AMP 2 pole 120 VAC be used instead and can it be used safely instead of a 20 AMP socket. Any advice or info is greatly appreciated.


If you plug a 30 amp Rv plug into a 2 pole 30 amp socket Boom!!!!!!!!
30 amp Rv plugs a single pole 1 hot 1 ground 1 neutral
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Old 09-25-2022, 11:03 AM   #3
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30A 2 pole CB....that means dual 30A CB with 2 HOTS

30A RV Receptacle should have 1 HOT, 1 Neutral, 1 Ground
IF electrician wired it using 2 HOTs from the Dual 3A 2pole CBs you have 240VAC going to your RV

20A GFCI is not 2 pole.....it is 1 hot, 1 neutral, 1 ground and has fried due to the 240VAC

Hopefully fridge/microwave didn't get damaged along with other 120VAC Items.






RV 30A Receptacles are NOT wired like Dryer/Welder Receptacles
YOU ELECTRICIAN messed up and needs to OWN UP
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Old 09-25-2022, 11:04 AM   #4
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I recently had a 30A 2pole circuit breaker added to my home circuit breaker panel with a new RV 30A plug attachment.

I assume you terminology is not correct. You probably don't have a "2 pole" 30 amp circuit. As posted above that would cause significant damage in your RV. A 2 pole 240 volt outlet is not what you want.

30 amp RV circuits are 30 amp 120 volt circuits. A "RV 30A attachment is a 30 amp 120 volt outlet. It has one hot leg, one neutral leg, and one system ground connection.

My RV was plugged in while the electrician did a full home circuit breaker check. About 10 minutes later, my fridge and microwave no longer worked. Everything else seemed ok.

You will have to check with the electrician to see what he did. There is not a standard "full home circuit breaker check". It is unlikely what ever he did caused your problem.

I removed the GFI electrical socket and found it was a 20 AMP 2 pole unit, 120 VAC. This socket has been in my rig for 10 years with no issue. Now that I’ve explained the back story, these are my questions and or concerns.

I presume you mean you removed the RV 120 volt 20 amp GFI outlet the frig or micro was plugged into. There is only one standard for 120 volt 20 amp residential GFI outlet. Like the 30 amp, there is one hot, one neutral, and one system ground. The GFI function monitors the current in the hot leg and the current in the neutral leg. It the two currents are different, the GFI trips.

Push the "test" button. GFI should disconnect. Push the "reset" button. The GFI should reconnect. The GFI will only work if there is 120 volt power to the outlet. If the GFI does not work, then it may be that there is no power to the outlet. A defective GFI function is also possible. They are easy to replace.

#1. Because my RV was plugged in during the house circuit breaker electrical test, was it possible that a surge may have disabled this GFI plug source causing the fridge and microwave to not work?

Not likely. Check with the electrician.

#2. The GFI plug socket clearly is a two pole 20 AMP / 120 VAC. Is the 20 AMP socket truly suitable for this type of electrical current. Or should 30AMP 2 pole 120 VAC be used instead and can it be used safely instead of a 20 AMP socket. Any advice or info is greatly appreciated.

No. The branch circuit breaker and socket should not be 30 amps.

Your RV has a "service entrance" circuit breaker box. Assuming you have a 30 amp 120 volt shore power system, there will be a 30 amp 120 volt circuit "main breaker" in the service entrance.

The service entrance is a place for local branch circuits to be connected. Each branch circuit breaker is sized to protect the wire that is connected to it.

An existing 20 amp circuit probably has 12 AWG gauge wire. Each outlet in the circuit is probably also rated for 20 amps. None of that has been changed. All replacements should have the same specifications as the original.
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Old 09-25-2022, 01:43 PM   #5
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I recently had a 30A 2pole circuit breaker added to my home circuit breaker panel with a new RV 30A plug attachment. My RV was plugged in while the electrician did a full home circuit breaker check. .
Your electrician should have installed a single pole 30A circuit breaker to connect to the 30A RV plug.

If what you described is actually what the electrician did, the 30A 2 pole breaker in your electric panel provides 240V, pole to pole, and if this was connected to the 120V 30A RV plug, then everything in the RV that was plugged in and turned ON probably got fried. Things like lights that were not turned on to the 240V will be OK. Things like the frig and microwave, plus any other items that come on when you plug them in, are ON all the time. They may not be running, but the control circuitry is always ON from the time you plug them in, that's what allows you to just push a button to turn the main operation of the unit on. That control circuitry is what will get fried, so the entire unit will no longer be able to be turned ON.
Check the voltage on the RV plug with a voltmeter.
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Old 09-25-2022, 01:54 PM   #6
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Your electrician should have installed a single pole 30A circuit breaker to connect to the 30A RV plug.

If what you described is actually what the electrician did, the 30A 2 pole breaker in your electric panel provides 240V, pole to pole, and if this was connected to the 120V 30A RV plug, then everything in the RV that was plugged in and turned ON probably got fried. Things like lights that were not turned on to the 240V will be OK. Things like the frig and microwave, plus any other items that come on when you plug them in, are ON all the time. They may not be running, but the control circuitry is always ON from the time you plug them in, that's what allows you to just push a button to turn the main operation of the unit on. That control circuitry is what will get fried, so the entire unit will not work.
Check the voltage on the RV plug with a voltmeter.
In addition to microwave and refrigerator, a washer/dryer could be effected. Our Splendide W/D stays on all the time also. That circuit board is $400!
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Old 09-25-2022, 02:00 PM   #7
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Yup, two pole, which is two hots which is 240 VAC will "let the smoke out" of any 120 VAC appliance on at the time.


And, all the AC appliances in your RV are 120 VAC.
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Old 09-25-2022, 02:01 PM   #8
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Old 09-25-2022, 02:28 PM   #9
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If your electrician actually installed a TT-30R receptacle, he should have noticed that one of the connection screws on the receptacle was Silver for connection for the Neutral.
This should have been a flag to indicate that he was working on a 120 VAC Circuit and NOT a 240 VAC Circuit.
All damages can be traced back to the electrician.
And BTW, electrically, a Socket is what you install a bulb into.
A Receptacle (generally) is a wall mounted device that you can insert a Plug into.
A Plug (generally) is a device that is attached to a cord to connect an appliance to a Receptacle.

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Old 09-25-2022, 02:53 PM   #10
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This is so sad, if what was posted was actually done. How many times have we heard about a double-pole installed on 30-amp RV circuit? Doesnt apply here but you could have installed a 20 or 30-amp double-pole and used a 50-amp plug with a 50-amp service RV. Think this one is going to be expensive--hopefully for the "electrician."
.
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Old 09-25-2022, 03:06 PM   #11
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I hope your electrician has insurance. For the reasons mentioned above...
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Old 09-25-2022, 04:31 PM   #12
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With the information we have, it does indeed sound possible the "electrician" may have installed a 30amp, 240 volt receptacle. The type used to power a dryer or welder in the home. It would consist of 2 hots and a ground to deliver 240 volts.

As mentioned already in several posts above, an RV 30 amp receptacle is 120 volts, which consists of one hot, a neutral, and a ground.

Before jumping to conclusions, the OP might want to grab a volt meter and check the receptacle out himself. This will show if the voltage and the wiring is correct.
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Old 09-25-2022, 07:22 PM   #13
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"I recently had a 30A 2pole circuit breaker added to my home circuit breaker panel with a new RV 30A plug attachment."

This is the statement of the OP. It sort of sounds like the OP may have requested a 30A 2pole breaker be installed in the panel and connected to the 30A, 120V receptacle. If that might be the case, and the electrician didn't exactly understand RV wiring, you know what the electrician will say.

We just have to wait and see if there is a response from the OP.

Like BigD9 added about the washer/dryer having control circuits in addition to the washer/dryer, in my coach, anything that runs from a remote control has control circuits, such as my 5 TV's, DVD players, satellite receivers, cell phone booster, WiFi booster, plug-in clocks, etc. I have 120V connected to the battery charger circuits and if it were turned ON, it may have been compromised also. The OP has a Forrest River Class C and I don't know the extent of appliances he has.

I knew a guy at work years ago that had 240V applied to his house 120V circuits by the utility company while doing some electrical work. He got to go shopping for quite a list of new appliances, all complements of the utility co.
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Old 09-25-2022, 07:45 PM   #14
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With the information we have, it does indeed sound possible the "electrician" may have installed a 30amp, 240 volt receptacle. The type used to power a dryer or welder in the home. It would consist of 2 hots and a ground to deliver 240 volts.



As mentioned already in several posts above, an RV 30 amp receptacle is 120 volts, which consists of one hot, a neutral, and a ground.



Before jumping to conclusions, the OP might want to grab a volt meter and check the receptacle out himself. This will show if the voltage and the wiring is correct.
If the electrician installed a 30 amp 240 volt dryer or welder receptacle the OP could not plug his cord into it.

It sounds more like he miswired a TT30 receptacle. That the OP could plug into.
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