block heater cord fried

[bgilbert]

Went to plug in the block heater cord on my recently purchased D250 and saw sparks from the cord and the lights in my garage dimmed. After unplugging it I inspected the cord to see that there was a break in the cord with a piece of wire showing where cord goes into the plug end. I'm not an electrician so I dont know if this can be stripped back and a new end plug wired up or do I have to get a new cord altogether? If new cord where and how much? Thanks Bill

 

[Philip]

Check the condition of the cord rest of the way down to the heater. If you do not see any more fared places. Then you might get by with just a new plug.



On a side note here. If you plan on using the heater much this winter. In your garage wiring have the circuit breaker on that circuit changed to a ground fault interrupter (GFI) circuit breaker. Or buy a extension cord with one built in.

 

[ETOBICOKE]

Block Heater Cord

You have 2 options, replace the entire cord, it plugs into the block heater unit, or just replace the plug on the existing cord. If you plan to replace the plug, get the standard 3 prong grounding type, the center conductor is the ground and gets connected to the green colored screw on the plug.



See this thread for further assistance:

https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=30306



Neil

 

[mazdarotary]

Why should he install a GFCI breaker?It seems as though he is in a dry(yet unheated)garage. This would not require a GFCI as far as I'm concerned. I am new to the diesel world so maybe there is something i am missing. Sorry if this is a stupid question.





Chris

 

[farmall]

Originally posted by mazdarotary

Why should he install a GFCI breaker?It seems as though he is in a dry(yet unheated)garage. This would not require a GFCI as far as I'm concerned. I am new to the diesel world so maybe there is something i am missing. Sorry if this is a stupid question.





Chris

But on the truck end of that cord is multiple gallons of liquid with nothing but metal surrounding it. If it happened to short out and you were holding it with no GFI on ther other end. Your only hope would be thr breaker tripping, which is not likely. Basically what I am saying is it can be like droppoing a hair dryer in a bathtub. Bill

 

[Philip]

The truck is setting on rubber (IE tires). You would be the ground circuit if something went wrong with the heater. If you were standing in water it would make it a lot easyer to Die.



By code in our state any plugs with a close proximity to water must have GFI breakers. Most of the time all anyone thinks about is the bath room and kitchen. But a garage is another place that needs it also. Water dripping off of vehicles. Most garages do not have drains. So everyone just lets it stand.



The diesel world has nothing to do with this one. It sould apply to any vehicle. GFI for any heater cords. It would mess up your day to walk out to unplug your rig and get 120 volts threw you.



I have seen this happen. Only I was lucky. The dog that was p###ing on my tires wasn't. I found him the next morning laying by my tire dead.

 

[farmall]

Phillip you are absolutley right about the tires. Although I was thinking more of you plugging and unplugging it. You will get shocked no matter what. Also the state code for Indiana requires ANY plug that is outside of the home to be on a GFI circut. And what you said about the others in the home are correct. I deal with this every day doing mechanical contracting work in homes. Either way around it is better safe than sorry. My CTD is plugged into a GFI controled outlet. Bill

 

[mazdarotary]

I uderstand the need for GFI plugs in a garage. I am an electrician and the state of mass requires all plugs outside the home to be GFI now. The GFI moniters the neutral(grounded) wire not the bare equipment ground(grounding)wire therefore I have never really understood the use of GFI's. I do understand their intentions but they don'y always work. They give people the illusion they will save their A$$ but fail way too much. My feeling is they were just pushed upon the public by the companies that invented them not because they are the end all be all for safety. We (electricians)are now going through the push for arc fault curcuit interupters(AFCI)to be used on any circuit that enters a bedroom. Another thing to push on the public so these companies get rich. Many states have in fact dropped the requirement of AFCI's but unfortunatly Mass is not one of them. What's next some sort of breaker that will trip when we fart too loud??I'm sorry to be long winded and off topic but these things get me going. I guess what i comes down to is do what you think is right and safe. Maybe I have been shocked one too many times,and don't know whats good for me anymore.





Chris

 

[BushWakr - RIP]

Mine did the same thing, I just hacked the plug off about 2-3" back and put a decent one on myself.

No problem. .



Bob

 

[bgilbert]

Thanks alot to everyone. I will hit the hardware store Sunday AM for a new plug. Oh yeah by the way, how should I marry the cord and new plug together? Butt connectors, electric tape, or buy a small soldering gun kit?? Like I said I'm not an electrician.

 

[farmall]

Originally posted by bgilbert

Thanks alot to everyone. I will hit the hardware store Sunday AM for a new plug. Oh yeah by the way, how should I marry the cord and new plug together? Butt connectors, electric tape, or buy a small soldering gun kit?? Like I said I'm not an electrician.

The new plug should come apart and you screw each of the 3 wires into the 3 corresponding terminals on the new plug. Bill

 

[BushWakr - RIP]

Yup, exactly as above. Also when your done, squeeze a little dielectric grease in to the female extension cord end. That will help keep pitting/sparking/corrosion down to a min.



edit: I'm sure this is obvious but... ... never plug in if you just got home and the truck is warm/running temp, you'll kill the heater element.





Bob.

 

[dpetre]

Install a Thermo Cube in the outlet in the garage and it will turn the heater on when temp drops to 20 degrees. Plugging in a warm vehicle will do nothing to the heater but it will waste energy. The GFI outlet measures the amperage between the hot wire black and the white wire neutral. When something shorts to ground there will be a difference measured in amperage between the black and white wires and the outlet will trip out. You still have the danger of electrical fires if you use too small of power cord or a short develops between the white and black wires. You should be all right just repairing the cord. The gold screw is hot, silver is white or neutral, and green is ground. Happy holidays.